The indoor tracksters of Greenwich High are riding high from their impressive season last year, with much success at the FCIAC, state, New Englands and even the national level.
The hallways of the high school (as well as the frigid outdoors) are used as practice facilities for the boys and girls runners, sprinters and jumpers under the guidance of head coach Evan Dubin and second-year assistant Brian Robbins.
Even as the Cardinals are at the top of their game in the FCIAC conference and the CIAC Class LL state level, the message of constant improvement will push the indoor track athletes to new heights, said Robbins.
“The basis of track and field is that you come in knowing what you can do and what your season personal records were last year, and you try and progress on that,” said Robbins. “Individually, as one person improves their own times, it makes a huge difference to the whole team. Everyone contributes in their own way to help the team.”
Last year’s postseason proved to be a successful one for a group of athletes including Emily Philippides, Safir Scott, Lia Zavattari and Isaac Floyd.
Competing in her first season on the indoor track team, Philippides earned top honors in the 600-meter run in both the FCIAC’s and the state level competition.
“Every season, my goal is to be better than the last season,” Philippides said. “This season is about working hard to bring my times down to improve at the bigger meets like New Englands and nationals.”
Her time of 1:35.72 was the state’s fastest 600-meter time recorded in last year’s CIAC meet. A cross–country runner as well, she credits the spring sport with giving her a distance-based mindset going into the indoor track season.
“When you take it into perspective of this year, you have to think about what you were doing this time last season,” she said. “We have a strong team this year and we’re talented in all different areas. I didn’t do a lot of long runs last year, and cross country helped me build that mileage and endurance level I need to have in races like the 800-meter and the 600-meter.”
For head coach Evan Dubin, getting back to competition after a long hiatus and preseason practice schedule will mark the real beginning of the competitive season.
“We look to see what talent exists that we don’t really know about yet, because they haven’t had a chance to compete yet,” said Dubin of the early season practices. “For our returning people, it’s about building on that success that they have had so far.”
The early season practices, he said, provides an opportunity to show how individual results can affect the team as a whole with a more collaborative feel. Expectations, even with some new runners added to the mix, are high for Greenwich.
“As individualistic a sport that track is, it still has that team feel, which is what we’re really trying to build in this part of the year,” said Dubin. “Emily had a great cross country season. Jordan Numme should have a great year, as well as Hetty McMillan, Lia Zavattari, Zoe Harris.”
Zavattari competed and placed first in FCIAC’s for the pole vault event, with a height of 9-06, and also placed third at the Class LL state competition.
With a lot of polished senior experience on the boys’ side, a push to get to the next level will be the focus for the veteran group.
“Always be unsatisfied,” said Robbins. “That’s the toughest part about this sport, even when you’re on top of the game, you are never on top of your own game. You can always improve.”
Jumpers Isaac Floyd and Safir Scott are poised to defend their FCIAC titles in the long jump and high jump, respectively.
“Safir Scott is one the best jumpers in the state, if not in New England,” said Robbins. “Isaac Floyd is an All-New England athlete, and Tyler Farris is coming in from a strong outdoor season last year. He’s one of the quickest guys in the state.”
Junior Georgios Karkadas will also play a role on the team after a successful outdoor track season last year.
“I’d love to see our distance program flourish a little bit,” said Robbins. “We’ve got a few guys on the throw side that will compete, too.”
With a holiday break upcoming for the team, both coaches emphasized the work that their athletes will need to continue with on their time off.
“Being at the level that some of these guys are, if they don’t compete or practice on their own, they are going to fall way behind,” said Robbins. “That’s the huge incentive to those competing at a high level. So many people go away to warm weather, they might as well take advantage of the conditions that they are in, since everyone else up here is freezing their butts off.”
When the season resumes after break, the team will compete in the Hillhouse Winter Relays in New Haven and the Wintergreen Invitational at Southern Connecticut State University.
