The Lexington High School Girls Outdoor Track Team recently placed first out of twelve Massachusetts high school teams in the Middlesex League-12 (ML-12) Championships, an outdoor track competition held on Wednesday, May 21. 

The qualifiers for this championship were based on individual game results from earlier meets in the season, where runners had to exceed certain cutoffs.

“In order to compete at the Middlesex League Championship, you have to qualify with a specific time, throw, or jump. They provide numbers to the league, and the athletes that hit those marks are allowed to compete,” Rebecca Trachsel, the team’s head coach since 2021, said.

The team has participated in the ML-12 Championships since 2012. However, having placed third last year, their win this year resulted in positive reactions all around.

“One of our big goals for the season was to win the Middlesex League meet, so we were very happy,” Trachsel said. “The girls came in third last year, so we really wanted to come back stronger and show that we were capable of taking first place.”

LHS sophomore Marissa Hao, who ran in the ML-12 Championships, conveyed her excitement about the team’s big win.

“It felt really good. I was so excited because I was a little nervous going into it, especially about my races, but we won by a lot. And I kind of knew we could do it,” Hao said.

However, there were struggles throughout the year that the team had to navigate through in order to ultimately triumph.

“The biggest struggle we have is that our team has over 200 kids, and we only have a small number of coaches to work with all of those kids. And as much as we want to coach each kid individually, that’s a challenge for us,” Trachsel said.

Despite the challenges, Trachsel and the other coaches use certain tactics and lessons to uplift the team and encourage runners to do their best in a supportive environment.

“We try really hard not to focus on times and distances and just focus on competing and being the best that you can be against the teams that you’re running or throwing or jumping against,” Trachsel said. 

Although individual results are important for success in track, teamwork is a crucial element of the team. During practices, Trachsel emphasizes what it means to put the team before oneself.

“While we obviously work hard to try and do better for ourselves, we ultimately get that if we put our team first, then usually the results come by themselves, because we’ve been working towards making the best for our team,” Trachsel said.

The teamwork fosters community, helping each runner feel supported. Hao describes how she felt while running, hearing her team cheering for her.

“Everyone cheered for everyone in every single event. It was really nice because I was running the 4 by 4, and then I just saw everyone cheering for me, yelling my name, and I think it just really helps a lot,” Hao said.

Teamwork is a big part of the team, but so is training and dedication, which are essential elements for both individual and team successes. 

“Definitely stay consistent in your training. Train over the summer, go with a friend, and make sure you’re going every day or six days a week and just putting in the work. You don’t have to be good, you just have to be dedicated,” Hao said.