Heading into the final day of her high school athletic career, Central Catholic senior Maddie Arndt wanted to finish in style
“This was my last meet and I wanted to go out with a bang,” said Arndt. “I felt strong, awake and confident, and wanted to finish my career with something special.”
The Eagle-Tribune All-Star did exactly that, tying for second place in the pole vault at the New England Track and Field championship at Bridgewater State University yesterday.
“On a scale of 1-10 in excitement I would say I am an 11,” said Arndt. “I am very proud of how everything worked out at the meet. I went in thinking I wanted to do better than I did last year (fifth), and I did that.”
Arndt took second with an 11-3, tying Megan Reese of Concord, N.H., for the runner-up spot.
“I got it on my first try, which was big going for second place,” she said. “It wasn’t my (career) best jump, but I am very happy. I was frustrated by how I did last week at All-States (third), so this made up for it.”
A resident of Merrimac, Arndt will continue her pole vaulting career at Manhattan College in Riverdale, N.Y.
“It is bittersweet that my high school career is ending,” she said. “There have been some ups and downs, and I will miss this. Pole vaulting really became my life, and I can’t wait to do it for the next four years.”
Adames shines
Lawrence High’s Jose Adames really hadn’t run the 200 prior to this spring, but he certainly showed again that he could compete against the best yesterday.
Adames finished fourth overall in the 200 at New Englands in 21.95, the third best time in area history. That shattered his previous personal best (22.13), set last week at All-States and broke the previous team record set by Enrique Cuesta in 2004 (21.97).