When Coach Mike Simon took over the track program at Holy Child in 2013, the current seniors on the team, all of whom are captains, were freshman.

By Melanie Cane

When Coach Mike Simon took over the track program at Holy Child in 2013, the current seniors on the team, all of whom are captains, were freshman. That is one of the reasons why Senior Day, February 11, was especially heartwarming for Simon and  seniors Kailah Brinson, Melany Carvalho, Emily Fray, Anna Liddy, Amelia Downes, Brigid Hans, Arnell Stewart, Miffy Riley, Caelyn MacGowan, and Margaret Brady. The seniors were honored at the last meet of the season, the state qualifying meet at the Armory.

At the meet, Riley qualified for the state championships in the 55m for the second year in a row. She came in second overall with a personal best of 7.47 seconds, which is the second fastest time in Holy Child history. She will compete at Cornell University on March 5. Brinson placed 5th in the 55m and ran a 7.72 personal best, missing a berth to the state championships by  0.11 seconds.  The 4×200 relay team consisting of Riley, Brinson, and juniors Katie Zampolin and Christine Altomare came in 3rd overall with a time of 1:51. Freshmen Emma O’Shea, Jacqueline Quinn, Gabby Morreale, and Kristy Zhou, and sophomore Sophia Flissler all had personal bests in the 1600m. O’Shea improved her time by 13 seconds.  Quinn placed second in her heat knocking 17 seconds off her personal best. Fray ran a 3:33 1000m, her best time this season. After battling injuries and sickness last year, Fray made a great comeback this season.

“The seniors hold a piece of my heart, said Simon, “I’m going to miss them not only on the track but also off the track as great role models for the younger athletes. This group of seniors has undoubtedly been the best ‘captain’ a coach can ask for due to their leadership qualities, their hard work, and dedications as well as their perseverance.”