Spring Sports Previews: Madison Girls Track and Field

The Madison High School girls outdoor track and field team is looking to rebound after losing a senior class that won the state sectional title last year. All of the team's point scorers from that meet have since graduated, and the team this year is young.

Teh Dodgers are also competing in a new conference, the Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference, so they do not know exactly what the competition will be like.

"It is a rebuilding year," said Madison head coach Cathy O'Brien. "But we do have some experience on the team. We will be competitive in the conference, but it will be tough against some teams."

The girls team is looking out for the same teams that the boys team is looking out of for this year: Hanover Park, Parsippany, and Chatham. Despite being a young team, the Dodgers do have some upperclassmen that have the experience and the drive to put together a tough team.

Senior Casey Reeve is attempting to break the school record of 9 feet this year. Her highest jump last year was 7 feet, 6 inches. She also throws javelin, discus, and shot put.

"We're pretty well bonded," Reeve said. "Everyone knows each other… I think it will be a good year."

Mark LaDolcetta, the head coach during the indoor track season and one of the assistant coaches during outdoor, was hopeful that some of the younger girls might begin to develop into top-notch athletes this season as well.

He has good reason to think so.

During the winter season freshman Natasha Nikodijevic took first in the novice high jump event at the Fairleigh Dickinson Field Events meet. Nikodijevic will also be running and competing in the long jump this season for the Dodgers.

Junior Melissa Iskandar had a break-out season in indoor. She was the only member of the girls team to qualify for the Meet of Champions, and in an unexpected event for someone who was used to running only long distance events–the 800.

"I want to break the record in the 800 this season," said Iskandar, who is only two seconds away from the mark.

She also has high hopes for the team, despite acknowledging that with a new conference it is hard to tell how things will turn out.

"We did well in winter track and placed second in cross country so I feel like anything is possible," Iskandar said.

Another member of that second-place cross country team will be running distance for the Dodgers this spring as well, Senior Caroline Miller, who also made it to the group meet for the first time in indoor, and wants to make it at least that far in outdoor.

"We've been successful in past years in our conference, but it's a new conference," Miller said.

Junior Gabby Rojas, a hurdler who ran in the winter with Miller and Iskandar was also uncertain about competing in a new conference.

"Winter track was so different. There were so many teams, and you don't run against your conference until the championship. Plus you add so many field events in the spring, so it's a wait and see kind of thing," Rojas said.