League champs are back and 2-0
Published January 3, 2020
By JENNIFER GENTILE
MELROSE—The Melrose High girl’s indoor track team returns after a flawless 5-0 2018-19 season in which they clinched the Freedom League. They look once again to be the team to beat in the Middlesex Freedom league as they start their season 2-0 after wins over league rivals Stoneham and Watertown.
Melrose will be led by senior captains Nora Daly, Alex Cotugno, Grace Solomon, Jenna Thorpe and Victoria Ackerman, and enjoy a great amount of depth from runners making cross overs from cross country and outdoor track.
Melrose earned their first victory of the year on Dec. 17 at Boston University over a competitive Stoneham team. The Spartans took the edge in early dash events before Melrose’s fleet-footed runners swept the 1 mile, 2 mile, and 600-meter events. Alex Cutugno, Charlotte Tysall and Chloe Orcutt swept the 1 mile, Katie Duffy and Marissa Zelten took the 2 mile and the 600 was a clean sweep from Alyssa Champagne, Ella Flemming, Anna Mackay, Lizzie Casey and Victoria Ackerman. Both 4×400, 4×200 relay teams prevailed and a 1-2 finish by Grace Donahue and Kaiya Thompson in the 55 hurdles finished the job for Melrose.
SOME OF these faces are back to compete again for another indoor track league title. (file photo)
They also topped Watertown easily on Dec. 27 at the Middlesex League meet at Boston University. Melrose swept the 300 dash, 600m, 1000m, 1 mile, 2 mile, 55m hurdles, both relays, high jump and shot put. Melrose saw some impressive 1-2 finishes by Jenna Thorpe and Ava Palumbo in the 300 dash, a complete sweep in the 600 behind Alyssa Champagne, Ella Flemming, Lizzie Casey and Madison York, a sweep in the 1000 by Anna Mackay, Lilian Lawler, Mollie Lytje and Katie Sikemma, and another sweep in the mile by Charlotte Tysall, Alex Cutugno and Jenna Fracasso. Melrose also swept the 2-mile thanks to Katie Duffy and Jillian Bakey and the 55 hurdles behind Kaiya Thompson, Grace Donahue, Megan Bidgood and Rory Kirby. Their 4×200 relay team of Grace Donahue, Kaiya Thompson, Julia McAree and Keelan Boisvert also prevailed, as did the 4×400 team of Katie Sikemma, Jenna Thorpe, Charlotte Tysall and Ava Palumbo. Taking a quality win in the high jump was Julie MacAree and Melrose also swept the shot put behind Chelsea Otaluka and Grace Solomon.
Coach Shannon Kane is impressed with their early results and predicts good things. “We’ve had great performances to start the season. I’m very excited to see how we progress.”
Melrose will look to take a decisive 3-0 lead in the Freedom League if they get past Wakefield (1-1) on Friday when they compete against them at Boston University. Stay tuned.
Full schedule
12/19/19 4:30 PM vs Stoneham
12/27/19 9:30 AM vs Watertown
01/02/20 4:30 PM vs Wakefield
01/05/20 TBA vs Wilmington HS (Reggie Lewis)
01/07/20 4:30 PM vs Burlington
01/11/20 TBA MSTCA Open (Reggie)
01/20/20 12:00 PM vs Lexington
01/26/20 TBA vs Coaches Invite (Reggie)
02/09/20 TBA v. Last Chance (Reggie)
