THE HORNET 4×100 meter shuttle hurdle relay team ran a season-best 1:02.67 to take 8th place in the country at New Balance Nationals in Philadelphia. Pictured from left to right is Giuliana Ligor, Hayden MacLellan, Georgia Robarts and Callie MacLellan. (Courtesy Photo)
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. — The NRHS girls track and field team had eight student athletes qualify to compete at the New Balance Nationals Outdoor Track and Field Championships (NBNO) held at Franklin Field at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia from June 13 to June 16.
Sophia Gallivan and Sydney Scholz qualified and competed in the Freshman Javelin Throw where Sydney took 10th and Sophia 23rd.
Kate Denehy competed in the Freshman Triple Jump taking 50th.
Abigail Lilley qualified to compete in the Hammer Throw (a first in NRHS history) but could not compete due to a previously scheduled vacation trip. Her personal best of 140′ 11″ which qualified her for the event is not only a school record but also the furthest throw of any athlete in Massachusetts this season.
Callie MacLellan competed in the Championship High Jump leaping 5′ 5.25″ which breaks her own North Reading School Record set earlier in the season at 5′ 5″. This is a remarkable feat considering that this is the first season that Callie has competed in outdoor track and field. She has been a member of the indoor track and field team but until this season, was focused more on her mid distance running training but has since turned her attention to hurdling, jumping and the pentathlon multi event.
Callie combined forces with twin sister Hayden MacLellan as well as Team Captain Georgia Robarts and Team MVP Giuliana Ligor in the 4×100 Meter Shuttle Hurdle Relay. Their team had a tremendous performance, running a season best of 1:02.67 which was just off of the school record of 1:02.46 and earned them an 8th place finish in the country just missing All American status, which would be a top 6 finish, by under a second.
Ligor also competed in the 400 Meter Hurdles where she ran 1:01.29 and took 11th place in an impressive field where the top 8 athletes all brook 1:01.0. Ligor’s personal best of 58.97 which was run just two weeks earlier, was the 9th fastest time run in the country all year and is the fastest time ever by an athlete from New England. Ligor was recently named the Massachusetts Gatorade Girls’ Track and Field Player of the Year.
As Giuliana, Callie and Hayden are juniors they are looking to come back stronger next year in the hurdle events with a group of strong younger hurdlers coming up through the ranks.
