Arantxa King, Medford  CO-RUNNER OF THE YEAR
		King is an exceptional athlete. Medford coach Stephen Mascoll said, ‘‘She’s by and large the best I’ve ever seen.” Only a junior, King set several records during her phenomenal season. In the State Coaches Elite meet, she shattered the state record in the long jump with a leap of 20 feet 2Œ inches. The next week, at the Division 1 meet, she swept her events, winning the 55-meter dash (7.19 seconds) and the long jump (19 feet). King went on to set meet records in the long jump at the state (19-5Æ) and New England meets (19 feet). King, born in Bermuda, is also an accomplished soccer player. King is an honors student and ranked sixth in her class.

Colleen Wetherbee, D-Y  CO-RUNNER OF THE YEAR
		Opposing coaches have learned to look elsewhere for points, as Wetherbee is unbeatable in the mile. Wetherbee won the Division 2 meet in 5:13.37, then improved her time by 19 seconds to win All-States (4:54.88). A week later, she returned to claim another title at the New England meet in 4:59.56. However, many may not know of her most impressive performance to date. At the National Indoor meet in Maryland, the junior finished second (4:51.22), setting a Dennis-Yarmouth record. She also holds the school record in the 1,000 (2:54.80). Wetherbee, a member of the cross-country All-Scholastic team as well, is a member of the Book Club and Amnesty International at Dennis-Yarmouth.

David James, A-B  DIVISION 1
		James will never forget what happened Feb. 18, 2006 at the Reggie Lewis Center. That was the day his relay teams carried the Colonials to their first Division 1 state championship, despite no first-place finishes. His coaching style, based on preparing the girls to reach their top performances at the championship meets, worked to perfection. In his 10th year coaching at Acton-Boxboro, James graduated from A-B in 1990 and was a four-time DCL All-Star. He enjoys mountain biking, rock climbing, and disc golf and spending time with his wife Kari and daughters Carly and Meg.

Ryan Steege, A-B  DIVISION 1
		In his fourth year as co-coach of Acton-Boxboro, the philosophy Steege preaches paid off. Steege tells his girls not to worry about a loss in early-season meets, rather, to use them as preparation for the championships at the end of the season. The Colonials won the All-State meet, but more impressively, won the Division 1 championship paced by four second-place finishes. Steege, along with David James, has been named DCL Coaching Staff of the Year in 2005 and 2006. Steege is a history buff who loves spending time with his wife Tracy and two children, Riley and Owen.

Derek Ellis, Mansfield  DIVISION 2
		After a loss early in the season, Ellis got his team back on track, leading the Hornets to a 7-1 record and a tie for the Hockomock title in his first year as head coach. ‘‘After an early season loss, they were determined to do well at states,’’ said Ellis. Behind first-place finishes from Hillary Crook in the shot put (38 feet 6Æ inches) and Courtney Lincoln in the long jump (16-11Œ) and a second place by the 4.x.200 team (1:48.60), the Hornets were second at the Division 2 meet and won the Division 2 relays. Ellis is a graduate of North Attleboro High (’93) and Bridgewater State (’99).

Paul Powell, Bp. Feehan  DIVISION 3
		Things are looking up for Powell and Bishop Feehan. Powell says no team has worked harder or trained harder than this one and the squad will improve next season as several young runners will be back. This season he led the Shamrocks to a 3-3 record in Eastern Athletic Conference competition; Bishop Feehan won the EAC meet, and finished second in the Division 3 meet and the Division 3 relays. Powell is an assistant coach for boys’ and girls’ cross-country as well the head coach for girls’ spring track. Powell competes in up to 20 road races a year and has completed 10 Boston Marathons.

Frank Barbuto, Dedham  DIVISION 4
		Barbuto has been around the block once or twice in his 21 years as an indoor track coach. This year, however, he led Dedham to a 4-2 record in the Bay State League and accomplished something for the first time in Dedham history: The Marauders won the Division 4 relays and placed second, their highest finish ever, in the Division 4 meet. In addition, Barbuto is the coach of the field hockey team, which has won the state championship in two of the last three seasons. The 2005 Massachusetts State Track Coaches Association Coach of the Year, Barbuto is a graduate of Dedham High (‘67) and Boston State (‘72).

Meaghan Callahan, Apponequet  300
		No one in the South Coast Conference touched Callahan in the 300 meters this year. The 5-foot senior ran her way to an undefeated SCC season in the 300 and in the 50-yard dash, breaking records along the way. Callahan holds the Apponequet (40.59 seconds) and New Bedford Voc Tech Janiak Field House record (41.8) in the 300, as well as the school record in the 50-yard dash (6.1). Captain since her sophomore campaign, Callahan finished second at the All-State meet (40.59) and the New England meet (40.80). She loves going to the beach and can be found running laps around the biology labs at Boston College starting this fall.

Haley Catarius, Marshfield  600
		Catarius’s replacement in the 600 next year will have a big shoes to fill. The senior won three times in the stretch run of the indoor season. Catarius took the State Coaches Elite meet (1:34.62), the Division 2 meet (1:36.18), and the All-State meet (1:33.30), and she finished second at the New England meet (1:34.45). Catarius, ranked fourth in the nation in the 600, holds Marshfield records in the 600 (1:33.30), the 55 hurdles (8.74), and the 300 hurdles (45.3). An honor roll student and a member of the National Honor Society, Catarius plays soccer and is in the student broadcasting program. She will attend UMass-Lowell.

