One ingredient to a successful track team is great athletes.

Having a defending state champion back is an excellent start, and Green's girls track and field team has just that.

Junior Kelsie Ahbe won the pole vault last season, setting the state record in the event during the season as well.

This year, Ahbe has been extending her talents to a wide range of events. Recently the girls competed at the Reinhart Relays. Ahbe won the pole vault, 100 meter dash, had the top individual long jump mark in the relay, and was part of the second place finishing sprint medley.

For the season, Ahbe has scored over 100 points for the Bulldogs, about double the amount of the next best girl.

Coach Dan Gourley said that he is impressed with her performances so far, but also realizes that one girl does not make a team.

The team is full of girls who have been versatile in what events they do, and have excelled in them in the process.

Junior Bridget Linton, traditionally a 300-meter hurdle runner, found herself doing a whole bunch of things at Reinhart. She ran a leg of the distance medley, jumped 4'10” in the high jump, and anchored the 4 x 400. She also was put in the shuttle hurdles, a different race than the intermediates, which are more of a distance hurdle event.

“(Linton) usually does the 300 hurdles, but we told her it wasn’t much different,” Gourley said. “She was a little worried, but she was there three-stepping them.”
One girl that has come up big for the Bulldogs is senior Jennifer Willoughby.

“The surprise of the century for me is (Willoughby),” he said. “She was injured last year, her knee. This year, she has done everything I asked her to. High jump, pole vault, 4 x 100, 4 x 200, doing an outstanding job. She is the most improved in the pole vault and long jump, plus good senior leadership.”

Last year, Willoughby was long jumping when she twisted her knee landing and was out for the rest of the season.

Other big contributors have been Kara Lamb in the long jump and sprints, junior Heather Branney in the pole vault, sophomore Lauren Boozer and junior Leslie Smith in the distance events, freshman Lindsey Bates in the shot put and discus, Erica Suponcic in the 400 and Amy McLaughlin in the hurdles. Adding to his list of versatile girls is Courtney Bates, who is a rare combination of discus and hurdles, which Gourley said is “amazing.”

One key element for Green is that they lack seniors, which means they should have almost the entire team return next season. That will help them compete against perennial powers Copley, Highland and Wadsworth, who have excellent boys and girls teams this season.

Green will see these teams and the rest of the Suburban League May 15 and 17 when they compete for the conference title at Revere High School.