SCOTCH PLAINS/FANWOOD, NJ – TAPintoSPF is honoring the Class of 2020 with a collection of senior profiles honoring the athletes who didn’t get to play their spring sports activities seasons because of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

As we speak, we’ll spotlight the 4 graduating seniors on the Woman’s Observe & Area group.

After their greatest season ever in 2019, the women on this squad had been on a mission to silence critics and acquire recognition as one of many high groups in Union County and the state. 

“Our ladies had their greatest season ever this winter. We had a whole lot of momentum,” stated SPFHS Observe & Area Coach Jeffery Koegel. “We at all times speak about caring for the issues which might be beneath our management, like our perspective and our effort, and to hope for the most effective for the issues which might be outdoors our management.”

Lacking a complete season this spring was one thing nobody might have foretold. Dropping Penn Relays to COVID-19 was when it actually began to sink in for the group, in keeping with Coach Koegel.

“I figured we’d be out a number of weeks and be again. Possibly cancel the twin meets and some of the Saturday meets in April. As soon as the Penn Relays obtained canned, you knew it was one thing huge,” he stated.

Nicole Agwu

Occasions: 100m hurdles, 400m hurdles, triple bounce, 55m hurdles, 4x400m relay, 4x200m relay

Nicole was a member of the foursome of women that gained the 4x400m relay at Penn Relays in 2019, and recollects this as one in every of her favourite recollections as a member of this group.

“My favourite recollections need to successful the mini-wheel at Penn Relays with the 4×4 and happening to North Carolina for Outside NB Nationals with the shuttle hurdle group.”

Nicole desires all her youthful teammates to proceed to work exhausting and carry the torch ahead for Raiders XCTF.

“It’s important to work exhausting to get outcomes,” she informed TAPintoSPF. “All the time push your self to do higher than earlier than. By no means settle, at all times attempt to be the most effective and understand that you’re a lot extra succesful than you assume.”

Nicole will attend Boston College subsequent fall.

Antoinette Chango

Occasion: Shot Put

Antoinette is a pressure to be reckoned with within the shot put circle, she has thrown within the ballpark of 85’ for all through her profession.

She stated her fondest recollections are from the time spent together with her throwing coaches.

“I miss rather a lot about T&F, however above all I miss seeing my teammates, Coach Stack, and Coach Hernandez. Over the previous few years they’ve change into my closest mates and I miss them a lot!”

Antoinette is about to main in arithmetic at Gettysburg School within the fall.

Katherine Chouinard

Occasion: Pole Vault

Coming of an excellent winter season, inserting first at NJSIAA North II Group IV Championship with a PR and college report of 9’0”, this spring was as a result of be an enormous step in Katherine’s profession. As a result of SPFHS doesn’t have indoor capabilities for the scholars to pole vault all through the winter, Kate and her pole vault coach (Coach Kane) put in hours on the pole vaulting membership in the course of the chilly winter months, which led to her PR to complete that season.

“Kate actually got here a great distance prior to now 12 months, and we had been excited to see how excessive she would have gone this spring.  Coach Kane firmly believed she would have gone nicely over 10′,” Coach Koegel stated, including that “Kate was an integral a part of our state sectional championship group this winter.”

Anina Dashiell

Occasions: Triple Leap, Lengthy Leap, Excessive Leap, 100m Hurdles, 55m Hurdles 

Anina has additionally been a useful member of the women Observe and Area group. She desires to remind her teammates to belief their means as an athlete and to worth the steering of their coaches.

“Strive a brand new occasion and keep it up. Once I entered monitor freshman 12 months, I by no means thought I might compete within the championship season that very same 12 months,” Anina stated. “I attempted the occasions and labored exhausting to earn my spot. For those who imagine in your self and hearken to the coaches, you may succeed.”

“I’ll miss my monitor household essentially the most,” she stated. “They’ve change into my greatest mates and lots of the coaches have taught me highly effective life classes.” 

Anina departs for NYU’s Stern Faculty to review Finance and International Enterprise.

Che Dashiell

Occasions: Excessive Leap, Hurdles, Triple Leap

Che’s favourite reminiscence was successful sectionals in the course of the winter season.

“It was so thrilling and everybody was having such an incredible day! So many people positioned and moved on to states,” she stated.

Her recommendation is to hearken to the coaches.

“They’ve been doing this for a very long time, and so they know what’s greatest for you. Be sure to get pleasure from what you might be doing,” she stated. “Observe can generally be irritating, particularly within the extra technical occasions, so be sure you’re having enjoyable and do not get too down when you’ve got a foul meet.”

What Che will miss most: Competing in shuttle hurdles.

“There’s simply one thing about that race and my relay group that makes every race unforgettable,” she stated.

Che will attend LSU (Louisiana State College) Honors School to review Animal Science on a pre-veterinary monitor.

Isabelle Gilles

Occasion: Javelin

Coach Koegel described Isabelle as “a javelin specialist on our spring monitor & discipline group.” She positioned within the convention championship final spring, throwing a distance of 104’6”, a PR, throwing an extra 15’ from her final PR. Coach Koegel counseled her for having a pleasant perspective, being a straightforward child to work with, and even famous her excessive affect of the already robust javelin space of the group this season.

“One of many issues I’ll bear in mind most about Izzy is what a pleasant individual she is, and at all times fast with a smile and to say hey,” Coach Koegel stated “The javelin was an space the place we actually anticipated to be robust this spring and one thing that may assist us construct on all of the success we had this winter.”

Olivia Zambrio

Occasion: Cross-Nation, 1600m & 3200m

Olivia says her love for the occasions she ran got here in center college when she would run street 5k races and obtained her begin within the 1600m race.

“I by no means loved sprinting throughout soccer follow or the opposite sports activities I performed, however once I obtained the prospect to run longer distances, I used to be actually in my component,” she stated of her expertise at distance operating. When requested about shedding her senior season, Olivia was fast to spotlight the objectives she had set for herself to qualify for state group meets in all three seasons of the college 12 months, having already certified within the fall and winter.

“I’m actually disenchanted. I had excessive expectations and large objectives for the season! I needed to qualify for the state group meet all three seasons this 12 months, I made teams each fall and winter and though I do know spring can be the toughest of seasons,” she stated. “I actually thought I’d have the ability to accomplish it this season.”

Olivia plans to run monitor and cross-country for the College of Pittsburgh subsequent 12 months.

Associated: Two Scotch Plains-Fanwood Athletes Named UCIAC Athletes of the Year

Kelly Zimmerman

Occasion: Pole Vault

One of many leaders on the pole vault squad, Kelly helped contribute to the group’s success main into this spring season. Coach Koegel describes her as “a pole vault specialist for us.”

“When she first got here out for the group, she had a whole lot of points together with her knees that made operating a bit tough for her.  Once I came upon she was a gymnast, pole vaulting appeared like it could be a great match for her,” stated Coach Koegel, citing her robust winter season as a motive why they had been anticipating huge issues from her this spring.

Kelly additionally recalled her first day of follow for this canceled season as her greatest reminiscence as she remembers her lengthy constructed pleasure for the upcoming season.

Coach Koegel stated that whereas this missed season was out of all of their management, he actually needs the children might have run for the season they ready for.

“The state of affairs this spring was far worse. I feel as time went on, the inevitability of the season being canceled turned increasingly obvious. I’m very appreciative for the children who put in a lot work in making an attempt to maintain themselves match,” he defined.

“I miss working with them, and I miss being in school, at follow, and at meets. I’ll proceed to assist my student-athletes in each method I can,” the coach stated.

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