The Great Outdoors

Nashua-Plainfield boys track team opens season at West Fork Invitational

By John Burbridge

sports@charlescitypress.com

NASHUA — Maybe Huskies just don’t make good indoor house pets.

While many local track and field programs have already competed in indoor meets this season, the Nashua-Plainfield boys team stayed home until it was time to go outside.

“We decided the concentrate on this meet for our season opener,” N-P boys head coach Jay Connor said of the West Fork Invitational, which was held Tuesday at Lloyd Koob Field/Roger Klingman Track, a.k.a. The Huskies home track.

“We’re happy what we’re seeing so far,” Connor said. “We don’t have the numbers — we’re down a third of what we had last year.

“We’re smaller, but the guys we have are more dedicated.”

One dedicated Husky is Braydon Fisher who, with Jason Fisher — the two are not related  — qualified for state in the 400 shuttle hurdle relay.

“We’re the only two back,” said Braydon Fisher, who helped his team place second in their heat on Tuesday. “I feel we can make it back down … anything can happen.

“It’s a matter of finding the right guys … the right combination.”

Connor, who has taken over the Husky boys program this season after serving as an assistant coach, says they’re trying to build a foundation around Braydon, Jason and other leaders from their small group of returning letter winners.

“I also have an assistant (Jason Herrick) who has been great working with our middle distance runners,” Connor said.

The coed invitational for the most part was dominated by West Fork, which honored its seniors and their parents on the track during an intermission.

But Nashua-Plainfield did have some shining moments. One came in the 4-by-200 girls relay, when the foursome of Hannah Chambers, Sammi Hyde, Abby Lumley and Genevieve Reams came from several runners behind to win their heat.

“It’s the first time we’ve been together,” said anchor-woman Reams, who ran a 29.7 second final leg enabling the Huskies to win going away.

“I did track when I was a freshman but didn’t go out last year because I had too much going on,” said N-P junior Reams. “But I loved it back then and I’m glad I’m back in it.”

Unlike the boys, N-P girls team did participate in one indoor meet before the invite.

“But we consider this our home opener,” Reams said.

Nashua-Plainfield recently re-surfaced its track.

“It’s nice to keep things up to date,” said senior Briley Fisher, who competed in the high jump and several relay events during the invite.

“There are no cracks in the surface, and we plan to keep it that way,” Fisher said. “We like to take care of our stuff around here.”