Senior Will Brown (8) helped DS to a second-place finish in the indoor state championship relay.
By Mike Flanagan
Hometown Weekly Sports Editor
The Dover Sherborn boys indoor track team came off the best winter season in program history and was ready to bring that success outdoors this spring. The team won the Division 5 state relay meet, placed second in the Division 5 state meet, and were contenders for the outdoor Division 4 state relay and state meets.
Though disappointed that they will not have their senior track season due to COVID-19, several athletes from the indoor team, as well as from the girls indoor and outdoor teams, will have their chance to continue running. Six athletes (four boys and two girls) from the class of 2020 have committed to compete in track and field in college.
Oliver Fried, the team’s top distance runner, will run for the Naval Academy. An indoor and outdoor track captain, Fried placed second in the All-State meet last spring with a time of 4:17.83 (a DS school and TVL record). Fried is the fastest miler the area has ever had, and also holds the school record on the DS cross-country course and school records as part of the 4x1600, DMR (distance medley), SMR (sprint medley) and 4x800 relays.
“Oliver is a great kid,” said DS head track coach Maura Bennett. “I believe he is the most talented athlete that I have ever coached. He works hard and is a pleasure to coach. I am sad that he wasn’t able to achieve what I know he is capable of this year because of the cancelled season, but I am very excited to see what he can do when he runs for the Naval Academy.”
Sam Litle, an indoor and outdoor track captain, will run for Pomona College (California). Litle was a TVL champion in the 200-meter last spring and competed at All-States.
“Our mid and distance has been strong for several years, and Sam helped to bring the sprinting on our team to the top level in the state,” remarked Bennett on Litle. “Sam was on three relay teams as part of this year’s winning state relay team (the 4x55, 4x200, and 4x400), which all set indoor school records. Sam is a great leader and helped bring the younger athletes along as the only senior on those relays.”
Litle is also part of the school record-holding outdoor SMR.
Oren Wiemeyer, who will run at Colby College, holds the school record in the 600-meter run with a time of 1:28.89.
“Oren is one of our top mid-distance runners,” said Bennett. “He is very dedicated to DS track and field and has been a pleasure to coach. I look forward to following him during college.”
Wiemeyer is also part of indoor track school records in the 4x800 and DMR relays.
Tatum Evans, an indoor and outdoor captain, will run for Franklin & Marshall College. Evans, the team’s top female sprinter, has been named MVP for both indoor and outdoor track multiple times.
“Tatum is a great girl, in addition to being a talented athlete,” remarked Bennett. “Her teammates have voted to give her the Sportsmanship Award several times, which shows the type of person she is. She has been a real leader on our team and has really helped to develop the girls team. We had our best indoor track season to date this year and I believe, in large part, because of Tatum’s leadership, we will have a breakout year next year.”
Evans holds school records for indoor track in the 55 and the 300. She helped lead the girls team to their best showing this winter in school history at the Division 5 State relay meet where they placed fifth out of 40 teams. Evans also holds records in the 4x55, 4x200 and 4x400 for indoor track, as well as SMR and DMR for outdoor track.
Amanda Borden, an outdoor track captain, will compete for Worcester Polytechnic Institute after setting the school girls record in pole vault last spring. Borden has been outdoor track’s top high jumper for several years and also competes in the 400 hurdles.
Jacob Brown, an outdoor track captain, will compete in multi events for Denison University. Brown competed in the 400, 800, long jump and triple jump in outdoor track. Brown holds school records in outdoor track for the decathlon and the DMR relay.
“Jacob is a great athlete,” said Bennett. “He was a varsity member of the cross-country team, as well as a member of the state championship basketball team. I am disappointed he won’t get his chance to compete in track and field his senior year, but I know he has so much potential and look forward to following his career at Denison.”
Though unable to compete this spring, the remaining senior outdoor track captains have contributed greatly to their teams over the years.
Will Brown, also an indoor captain and this year’s MVP, holds school records in the Indoor 4x800 relay, which placed second for this year’s state championship relay, in the DMR and in the outdoor DMR.
“Will has been an important part of DS track and has left his mark,” said Bennett.
Bennett also went on to praise Chris Mutch, a four-year member of the indoor and outdoor teams.
“Chris is a well-rounded athlete who received the Coaches Award this winter,” said Bennett. “Chris has been a great leader and competed in the 55, 110 and 400m hurdles, as well as the 600, 1000, mile, shot put, javelin and decathlon.”
Olivia Collins, one of the team’s all-time best discus throwers, placed second in the discus last spring at the Division 4 championships and qualified for All-States. She also competed in shot put.
Sabrina Doyle, one of the team’s top javelin throwers ever, competed at the Division 4 championships last spring. Doyle came within a single foot of the current school record in the javelin her junior year.
Olivia Goganian, one of the team’s best-ever hurdlers, competed in the 100 hurdles and triple jump and went to the Division 4 championships last spring.
For funny and incisive sports analysis as well as game highlights, follow Mike Flanagan on his personal Twitter and Instagram @flano0.
