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07/08/2024 02:18 PMSoccer may be the main focus and sport for Mariella Fulcher during her youth and tenure at Haddam-Killingworth, but the Class of 2024 graduate certainly etched her mark in the history books of the girls’ outdoor track program.
After being a Second Team All-Shoreline selection as a junior in 2023 for the Cougars in the 200 meters, Mariella, as a senior this spring, had a tremendous meet at the Shoreline Championships in May, when she placed in the 100, won the 200 and 400, and then ran a great leg on H-K’s 4x400 relay team. She then came back to win the 400 at states, clocking in at a blistering time of 56.88 seconds, which crushed the school record.
Mariella then placed third at the State Open Championships in the 400 to qualify for New Englands. She came back in short recovery to break the H-K record in the 200 (at 25.85 seconds).
“I like how track is kind of a team sport but a solo one, as well. I like placing and building points for myself and my team. I am a competitive person, so I became motivated once I started to place in events and stuck with track,” says Mariella. “My parents were big in pushing me to stick with track and putting my best foot forward. I knew mentally I had to be at my best, even when I was tired from playing club soccer the prior weekend. I knew I had to do my best for myself and the team.”
H-K girls’ outdoor track Head Coach Matt Diglio recalls that there was a proving ground that Mariella had to drudge through once she first stepped into the starting blocks for the Cougars. But once she showed that her special speed transitioned quite well from the pitch to the track, it was all full steam ahead.
“Mariella is an extremely talented student-athlete, both on the soccer field and on the track. When she joined the team a few years ago, it did not take us long to figure out how fast she actually was. Sometimes fast on the soccer field does not always equate to fast on the track, but for Mariella, it certainly did,” says Diglio. “From the time she joined us, she was immediately our fastest 100 and 200 sprinter. Last year, we began to bump her up to the 400, and while at first she was a little hesitant and didn't love the event, she quickly figured how great of a 400 runner she could be if she focused on it. The toughest part was trying to keep her healthy, as she would be racing during the week and then playing multiple soccer games at her tournaments over the weekend. She is going to play soccer at SUNY Albany, and I have no doubt she could be very successful running Division I track there as well if she chooses.”
The 400 feelings were mutual for Mariella. She explains it was a heat where she could let it rip and cut loose. Once she became assimilated into the event, she saw her goal to its total completion in shattering the school mark.
“I fell in love with the 400, and it became my favorite event,” Mariella says. “It allows you to open up and just take off. My soccer background helped with it too when it came to running. As I kept going with the 400, I saw I was really good at it, and then it became my goal for senior year to break the school record.”
All sorts of worries and concerns about outside factors would manifest into Mariella’s mind before a race. Yet it was her mother that stepped in and told her that she is on a level playing field and to not let her head beat her down.
“When I started out with track, I used to get nervous before racing. I would worry about things like the heat or how tired I was,” Mariella says. “My mom told me that all of the people in the race with me were facing the same conditions when it came to things like the heat, so it was no excuse. That thinking helped me get out of my head, and it made me more confident in myself and my abilities. It is about staying true to yourself and knowing your body.”
Mariella reflects that there will never be a tight-knit community like the Cougars have for the track and field circuit. She truly felt she belonged and will cherish her companionships for the remainder of her lifetime.
“I did not have an experience prior like the one I had with the track team. I did not know my place with the team at first, but everyone was great and so welcoming,” says Mariella. “Coach Diglio knows how to build connections and relationships. It felt like a family here, and the people that surround you are a huge factor in that. The people here and the connections are things that I will remember forever and be thankful for.”
Mariella gained essential principles for not only sports but also life, as she moves forward in both her athletic and professional career. With the life skills she gained from her Cougars’ tenure, she cannot be stopped.
“I learned the importance of sportsmanship, respect, and being there for others,” Mariella says. “It is so important to keep teaching sportsmanship and respect because we are all humans out there. Learning all of those lessons has been so important to me. In playing college soccer, I will look to use those lessons I learned at H-K to grow from them and have success.”