The Morgan girls’ outdoor track team may be small when it comes to numbers on the roster, but it’s their collective talent and drive to succeed that make them a very formidable contender within the Shoreline Conference.

Head Coach Courtney Carroll, who also ran track and field at Morgan, has high hopes for her squad this spring after a strong performance at the Bellringer Invitational on April 6 to open the season.

“We finished 13th overall in the top 20 schools. Senior AJ Luke (4x100, 100m, 300m hurdles, and long jump) placed fourth in the 300 hurdles. Sophomore Addy Reed (1600m and 3200m) placed first in the 3200 meters and came in fifth overall in the 1600 meters,” said Carroll. “That meet was during April vacation, so we did not have a lot of girls at this meet. There were 30 teams overall at this meet, and that was great.”

On April 16, the Huskies competed at their first league meet of the season against Cromwell and East Hampton. Morgan placed second of the three squads, with 30 points.

Julia White (senior, captain, 100m, 4x100 relay, 200m, and 4x400) finished first overall in the 200 and third overall in the 100. Reed placed first in the 1600 and 3200, Luke placed first in the long jump and 300 hurdles, and Natalie Estabrook (junior, 400m, 800m, and 3200m), placed third in the 800.

Additionally, Olivia Rutuolo (junior, 400m, 100m hurdles, 4x100 relay, and sprint medley race) placed second in the 100 hurdles, and Gabriella Navarra (senior, long jump, high jump, triple jump, and 100m) placed third in the triple jump and set a new personal record (PR).

With a squad made up of just 15 athletes, leadership and unity are highly important. Lone senior captain Julia White has done her part to bring out the best in her peers on the track.

“I think that she has a great way of showing the girls on the team, no matter what grade they are in, just how good they can be,” Carroll said. “She encourages them in their own specific events. You can really see that people come to her for advice; ask specific questions about the best practices for certain things. She gives the same amount of attention to all of the athletes, no matter if they are in their third or first year.”

The Huskies compete in the Shoreline Athletic Conference (SLC) and in Class M for states.

On April 20, Morgan competed at the Wildcat Relays at Old Lyme in a race with 11 teams. Carroll was proud of the way her athletes stood tall and put their talents on full display.

“That meet went really well for us, it was a big relay event. All of the events, if you had three people in them, you qualified for a relay team,” said Carroll. “Reed came in first in the two mile. The distance medley relay (DMR) team (Estabrook, White, Luke, and Reed) came in third place overall. There was a throwers’ 4x100, and our throwers came in second place. The runners in this event were Lily Torres (senior, long jump, and 100m), Lili Novicki (junior, javelin, and long jump), Ansleigh Landino (senior, discus, javelin, and shotput), and Navarra.”

Morgan has now gotten four meets under their belt in the campaign, and as the athletes move through the rest of their schedule, Carroll hopes to see each competitor improve on an individual basis and expand on their skills.

“I think that we are definitely a small but mighty team; we continue to place in these bigger events and do really well against all of our competitors despite the size of our team,” said Carroll. “I think that’s what makes it so special. We have such a solid group of people who really want to do well, continue beating their times, and get PRs in their individual events. We are able to really focus on that in practice and put the time in where it is needed to make sure that they are getting PRs.”

When looking more to the end goal of what she wants the team to accomplish, Carroll hopes to see her girls make it to the big postseason stages, competing against the best that the conference and state have to offer.

“My biggest goal would be to have as many girls as we can be in the SLC Championships and in the state competitions, to really show how they have grown, gotten better throughout the season, and compete against the best people in their respective events,” Carroll said. “My goal is just to help them get to that point and make Shorelines and states.”

The Huskies roster is comprised of Luke, Navarra, Shannon Slie (senior, injured), Torres, White, Glenda Zhiminacela (senior, injured), Ivana Abarca (junior, 100m, long jump), Estabrook, Novicki, Jaycie Aceto (sophomore, injured), Ciarleglio, Reed, and Demi Rehberg (freshman, discus, long jump, and 100m).

Carroll is assisted by the boys’ head coach, Jared Stevens.

Morgan Girls’ Outdoor Track and Field 2024 Schedule:

April 6: Finished 13th overall

April 16: Finished second overall

April 20: Finished seventh overall

Saturday, May 4: Marty Roberts Invitational Field at 9:30 a.m., Track at 10 a.m.

Saturday, May 4: Middletown Varsity Track and Field Invitational at noon

Friday, May 10: Old Saybrook Runnin’ Rams Invitational at 2 p.m.

Wednesday, May 15: Cromwell Last Chance Meet at 3:45 p.m.

Thursday, May 16: Shoreline Novice Invitational at 3:45 p.m.

Wednesday, May 29: CIAC Class S Girls Championship at 10 a.m.