Varsity track & field's Maya Valmon '20, Francesca Cetta '20, and varsity crew's Ava Mendelsohn '19 have been selected by the Holton Athletic Association (HAA) as "Panthers of the Week" for their performance throughout the season.
Though Valmon has running in her blood (both of her parents are Olympians), this is her first year running track. Holton recently competed in their third meet of the season and Valmon not only dropped almost a full second off her 100 meter time, but she also set a new personal record twice over the weekend. During her qualifying heat, Valmon ran a 12.15 to finish eighth out of 114 to qualify for the finals. In the finals, Valmon had a strong finish running with some of the top girls from across the U.S. finishing in fourth place with a time of 11.97 seconds. She not only set a personal record for herself, but also set a new record for Holton-Arms!
Francesca Cetta, also a freshmen on the track & field team, is quite often known for her speed, but one of her most valuable qualities is her versatility as a runner. In a recent meet, Cetta ran in the open 400 and the open 800. Although Cetta had only trained for about a week for the 800 meter, she dropped two seconds off her time from the meet that was three days prior and ran a 2:23.43 making her the new 800 record holder for Holton! She placed seventh overall in the 800 at the Bullis Invitational which hosted some of the top talent from across the nation. "As the season progresses, Cetta's time will only continue to get faster with her hard work and commitment," commented her coaches.
As stroke of any boat you must be a leader by setting the pace, rowing clean, and communicating with your coxswain, setting the example to drive the boat forward with every stroke. Ava Mendelsohn has done an exceptional job of this, leading her boat to a 38 second win in Richmond at their last race, and working with 100% effort in every stroke she takes. In addition, she has been a leader off the water, helping younger rowers, particularly the novices and supporting every member of the team in all of our endeavors; from getting from the bus to the boathouse, getting equipment, and generally supporting the physical needs of the team, as well as the psyche of every rower and coxswain, she has been a leader both in and out of the boat.
Congratulations to Maya, Francesca and Ava for all your contributions this season! You can check out Maya and Francesca the varsity track & field team as they host the ISL Championship Meet at home on Friday, May 12 and Saturday, May 13. Cheer on Ava and the varsity crew team in the WMIRA championship Regatta at the Thompson Boathouse on Saturday, Mary 13. For the most up-to-date schedule and results, check out the track & field and crew team pages.