Tech girls’ track hopes youth is served

The Lynn Tech girls’ track team will have a roster this season that is dominated by mostly freshmen and sophomores. But that group, said coach John Hogan, has a real chance to do something special in the Commonwealth Athletic Conference because many of them already have varsity experience.
?It really should be one of our best years,” Hogan said. “We have a lot of the girls back that did really well as freshmen. If we win, it will be because of our numbers. We don’t usually have this.”
Last season, Tech went 2-6 but put up solid efforts against many of the top teams in the CAC. “As a coach, you always want to get one more win than the year before,” Hogan said. “But this year, we’d like to get a little more than that.”
League rules permit athletes to compete in up to four events during each meet. That could help the Tigers as many of their returning starters possess the versatility to shine on the track and in field events.
Junior Nuria Arriza is Tech’s distance specialist. She will also compete in the javelin.
?She is a great all-around athlete but also is a great leader,” Hogan said.
Hogan also has a talented group of sophomores who all have varsity experience.
Makayla Handley will compete in the 100-meter race and throw the discus and shot put. Houssay Bah, a natural, Hogan said, when it comes to running, is Tech’s hurdle specialist. She will compete in the 100- and 400-meter hurdles along with the high jump. Ann Marie Teixeira, one of several players from the girls’ basketball team who came out for the spring season, will run the 400-meter race and will join Handley in the shot put.
Keishauna Payne will be part of the relays and also is a solid triple jumper.
?With the athletes that we have, we find out what they can do and go with it,” Hogan said.
The Tigers are scheduled to open the regular season on April 15 with a tri-meet against Whittier and Northeast Regional but were unable to practice outside until Monday.?Last year, we had a smaller team so the girls had to do a little bit more,” Hogan said. “Now, with all the girls that we have, they’ve got experience and they’re able to train their events. And hopefully, we get a few surprises in that first meet.”