Washburn has strong track and field team
By Kevin Sjoberg
Sports Reporter
WASHBURN — The track team at Washburn District High School has made great strides since forming in 2011.
Third-year coach Sean Diette has been impressed with the work that members of the team have put in so far, and it has paid off through early-season results.
“This team has a lot of personal goals that they are focused on achieving, whether it is to qualify for the state meet, or simply to continue to improve and gain personal records in each event,” Diette said, “knowing that States may not be reachable this year, but with hard work and more experience, next year will be a real possibility.”
Diette knows that one athlete who will certainly be at the Class C state meet, to be held this year at Foxcroft Academy June 1, is junior Carsyn Koch.
She is the defending state champion in both the 800- and 1,600-meter runs.
Koch also anchors the 4×100-meter relay team, with Tyra Shaw, Joan Overman and Kennedy Churchill the other legs, which has shown promise in early meets and which Diette feels will be the top relay team fielded at Washburn in his three years.
Koch is also doing some individual sprints as well as the high and long jumps.
“Carsyn has unique physical abilities that combine the speed of a sprinter, the endurance of a distance runner, and the spring and explosiveness of a jumper — all in one package,” Diette said.
“It is a challenge to balance the speed and strength work of a sprinter, the base training and endurance training of a distance runner, and the technique work involved in hand-offs and jumping events because the training required for each is different, but she is a very gifted athlete, who has the combination of natural ability and work ethic that allows her to succeed,” the coach added.
Overman, who returns for her second season of competition, competes in the 100 and 200 and the high jump and has demonstrated that she is one of the top track athletes in Aroostook County. She has already qualified for the state meet and at the team’s first meet in mid-April she established a time which was faster than all of last season.
Shaw, a sophomore, does sprints and the long jump, while Churchill, a junior, is also competing in the hurdles and the javelin.
Overman and Shaw both have experience at the state meet and Churchill hopes to join them this year in the hurdles.
The other girls’ team members are freshman Mariah Campbell (distance running and javelin), sophomore Marianne Helton (distance running) and sophomore Alexa Woodman (hurdles, long jump and javelin).
The two boys competing in track and field this spring are sophomore Ruben Roman (throws, sprints and long jump) and senior Justin Farley (sprints).
Sophomore Lucia Bragg and freshman Jacqueline McCarthy are the managers.
“We have a strong core group of veteran athletes who have helped the newer and less experienced athletes get going and learn the ropes quickly,” Diette said. “I see a great showing for Washburn for the rest of the season and at the state meet in June because of the increase in experience and the hard work that has been put in this year.
“This is a team that has a lot of personal motivation and that will continue to improve upon some already very impressive performances.”
