Avery Dueppengiesser found her place in track and field. As an eighth grader, her love for the sport led to advocacy for the formation of an indoor team. Four years later, the senior capped off a successful individual career, one marked with school records and sectional titles, by helping the girls’ team earn its first championship in school history.
At the Section V Class B4 championships, held on February 21 at the Rochester Institute of Technology, the girls’ team went into the final event tied for first place. It came down to Avery and her teammates on the 4x400 relay, including Brooke Kresse, Brooke Narowski, and Lucy Carpenter. It was Brooke Kresse’s first time running the event, and only the second time for the other girls.
“Anxiety was high. It was on us. As the first leg, I thought I could’ve done better,” said Avery.
As the team’s anchor, sophomore Lucy Carpenter was nervous before she received the baton at the last handoff. Going into the final curve, she lagged behind about 40m from the race leader – until she kicked it into high gear.
“I was thinking to myself, ‘Wow, I’m getting closer.’ Then I realized, I was able to pass the lead runner. When I crossed the finish line, I was happy and shocked. I realized then that we had won sectionals,” said Lucy.
The team had earned redemption after placing second at sectionals the past two years, and third in the first season. In addition to the relay win, Avery also earned sectional titles in the 55m hurdles in a new school record time of 9.30 seconds and the shot put with a new school record of 30’3.5’’. Freshman Marijke Allison won a sectional title in the 1500m race walk with a time of 10:27.07. The team secured top six finishes in numerous events, including a second-place finish in the long jump and triple jump by Addison Buckley, a second-place finish in the 1500m race walk and fourth-place finish in the pole vault by Ella Swyers, a second-place finish in the 3000m run and fourth-place finish in the 1500m run by Addison Campbell, and a fourth-place finish in the pole vault by Madison Bradley. The 4x800 relay team of Addison Buckley, Ella Swyers, Brooke Narowski, and Addison Campbell finished third in a new school record time of 12:06.96. The 4x200m relay team of Brooke Kresse, Brooke Narowski, Alba Hernando, and Rhiannon Zentz finished in fourth place. Lucy Carpenter finished in sixth place in the 55m dash.
“It was amazing to see myself grow and push and get that sectional patch and medal. I don’t even have a varsity jacket yet,” laughed Marijke. “This season was heartfelt. It was great seeing us come together to win the block.”
Coaches Jeremy Ohlson and Heather Evans guided both the girls’ and boys’ teams through successful seasons. Despite being faced with some setbacks, including injuries, at the beginning of the season, Ohlson saw the potential for the girls winning a team title.
“I knew they had a chance to win the team title; it was just about fitting all the pieces together and them performing on the day that mattered most,” said Ohlson. “When it was all said and done, the girls as a team competed fiercely and most of them had their best performances of the season at the Section V Championships. They were able to bring home the block for the first time in school history for indoor track and field. I could not ask for anything more.”
After winning a sectional title in the indoor 55m hurdles last year, Avery came into this season nursing an injury and determined to focus on herself. She admits that as the veteran member of a team comprised mostly of underclassmen, she started the season feeling very isolated. That soon changed as she watched her younger counterparts grow to love the sport as much as she does.
“I love this track and field community. Everyone is here to see you succeed. I love to win and this sport allows you room to evolve,” said Avery. “I found a lot of love for the underclassmen, many of whom I didn’t even know at the start of the season. I’m proud of everyone for pushing themselves to the limit.”
For her first year on the indoor team, Marijke had no expectations beyond helping her team put points on the scoreboard. She said each student-athlete made the best of practices, and the team camaraderie was a contributing factor to the successful season.
“The season was amazing. I’ve made so many friends. It’s a great sport,” she said.
As she looks ahead to the outdoor season, and continuing her track and field career in college, Avery is happy to see the growth not only she has made, but also the indoor program as a whole.
“This championship title was a great note to end on. I grew as an athlete and found out that I can let people in and let them help me succeed.”