The Woodstock Academy indoor track teams had a busy holiday week with some getting the chance to compete in New York City on Friday prior to coming back to the Coast Guard Academy in New London for an ECC meet on Saturday.
The trip to the Marine Corps Holiday Classic at the Armory in New York City was especially significant for one member of the girls’ team.
Junior Juliet Allard competed in the 200m event and broke a school record previously set by Ava Coutu in 2020.
“It’s not an event that is run much (in indoor track). It only takes place in the big invitationals and National competitions,” said coach Josh Welch.
Allard was joined in New York by senior Jillian Edwards who placed 10th in the high jump in 4-feet-10 inches.
Another senior, Julia Coyle, placed third in her heat and 21st overall in the 1600m in 5 minutes, 43 seconds.
All of those athletes also competed in New London on Saturday.
Allard qualified for the Nationals in the 300m by taking first in 42.73 seconds.
The experience on Friday could pay off in the future for athletes like Allard.
“I was glad to see the kids get a chance to see the Armory before the Nationals are held there,” Welch said.
Allard just missed setting a school record in the 300m, she was just fractions of a second off the mark currently held by Sara Swenson in 2012.
The junior also joined Coyle, Kira Greene and Olivia Tracy to finish second in the 4x400m relay Saturday which qualified the quartet for state competition.
Edwards, who placed first in the high jump, also qualified for state competition in the 55m hurdles where she placed third in 10.17 seconds. Emma Weitknecht also qualified for states in the hurdles, finishing in 10.34 seconds.
Tracy qualified for states in the 1000m with a 3:29.01 finish and Coyle took second in the 1600m in 5:47.
On the boys’ side, Christian Menounos, recovering from the flu,  also competed in New York City on Friday and almost took another record owned by Welch off the indoor track record board.
The junior missed out on Welch’s 800m claim to fame by less than a second.
Menounos and teammates Charlie Caggiano, Anthony Beaudreault and Aiden Tyler then went out on Saturday and qualified for states in the 4x400m relay.
Marc Allard
Director of Sports Information
The Woodstock Academy

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