A member of the varsity eight boat, Saxton-Fox has accumulated a 4.9 grade-point average on a 5.0 scale, and is president of the Cambridge school’s Engineers Without Borders, which provides solutions works to provide solutions to issues problems in developing countries.

She has overseen projects on water accessibility, alternative cooking fuels, and individual shower units for slums, and was awarded a Public Service Center Fellowship to travel to Uganda as the MIT team’s project manager.

There, she worked with local customs officials to import solar panels. A former Wayland-Weston High crew member, Saxton-Fox is a researcher in the high-power High Power pumped heat exchanger lab at MIT.

‘‘Tess has been with the varsity eight since her freshman year, an exceptional achievement at any Division I rowing program, but especially given her smaller physical stature,’’ said MIT head coach Holly Metcalf.

‘‘She brings us persistence, optimism, and an ability to listen as well as to understand all who share commitments with her. He She is inspiring too her teammates, and she shatters the notion that extraordinary athletes must leave all else behind to focus only on their sport.’’

Saxton-Fox, who rowed for the combined Wayland-Weston high school crew team, was salutatorian of her class at Wayland High in 2008, and a National Merit Scholarship finalist.

Track stars set personal records

Former Wellesley High track MVP Brett Epler and Ross McDonald, last year’s state pole-vault champ out of Newton South High, set personal records last week while competing for their college teams.

Epler, a senior at Bates College, won the decathlon at the New England Division 3 Outdoor Track and Field Championships with a career-high 6,162 points.

He outpaced the eight-man field in the 400-meter run, finishing in 51.50 seconds for 747 points. He also led the field in the 110-meter hurdles, at 15.84 seconds. Epler, who was also second or third best among his competition in six other events, met provisional qualification standards for the NCAA Division 3 outdoor championships.

McDonald, a freshman at the University of Southern California, set a personal best in the pole vault, topping 4.87 meters (15 feet 11.75 inches), to place sixth — first for his team — last Saturday at the Occidental Invitational in Los Angeles.

His vault was almost a foot better than his winning performance at the MIAA All-State meet last June. Also the Massachusetts champion in 2008, he is one of only two collegiate freshmen ranked among the top 20 in the Pacific 10 Conference.

Conference cites Babson players

Babson College senior baseball captain Dave Ahern of Bedford became the sixth player in program history to be named the NEWMAC Player of the Year. Babson junior infielder Travis Jonasson of Needham was a second team pick.

Ahern was a standout at the plate and on the mound for the Beavers (25-13 overall, 13-5 in the conference). He led the team in several offensive categories, including hits (63), homers (9), RBIs (30), and doubles (12), and had a phemomenal .764 slugging percentage. As a pitcher, Ahern was 5-2 with a 1.19 earned-run average in seven starts, and held opponents to a .217 batting average.

Jonasson batted .298 with 32 runs, 8 doubles, and 2 homers.

Dana Hall riding team wins US title

Eighth-graders Jillian Campbell of Wellesley and Haley Taft of Dover, and ninth-grader Emily Selland of Needham were part of the four-member equestrian team from Dana Hall School in Wellesley that topped a field of more than 200 at the Interscholastic Equestrian Association national finals in Maryland.

Abigail Suitor, a junior from Southborough, competed as an individual rider.

“After a grueling show season with early mornings, long days, and lots of hard practice, I was thrilled that our middle school team earned a spot at the IEA finals,’’ said the school’s riding center director, Sarah Summers, a 1998 Dana Hall graduate.

“I couldn’t be more proud of our riders, who remained focused throughout the weekend of competition in order to capture the national title, one that they very much deserve,’’ she said.

Marvin Pave can be reached at marvin.pave@rcn.com or 508-820-4223.