The Norwell girls’ track and field team is looking to build back to winning a sectional title this season after losing out last year. The Knights were four-time champions in a row before falling to Oak Hill.

Members of the Norwell girls’ track and field team are from left to right: Front row, Samira Perez, Trinity Conrad, and Hallie Smith. Second row, Taylor Werling, Lily Hank, Haleigh Reinhard, Hadley McSorely, Alana Cady, Maddy Reinhard, Addy Archbold, and Sophia Smith. Third row, Addison Meyer, Makenzie Fuess, Ali Riley, Larkin Smith, Sawyer Peterson, Hannah Rusu, and Jacquelyn Mayer. fourth row, Emerson Meredith, Reghan Plunkett, Madison Garland, Chloe Borkholder, Julia Bauer, Jaycie Grzych, Elizabeth Norris, and Ridley Sheets. Fifth row Hattie Lewis, Eva Davis, Jada Dale, Issie Isch, Abbie Dale, Ryleigh Huffman, and Emily Davis. Sixth row, Karrigan Melcher, Shae Brooks, Jillian Melcher, Ryland Graft, Kaylee Eicher, Claire Bailey, Allie Shepherd, and Alexis Hartup. Top row, Coach Michael Fenters, coach Marcey Melcher, Brooklyn Meyer, Ashley Waldman, Kendall Dunwiddie, Olivia Wills, Ellie Gatton, Coach Wendy Bailey, Head coach Deidre Stoppenhagen. Not pictured: Rossel AC Rabie. (Photo by Ryan Walker)

Fourth-year head coach Deidre Stoppenhagen though, is excited about this year and the chances to get right back into the sectional champion conversation.

“As soon as official practices started and I saw who returned the incoming freshmen and a few surprise girls who joined us, the outlook for the season went from excited to ‘off the charts,’” she said. “This team is excited. They are competitive. I can’t wait to watch it all play out.”

The roster has a depthy 46 members listed and only is returning five seniors, which will be bright for the future.

Sticking to this team right now, though, it is filled with regional qualifiers from a season ago. 

They include:

• The 4×8 team of Ali Riley, Maddy Reinhard, Haleigh Reinhard, and Addy Archbold.

• 100 and 300 hurdles Claire Bailey.

• 1600 Makenzee Kahn.

• 400 Makenzie Fuess.

• 4×4 team of Riley, Fuess, Bailey, and Archbold.

Two years ago, the team graduated a heavy load of performers that scored the majority of the team score at the end of meets. Stoppenhagen describes last year’s team as going through a “lull” which sparked a team meeting to discuss how to compete at a higher level. The conclusion was to make roles for everyone on the team to score points rather than relying on the top event placers.

“We figured this out together, so we took a whole practice to talk it out,” the coach said. “We took input from girls, got their thoughts on several things, and made appropriate changes. Moving forward, we focused more on team mentality instead of individuals, and it definitely showed at sectionals. I can already see the difference at the start of this season as well.”

Keeping this mentality in mind, Stoppenhagen’s group isn’t focused on the end-of-the-year meets quite yet. The Knights are focused on establishing roles, trying out new events, and getting better each meet.

Some of the goals for Norwell this year are to achieve personal bests, scoring as a team, and go to state. The 2022 group scored one point in the regional, and time will tell if there is an improvement. How much will there be?

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