Hillary Crook, Mansfield  SHOT PUT
		Crook, in her last year competing for Mansfield, made sure that she left her mark on Hornet history. At the National Scholastic Indoor Championships at the Armory in New York, Crook put the shot 43 feet 1Æ inches, breaking the Mansfield record of 41-7. A two-time Hockomock League champion, Crook won the Coaches’ Elite meet for the second time (38-11Œ), the Division 2 meet (38-6Æ), and had her second best throw at All-States (41-7æ) to take home the crown. She was fourth at the New England meet. She enjoys basketball and traveling. An honor roll student, Crook will attend Jacksonville University.

Theadora Curtis, Marblehead  HIGH JUMP
		The 5-foot-9-inch senior has raised the bar a little higher in her final go-around at Marblehead. Theadora, who is known as Teddi, set a personal record in the high jump at 5-8. She was a dependable point scorer for Marblehead, winning two of the final three events of the indoor season. Curtis took home first-place honors at the Division 3 meet when she cleared the bar at 5-4 and took home the All-State title when she set her personal mark. Also a member of the 4.x.400 team, she is an honor roll student who enjoys modeling, writing, art, and going to concerts. She is headed to Trinity College.

Anja Hergrueter, Newton South  HIGH JUMP
		Hergrueter did not disappoint after a spectacular junior year. The 5-foot-11-inch senior captain was first at the Division 1 meet (5 feet 4 inches), earning 10 points for the Lions, who wound up finishing second with 33 points. At All-States, she kept her team in the hunt as she earned 8 of the team’s 20 points when she cleared 5-6 to finish second. Hergrueter cleared 5-8 at the National Indoor Championships, her highest leap of the season. Hergrueter also plays soccer and is involved in competitive sailing on Long Island during the summer. This is her second straight All Scholastic team. She has been an honor roll student throughout high school and will continue her studies at Brown.

Caroline O’Loughlin, Latin  1,000
		It’s safe to say O’Loughlin didn’t have high expectations for the indoor season. After being named a cross-country All-Scholastic in the fall, O’Loughlin was diagnosed with mononucleosis Dec. 23 and missed more than a month of training. However, she bounced back big-time to finish second at the Division 1 and All-State meets and fourth at the New England meet. The junior’s lofty performance earned her an invitation to the National meet. A Dual County League All-Star for seven straight seasons, she’s captain of the Wolfpack’s indoor and outdoor cross-country teams. Her interests include traveling, reading, and swimming.

Stephanie Pancoast, Westford  2-MILE
		Pancoast may be the best runner to step foot on the track at Westford Academy. She’s the Division 2 champion in the 2-mile run (11:24.46) and improved her time by more than 27 seconds with her victory at the All-State meet (10:56.22). She holds the school records in the 2-mile and the mile and shares the school record in the pole vault. The senior is on the 4.x.800 relay team that finished second at the Division 2 meet and third at the All-State meet. Pancoast, a member of the National Honor Society, has been a high honor roll student throughout high school and enjoys playing the piano.

Tayla Ryan, Norwood  55 HURDLES
		Ryan is one of the best all-around athletes on this page. She competes in the 55-meter hurdles, which she won at the Division 2 (8.58), All-State (8.49), and Bay State League meets, and she was the BSL high jump champ and finished fourth at All-States. Her 8.46 in the 55 hurdles is the best all-time at Norwood and in the BSL. She also holds the school record in the high jump and the 100 hurdles (14.91) in the outdoor season. But track may not be her best sport. Ryan also plays soccer and she’s a four-time BSL first team All-Star. During the summer, she is a member of the South Coast Scorpions Soccer Club.

4x200  Cambridge

Danielle Hamlett, Krishana House, Sarah Trotman, and Teyahnie Boone set the all-time Massachusetts and New England records in the 4.x.200 relay when they ran a 1:43.42 at the New England meet. The team set five meet records this season. House, GBL champ in the 55 hurdles and long jump, is interested in engineering and public speaking and vice president of the National Honor Society. Boone, the senior anchor, is also the Division 1 champ in the 300 (40.76). Hamlett, a junior, won the GBL in the 55-meter dash and is interested in biomedical engineering. Trotman, a sophomore honors student, will compete in the AAU Junior Olympics.

4x400  Stoneham

Sophomore Christina Izzicupo ran the anchor leg for the Spartans, the Division 3 (4:07.84) and All-State champions (4:03.23). The girls, all members of the soccer team, set Middlesex League (4:10.30) and school records (4:03.23). Izzicupo is a high honors student. Lindsay Monfra, another sophomore, will run in the Bay State Games. Lindsey Kennedy, who runs the opening leg, placed fourth in the Division 3 long jump. Junior Chelsey Canavan, an honors student, holds the school record in the 300. Junior Emily Nardone is a Middlesex League All-Star in the 300.

4x800  Westford Academy

Stephanie Pancoast, Natalie Sullivan, Taylor Casey, and Elizabeth Powell finished second in Division 2 (9:46.37) and their 9:38 finish at All-States garnered a third-place finish and a school record. Powell had a star-studded season, as the senior broke the school record in the 1,000 (3:02) at the All-States and placed third at the Division 2 meet. She also runs cross-country, likes to ski, and is headed to Colby College. Pancoast, also a senior, is the 2-mile champion for Division 2. Sullivan, a sophomore, is captain of the 2006 cross-country team and enjoys reading. Casey, only a freshman, is an honors student who also loves to ski.