Ode to Girls' Track at InterscholsOde to Girls' Track Interschols 2003
Plummeting times, lengthening throws,
Raising the bar as high as it goes;
Leaping far and jumping high,
Learning to say “we,” not “I”—
There are so very many reasons
Why this has been the best of seasons:
In the very first race of the meet
An Exeter victory sure was sweet.
Ali and Decker took it out
Then Kate and Bunce erased all doubt—
After Exeter’s four by one,
The other teams knew they were done!
Now Decker, Jadah, Bunce, and Jan
Are the fastest four that ever ran
At Interschols! And what is more
They each bumped up our girls’ team score
In their events. Like in the hurdles
Jadah made others look like turtles
By making the obstacles part of her stride
Appearing to run in an effortless glide.
As for Bunce, who’s big on speed
She didn’t really have the need
For more than a jog, to win her heat.
Coach Coder thoroughly enjoyed this feat:
“Bunce, the next time, just for fun,
How ’bout if you at least run?”
For Jillian, the adverse condition
Compromised her good position
Without the headwind, we all know
Jillian would much faster go!
In the 1500 meters
While other teams supplied the leaders
Exeter girls stuck to their pace
And ran what we call a “smart race.”
Laura felt great halfway through
And did what all wish they could do:
She sped up! When the finish came
Laura had made Hall of Fame!
Flora followed close behind;
A swifter pair you will not find.
Cait and Ali carried the soul
Of the team to the pole.
Ali didn’t clear the bar
But then Cait equaled her PR!
Decker and Jan, in the one-lap race
Overtook those that set the pace
A little too fast, then passed them by—
One might think they’d learned to fly.
And when the race was said and done
They each a new PR had run!
Perhaps I take too big a risk
To note that Emma’s throw of disk
Surpassed all other girls that day
And both the boys from PEA!
Then came Tiger, oh my word,
Who threw for a stupendous third!
In the shot, a similar scene
Emma fast becoming queen
Of throwing! She won shot put too,
And in fact she even threw
A big PR by two whole feet!
A thoroughly successful meet
For her and also for Kalia
Who surely proved to also be a
Crucial person, earning third
In two events! Oh my word.
Bunce and Kate ran in the two
And they both very nearly flew.
Despite a strong wind in their faces
They earned us eight points with their races!
Over in the long jump, Jadah
Had her work cut out and made a
Long first jump, but her opponent
Jumped yet farther. For a moment
We held our breath. When Jadah jumped
Her eyes sparkled, her arms pumped,
And when she flew out over the sand
Farther than anyone else she did land!
Ali’s jump was number nine
And for a prep, that’s very fine!
Jan and Allison ran together
To make the eight a team endeavor.
Not only did Jan help us score,
She ran a new PR by four,
And in this all-New England test,
Allison got a season’s best!
Jadah did the triple, too
And nearly thought she was all through!
After faults her first two tries
She turned her ever-focused eyes
To the board, against most coaching
But as the pit was fast approaching
Jadah’s foot did miss the vinyl
And her jump put her in the final!
Her best jump was thirty-five
Feet and three inches. Man alive!
Of this all-hyphenated pair,
Both, incidentally, with long hair,
Caitlin was the second to leap
And high Exeter standards she did keep.
We were all excited when
Her jump was the number ten!
For 300 hurdles Elisa Chen
Set a new PR again!
Her time was zero-point-seven less
Than what was her previous best!
We all knew that Jadah’d be
The NEPSTA spring track MVP
And then, scarcely pausing once,
She was off to prom with Bunce!
Teammates, you have, on the track,
Proved that Exeter’s days are back.
No more third or fourth for you—
We’re number one, this much is true!
