By Avery Maier, ’13, News Editor
At the CCDS Invitational, Mariemont Dual meet, Madeira Invitational and the Reading Invitational, CCDS girl track team members, who have competed on four straight league championship teams, could be seen flying by opponents, gaining points, and leading the Indians to victory in all four events.
At the first meet of the season, the CCDS invitational, the Indians defeated 12 teams and finished 54 points ahead of second place Shroder. During this meet, Erika Armstead, ’12, broke the 21-year-old school record in long jump, set at 16’11 ¾, with her jump of 17’3 ½, the winning long jump at the meet. The team also garnered other victories, including junior Claire Heinichen’s triumph in the Pole Vault and junior Alanah Hall’s first place finish in the 1600 meters and 3200 meters. The winning 4 x 800 m relay consisted of Hall, Xanni Brown, ’10, Elizabeth Blackburn, ’11, and Corey Tipton, ’10. In addition, Ramona Weber, ’11, Avery Maier, ’13, Blackburn and Armstead won the 4 x 400 m relay.
At the Madeira Invitational, the Division III Indians defeated a host of larger Division II schools, including second ranked Indian Hill. Armstead won the 100 m, the 200 m, the Long Jump, and anchored the winning 4 x 100 m, en route to garnering the Outstanding Female Runner award for the meet. Hall again won the 1600 m and 3200 m. Head Coach Steve Conner was “very impressed with the younger runners, and [how] they could fill in spots.” He was also impressed, he said, by “the depth of the team and how everyone who competed contributed to the victory.”
In addition, at the Reading invitational, despite missing eight key athletes, the girls managed to defeat sixteen other schools
Out of the 26 girls on the team, which according to Conner is “one of the larger teams we have had in the 20 years I have been working with the CCDS girls team,” three are seniors. Nichole Lowe is a fourth year runner, Xanni Brown is in her second year, and Tipton is competing in her first year. Conner expressed great pride in the girls he is coaching. “The success the girls have had this year goes beyond expectations,” he said. “I believe that this team, as a whole, has no idea how good they really are. I cannot remember a group that has been so supportive of each other in their accomplishment. I thought I knew how good this team was, but they keep surprising me,” said Conner. “I believe this team can do whatever they want. That is what is so exciting for me as a coach, seeing how far they can go. They have the talent, work ethic and desire. It is just a matter of continuing, and not being satisfied with where we are. This includes both the individual, as well as the team.”
Coach Conner, looking ahead, sees a lot of room for improvement in areas such as technique and pushing to go farther. “A lot of teams would be happy with the success this team has had. This team has not yet understood where they can go. They won Districts last year and their belief that they can be competitive at the Regional level is the key.”
While the girls track team is filled with outstanding runners, Conner feels that there are some that set themselves apart from the crowd: “Erika Armstead and Nichole Lowe in the sprints and long jump, Alanah Hall, Xanni Brown, Corey Tipton and Katie Karnes in the distance events, Sadie Swensson, Candice Keese and Savannah Bryant in the weight events, Erica Brackett in the high jump, and Claire Heinichen and Sadie Lindner in the pole vault are all great athletes. What makes this team strong is the depth. The second runners are the ones who win you the meets. Those are the girls who get you the fourth, fifth, and sixth place points. This team is winning because of everyone on the team.”
Assistant coach Brittany Woods, ’04, is also excited about how the season has started off. “We have a lot of team leadership that results in a successful outcome. Our hard work and dedication shows that we, as a Division III team, can compete and win against Division II teams. I am excited for what is to come and hope to keep our winning streak alive.”
The athletes themselves are also quite optimistic and proud of their accomplishments thus far:
Armstead has “great expectations for the team. Our team has worked really hard, so it is great that it has paid off. I love my teammates.”
Nichole Lowe thinks the team is “doing a good job for the start of the year. We are building up off of last year’s success and I feel that we can make a run for Regional’s.”
“The success of the team is very good,” said Savannah Bryant. “I am very proud of the team so far. I think working hard together as a team and pushing each other during practices and meets has really helped us.”
With past success as a foundation to build upon, the CCDS girls track team is on the right path towards achieving their goals. “They will go as far as they believe they can,” said Conner.
Photo by Avery Maier ’13
