Mt. Hope Girls' Indoor Track Team Makes History in 'Dream Season'

The  Girls' Indoor Track Team recently completed its finest season in school history, according to Head Coach Andrew Sabourin.

The team had its highest ever places at the Division, Class and State Meets, scored its first points at the State Championship since 1996 and won the first championship ever for a Mt. Hope track team male or female by finishing the dual meet season undefeated at 9-0 in the Sullivan Division II.

"I'm happy with the girls' efforts and proud of their accomplishments," Sabourin said. "I'm especially happy for the seniors who started off on a team that won just one meet their freshman year. So to win a championship just three years later is amazing. It was a dream season for us almost everything went according to plan and nearly all of the girls improved their times and distances throughout the year."

It was a dream season for the coaches, too. "It was very rewarding all the way around for Assistant Coach Jeff Blanchet and I and the future of the team looks bright," Sabourin said.

Recent highlights from the Huskies' amazing season provided by Coach Andrew Sabourin:

On Saturday Feb. 18, the girls 4x400m relay team of Megan Vento, Kylie McPherson, Nicole Rusin and Meghan Rainville placed 3rd in the entire state to become the first All Staters male or female from Mt. Hope.  The 6 points earned enabled the huskies to tie for 15th place of 37 riil teams eligible for the meet. 

Other members of the team that qualified for states were Lucy Spence (High Jump), Vivian Ramos (600m), McPherson (55mHH) and Vento (55m dash).  The 4x400 quartet also competed in the 4x200m as did the 4x800m relay of Ramos, Hazel Baldwin-Kress, Maggie Azar and Katarina Heyden.  Only the top 12 relays and top 18 (24 in dash and hurdles) in individuals events qualify for the state championship.

At the Class B Championship on Thursday, Feb. 9, the girls placed 6th of 12 teams with 34 points.  The girls 4x400m relay team of Megan Vento, Kylie McPherson, Nicole Rusin and Meghan Rainville became the first Female Class Champions in Mt. Hope History winning the event and beating their own school record by 7 seconds.  The quartet also broke their own school mark in the 4x200m and placed 4th. 

Vivian Ramos placed 3rd in the 600m becoming just the 5th individual girl to earn all class honors.  Other scorers were Lucy Spence (4th in the high jump), Vento (4th in the 55m and Long Jump), McPherson (6th in the 55m hurdles) and the 4x800m relay of Hazel Baldwin-Kress, Maggie Azar, Jocelyn Alexandre and Victoria Campo (6th place).

At the Sullivan Division II Championship on Saturday, Feb. 4 the team placed 2nd to Hope High School with 87 points.  Hope won the meet with 113 points.  Mt. Hope had its first ever individual champion as Kylie McPherson won the 600m.  She also was 2nd in the 55m Hurdles and tied for 4th in the High Jump.  McPherson teamed with Megan Vento, Nicole Rusin and Meghan Rainville to win the 4x400m in exciting fashion as Rainville came from behind in the last 50 meters to pass Hope for the victory. 

Other scorers were: Hazel Baldwin-Kress (2nd in the 1000m), Maggie Azar (3rd 3000m, 5th 1000m), Jocelyn Alexandre (5th 3000m), Rainville (3rd 600m), Vivian Ramos (6th 600m), Vento (3rd 55m, 5th Long Jump), Lucy Spence and Rusin (Tie 4th in the High Jump), Hayley Cambrola (5th in the Shot Put).  The 4x200m relay of Ramos, Vento, Rainville and Rusin placed 2nd while the 4x800m squad of Cambrola, Alexandre, Victoria Campo and Andrea Pereira also finished as the runner-up.  Eleven different girls earned all division honors, which is over half of the team.

On Monday Jan. 16 the Girls Indoor Track team defeated previously undefeated teams Hope (57-52) and Moses Brown (69-40) to win the Sullivan Division II crown by finishing 9-0 on the season.  The team picked up victories from Katarina Heyden in the 3000m, Kylie McPherson in the 55m hurdles and Lucy Spence in the high jump to contribute to the victory.  The team also got points from Maggie Azar, Jocelyn Alexandre, Meghan Rainville, Hazel Baldwin-Kress, Vivian Ramos, Nicole Rusin, Megan Vento, Hayley Cambrola and Erin Killeavy. 

Going into the last two events the Huskies had secured their victory over Moses Brown, but trailed Hope 49-44 with just the 1000m and the 4x400m relay left.  Needing 1st and 2nd against Hope in the 1000m Freshman Heyden along with Baldwin-Kress narrowly upset Hope's top runner to take the top 2 spots.  The meet and championship hinged on the final event, the 4x400m relay. 

As they would do all season the relay squad of Vento, McPherson, Rusin and Rainville came through with a gutsy performance, Sabourin recalled.  The foursome found a way to win despite being down by a big margin mid-way through the second leg.  The relay improved their previous season best time by 7 seconds to beat Hope by 4 seconds and give Mt. Hope their first ever Championship.

The team will be honored at the Bristol-Warren Regional School Committee meeting Monday, Feb. 27.

School Records broken this season:
New Record/Previous Record (Year)

600m: Kylie McPherson 1:43.9/Allie Teixeira 1:45.21 (2007)
400m: Kylie McPherson 64.24/Meghan Rainville 67.0 (2011)
55m: Megan Vento 7.4/Vento 7.6 (2011)
55m Hurdles: Kylie McPherson 9.4/Hazel Baldwin-Kress 10.0 (2011)
High Jump: Lucy Spence 4' 8"/Meghan McMullen 4' 7" (2009)
Long Jump: Megan Vento 15' 6 3/4"/Vento 14' 4 1/4" (2011)/
4x400m relay: Megan Vento, Kylie McPherson, Nicole Rusin, Meghan Rainville 4:12.04/4:22.56 Katerina Forrest, Emma MacDougall, Joy Risko, Allie Teixeira (2006)
4x200m relay:  Kylie McPherson, Megan Vento, Meghan Rainville, Nicole Rusin 1:50.7/1:55.8 McPherson, Vento, Rainville, Rusin (2011)

Freshman School Records:
3000m: Katarina Heyden 11:44.6/Katerina Forrest 12:47.4 (2003)
Mile: Katarina Heyden 5:59.17/No previous Record
1000m: Katarina Heyden 3:29.21/Meghan McMullen 3:32.9 (2007)