Track and Field Finds Success at ISLs
By Amelia Joseph ’28
This year, May 10 marked not only Mother’s Day but also Independent School League (ISL) Championships for both the Girls’ and Boys’ Varsity Track & Field team. Shifted from Saturday to Sunday due to rain, the event was hosted at Belmont Hill and invited sixteen schools, with each school’s two best athletes entered in each event, competing for the ISL title. Maintaining a strong spirit while battling injuries, Milton Academy Girls’ Track & Field (MAGTF) emerged as the ISL champions while the Milton Academy Boys’ Track and Field (MABTF) put on a strong performance to end up eighth.
Through simple workouts and frequent trips to the trainer, MAGTF and MABTF set themselves up for success throughout the week leading up to ISLs. Captain Esme Campbell ’26, who competed in the 1500m and 3000m, said that the distance team tapered their workouts during the week prior to ISLs by running “....a little less and do[ing] more sharpening and speed work to give our legs a rest and get ourselves ready to run fast.” Isabella Vander Elst ’28, who competed in the high jump, 100m hurdles, and 300m hurdles, said, “I was definitely in the trainer a lot, using Game Ready [Therapy] as well as the ice bath. The trainers were super helpful in helping tape me. Making sure I was healthy and strong the week before and not working my body too much was definitely a priority.”
MABTF captain John Valerio ’26, who competed in the 1500m and the 800m, stated that “our coaches definitely gave us an easier week… in order for our legs to stay fresh for race day.”
Not only did the athletes show up, they showed out. The two teams set new personal records, school records, and ISL records. Anka Kahle ’28 set a new personal best in the triple jump, broke the school record in the long jump at 18'1”, and recorded a season best time with her 4x1 relay team. “I surprised myself by breaking 18 feet while jumping and eventually setting a new school record,” reflected Kahle. Clara Ryan ’28 achieved a personal record in the 400m dash, and her 400x4 relay team, with Ania Robinson ’26, Reagan Vaughan ’26, and Ella Banning ’29, broke the standing school record, last set in 2008. Valerio set a new personal record in the 1500m while Campbell set the ISL league record for the 3000m.
Commenting on the girls’ team’s highs, Ryan noted, “I think what won us the championship was our field events. Our field athletes are incredibly talented, and they earned us so many points!” Campbell commented, “I got to run with Ella Banning in the 1500, which was fun. I think we worked really well together to place 1st and 2nd.” Some other athletes noted the events in which they broke personal and school records; however, all interviewed athletes mentioned the contribution of their teammates in both relay and field events.
As MAGTF reflected on the significance of their victory, all members expressed gratitude for each other and their coaches. Robinson, a team captain this year, stated that their win “means all the practices and team meetings and effort everyone on the team put in paid off.” Banning noted that the girls’ team’s win was "the perfect way for me to give back to the team and coaching staff that I am so grateful for,” with Ryan adding that “winning is a team-driven accomplishment for me. Although track is a mostly individual sport, Coach Lewis, our captains, and the whole team have curated an incredibly strong team-first philosophy, and those bonds really set us apart from the other teams when it mattered.”
Despite the boys’ lower placing, Valerio noted that “being able to watch the girls’ team compete and also win was amazing to watch”.
Overall, while the boys’ and the girls’ teams ended with different results, ISL Championships fostered community, gratitude, appreciation, and a sense of belonging, highlighting the essence of sports in the Milton community.