On January 27th, the Rice girls' indoor track team secured their 8th state championship in the last decade. The event was held at a bustling UVM Indoor Track and saw Rice athletes dominate in several key events.
Elizabeth Cunningham led the way for Rice, displaying her determination and versatility throughout the meet. Cunningham blazed through the 600-meter race, finishing with a time of 1:39.18, which was good enough for a second-place finish. In the longer distances, her consistency shone through again where she won the 1500-meter event with an impressive 5:06.76. In the 1,000-meter race, Cunningham again bested the field with a time of 3:22.27 to clinch yet another first-place finish for Rice. Evey Slavik, another standout performer for Rice, made her mark in the 1000-Meter (3rd) and 1,500-meter (5th) events, securing a commendable fifth-place finish. Zoe Martinez made solid contributions in the 55-meter hurdles and high jump securing a commendable fourth-place finish in both. Elizabeth Curry also played a pivotal role in Rice's success, securing a solid second-place finish in the shot put event. Taylor Tritt and Ziva Baker had top 10 finishes of their own, finishing 6th in the high jump and 1000-meter race respectively.
The team's depth and cohesion were further highlighted in the relay events. Rice's relay teams consistently delivered strong performances, securing 2nd place finishes in the 4x200, 4x400, and 4x800 relays.
With a total team score of 99.5 points, Rice Memorial High School's girls' track team emerged as the undeniable champions of the meet, scoring 30 more points than second-place Burr & Burton. Their dominant performance reaffirmed their status as a powerhouse in Vermont's Division II girls’ indoor track!
Several of these performances earned New England Championship bids with Elizabeth Curry - Shot put (6th in all of VT), Elizabeth Cunningham - 600 (3rd in all of VT), 1500 (2nd in all of VT), and the 4x400 Relay Team (Sophia Roberts, Eden Roberts, Elizabeth Cunningham, Evey Slavik) (5th in all of VT) qualifying. This meet will take place at Harvard University’s Gordon Track on February 18th starting at 10:00 am.
As the team celebrates its latest triumph, attention now turns to the outdoor season, where Rice will be looking to carry forward the momentum from their indoor success outdoors. Good luck at New Englands and Congratulations on another Championship ladies!