Team hopes recent success leads it back to the top
By BUDDY HURLOCK
Staff reporter
05/17/2002
The Delaware
High School Track and Field Championships get under way today at Lake
Forest High in Felton and first-year Padua coach Theresa Marini knows it
will take the perfect meet for her team to take the title.
At least the team has location on its side.
At Lake Forest in mid-April, Padua won the team title in the Burgess
Invitational and took the first steps in believing in itself.
It was a step in the right direction down a long road back to the
team's past glory years.
The Pandas were Division I state champions seven times in eight
seasons, from 1983 to '90.
Since then, the only highlight for the all-girls Catholic school's
program until this season was a second-place finish two years ago in the
New Castle County Championships.
"To rebuild the program, to get back to that, would not take one
year," Marini said. "It takes establishing leadership and
discipline."
Marini was a standout cross country and track runner for Padua,
graduating in 1990. Now she's the track coach, starting to see the same
magic she remembers from not so long ago.
This year Padua was undefeated in dual meets and Catholic Conference
champs, earning third place in the county meet behind Glasgow and
Brandywine.
The Dragons and Bulldogs also loom again in this weekend's Division I
championships, as well as top-ranked Caesar Rodney.
Padua's track roster, which had been dwindling since the 1990 season,
is 50 strong this year. Twenty of those are freshmen.
But it's the eight seniors on the team who can really see the strides
Padua has made.
"We never had this much enthusiasm," said senior Colleen
Reid said. "And we love running for [Marini]. We feel she
understands what we go through, since she was in our shoes not that long
ago."
Reid said structured workouts, and a team Easter egg hunt, show how
Marini covers the spectrum of keeping track serious and keeping track
fun.
Success also takes widespread skills, which Padua has.
"They have really brought in a lot of depth, and that's what
makes them as strong as they are," Ursuline coach Lou Olivere said
of Padua.
"Also, there's a nice group of coaches in, and they're getting
the kids in that want to be included."
Junior Brittany Hackett and sophomore Lauren Wallace are among the
state's best in the 100-meter dash. Freshman Kaitlin Cusick runs with
sprint relays and joins senior Liz Virden in jumping events.
Juniors Kristen Greenbaum and Christine Igo are the hurdlers. Igo
also runs sprints. Leading distance runners are Reid, Deana Episcopo,
Erin Lord and Jessica Walsh.
Among Marini's assistants is her father, Dan, a standout Salesianum
runner in the 1950s. Other assistants are Peggy McCoy and Dan Episcopo,
Deana's father.
"They help us do well in each area. That leads to fighting for
the top spots, and the team spirit starts to show," said Marini.
As it first did at the Burgess Invitational, at Lake Forest, where
this weekend Padua hopes to revive some old glory.
Reach Buddy Hurlock at 324-2807 or bhurlock@delawareonline.com.
 The News Journal/ROBERT CRAIG |
| Padua sophomore Lauren Wallace is among the state's best in the 100-meter dash and one reason for the team's improvement this season. |
 The News Journal/ROBERT CRAIG |
| Padua girls track coach Theresa Marini starred as a runner at Padua in the late 1980s. |
 The News Journal/ROBERT CRAIG |
| Colleen Reid is one of eight senior runners for Padua. |
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