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Photo by Bridget O'Sullivan, courtesy of Westwood Track and Field. The 4x400 meter relay team of (L to R) Olivia O'Neill, Maeve Gavin, Tea Pagnotti and Caroline Kelleher shattered the previous record in their event.
7-03-2023 1:03am
Historic Year Ends for WHS Girls Track and Field Team with 8 School Records Broken
Darlene Cancell
Editor
Over the past two Winter 2022 and Spring 2023 seasons, nine members of the Westwood High School Girls Track and Field team broke eight school records - a feat which a typical high school athletic program could hardly imagine. And the athletes didn’t just break their eighth record, they shattered it.
Ruby Codrington, Harper Morrison, Olivia O'Neill, and Tea Pagnotti posted a time of 4:13.50 in the spring medley relay at the New Balance Nationals competition in June, beating the old record by more than 5 seconds.
That wasn’t the only record smashed by members of this year’s team. In spring, Tea Pagnotti also competed in the WHS 4x400 meter relay with teammates Caroline Kelleher, Maeve Gavin, and Olivia O’Neill, and together they broke the previous school record by over 6 seconds.
Photo by Bridget O'Sullivan, courtesy of Westwood Track and Field. Pictured are the new Westwood High School record-holders in the Girls 4x100 meter relay (L to R): Katie Tran, Victoria McGowan, Harper Morrison, and Ruby Codrington.In triple jump, Victoria McGown added 7.25 inches to set the school’s new benchmark. She bounded over the previous record of 35’0.25,” and landed at 35’7.5.”
Along with these instances of school records being demolished, consider the full list of eight WHS records broken by nine girls of Westwood's Track and Field team in the past year:
|
Event |
Old School Record |
New School Record |
Student Athlete Record Holders |
|
Sprint Medley Relay (Spring) |
4:18.64 |
4:13.50 |
Ruby Codrington, Sophomore Harper Morrison, Senior Captain Olivia O'Neill, and Freshman Tea Pagnotti --Placed 6th at the New Balance National Rising Stars Division |
|
4x100 Meter Relay (Spring) |
50.56 |
50.55 |
Katie Tran, Victoria McGowan, Harper Morrison, and Ruby Codrington |
|
4x200 Meter Relay (Winter) |
1:50.29 |
1:49.76 |
Katie Tran, Ruby Codrington, Olivia O'Neill, and Nyla Bacchus |
|
4x400 Meter Relay (Winter) |
4:10.24 |
4:10.07 |
Ruby Codrington, Olivia O'Neill, Maeve Gavin, and Tea Pagnotti |
|
4x400 Meter Relay (Spring) |
4:09.25 |
4:03.13 |
Caroline Kelleher, Maeve Gavin, Olivia O’Neill, and Tea Pagnotti --TVL Champions --Division 3 State Meet Champions |
|
400 meter hurdles (Spring) |
66.86 |
66.64 |
Caroline Kelleher --TVL Champion |
|
Triple Jump (Spring) |
35'0.25" |
35'7.5" |
Victoria McGowan |
|
Long Jump (Spring) |
16'5.5" |
16'6.5" |
Katie Tran |
Photo by Bridget O'Sullivan, courtesy of Westwood Track and Field. Tea Pagnotti (center) takes the handoff of the baton from 4x400 meter relay teammate Olivia O'Neill.The names of many of the athletes in this group now appear on two or more new school records. Ruby Codrington and Olivia O’Neill lead the stellar pack, each with four school records to their names. But the performances of any of the nine record-holders are nothing short of historic for WHS.
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It’s no surprise that Head Coach Raul Madera has earned Coach of the Year for the Tri-Valley League Girls Large Schools, following an astonishing year.
“I’m incredibly proud of the team,” said Coach Madera. “In particular, since this is my final season with the team as I move to New York, I couldn’t have asked for a better final season. They really gave it their all and helped elevate Westwood Track and Field to another level,” he said.
Photo by Bridget O'Sullivan, courtesy of Westwood Track and Field. Moments after their record-breaking sprint, Harper Morrison (left) gives a high-five to Head Coach Raul Madera, in the company of Ruby Codrington.Breaking school records was a goal of this team. Girls Distance Coach Jen Teahan notes that the athletes had “goal-setting discussions around the record board and they worked to get their names displayed on it.”
In a prior interview with Westwood Minute, Coach Madera explained his coaching process further. “I start the fire, I help line up the goals,” he said. “They internalize them and fight for them. As coaches, we start the fire, but we can’t do the work. They do the work.”
Photo by Bridget O'Sullivan, courtesy of Westwood Track and Field. Katie Tran is holder of three new school records.Coach Teahan commented on the winning attributes of this girls’ team, stating, “The camaraderie of this team is everything. They celebrate each other's success as if it is their own. They are fantastic student-athletes that excel in and out of the classroom. They work hard and fight for greatness. Breaking 7-plus school records in two seasons is unparalleled and showcases that they are the best that has ever done it in a Westwood uniform,” she says.
Thanks to Raul Madera and Jen Teahan for their contributions to this Westwood Minute article.
