LYNNFIELD — Lynnfield track star April Luders was looking forward to another strong season this spring before the COVID-19 pandemic derailed the Pioneers’ season. But the incoming senior has put what’s in the past behind her and is ready to look forward to the next time she can compete in the blue and yellow.
“It really was a bummer missing out on my spring season, we were really looking forward to it as a team,” said Luders. “We had a great team during the winter track season and we were hoping to take that momentum right into the spring.”
A lot of that team momentum from the winter came right from Luders herself. She earned Cape Ann League All-Star honors for the winter track season, helping lead the Pioneers to a CAL Baker Division co-championship alongside Ipswich after going 4-1 on the season. It was the first league title for Lynnfield girls track since 1984.
Luders broke the school record in the 55-meter hurdles with a time of 8.69 seconds, and she did it when it mattered most — to take first place in the Division 5 Championship meet.
“I really like the 55 hurdles, it’s my favorite event and the one that I really focused on this winter,” Luders said. “I was really able to make a lot of improvements and I was able to put up some really good finishes.”
Luders also competed in the long jump and the 4×200 relay, where she also found some success. In the long jump, her personal-record distance of 16 feet, 3 inches was good enough to earn her a fourth place finish at the CAL Championship. She placed 15th in the Division 5 Championship (15-1). In the 4×200, she joined with teammates Lily Rothwell, Danielle Percoskie and Ameila Noto to run a time of 1:59.51 at the CAL Championship, good enough for a sixth-place finish.
“We didn’t get to run the 4×200 in the Division 5 Championship, but we still were able to compete and run well in that event,” Luders said.
With the spring season out the window, Luders has shifted to a strength and conditioning regimen and some speed training this summer as she prepares for what she hopes to be an undisturbed winter indoor track season.
“I get emails every week with workout plans and drills to run, so I’ve been able to keep myself busy doing that for the most part,” Luders said. “Before the pandemic, I was also working out at Athletic Evolution (All-Inclusive Athletic Training Center in Woburn), so I hope to get back there and start that up again once we’re allowed to.”
As for what’s coming for the 2020-2021 season, Lynnfield is returning 20 track athletes — with Luders at the head of the pack.
“I just want to keep improving each day, each meet and keep getting better,” Luders said. “I just want to try to be the best I can. Maybe I’ll be able to run track at the next level, but for now I’m just focusing on what’s ahead of me.”
