2005 Westfield Girls Outdoor Track Review

It was at the Union County Relays that the Westfield Girls Track team gave a glimpse of the 2006 season and how strong and deep their middle distance talent is. Using only one of their regular 4 by 800 runners, the Blue Devils were easy winners in the 3200-meter relay with a team comprised of two freshmen, a sophomore and junior Meg Driscoll.

At many schools the loss of senior stalwarts like Emily MacNeil and Annie Onishi would be catastrophic but the Blue Devils developed a strong corps of underclassmen and appear poised to be strong again next year.

Onishi and MacNeil graduate with 16 track and field letters and a boatload of school records and first place finishes between them. MacNeil and Onishi were both members of the 4 x 400, 4 x 800, Distance Medley Relay, and Sprint Medley Relay teams, which all hold school records.

Both have held varsity status on the team since their freshmen years and both were members of the 4 x 800 team that qualified for the Penn Relays for the past three years. Onishi was the top scorer this season, and has been among Westfield’s top three scorers for four years.

She has been a leader by example on the track,” said Westfield Coach Jen Buccino.

MacNeil has been one among the team’s top scorers for four years. She has been a four-time Watchung conference champ, three-time county champ, and 2002 State Sectional champ over her four years and holds the school 400-meter record. She also was the Group 3 800 meter indoor champion this year and paced the Blue Devils to the county indoor championship.

To replace them Buccino will count on Driscoll and the other member of the top 4 by 800 team, Miriam Becker-Cohen, who also ran on the school record setting distance medley relay. The other members of the county 4 by 800 team, sophomore Ayn Wisler and freshman Stephanie Cortinhal and Catherine Cognetti as well as sophomore distance standout Jen Danielsson also figure prominently. Daniellson became the first Blue Devil 3200-meter champion since 2002 when she captured the Sectional crown and dropped her time by a minute during the season.

“Our strength will remain in the middle distance for next year, however we will need to work on depth in the 1600 and 3200,” said Buccino.
“ We have gaps to fill in the sprints, jumps and throws, and need to work on some depth as well,” said Buccino.

Buccino will need to replace top javelin thrower Olena Borkowsky, triple jump record holder Ali Rodino and top shot put and discus thrower Christina Henry but has rising sophomores Emily Perry, Erica Ammermuller, and Marlena Sheridan to fill gaps.

“We have a strong core of youngsters that gained valuable experience and solid veteran leadership,” added Buccino.

“Since we are traditionally not lacking in numbers of incoming athletes each spring, we hope the combination of the above will create the right ingredients for a stronger season next year.”