On February 8, at the Bay State Conference Championship meet for indoor track, Abby Lothian ’23 broke the school record in the 55m dash with a time of 7.26 seconds, just edging out Anna Jordahl-Henry ’19’s record of 7.27 set in 2019. However, Lothian wasn’t finished just yet. Her initial time was from the preliminary round of the 55m race, but in the final, Lothian broke her own record, running a blistering time of 7.21 seconds.
As if simply breaking the record twice wasn’t good enough, Lothian broke her own record again at the Division 2 State Championship meet, running a time of 7.17 seconds to secure first place in Division 2. This makes her both a state champion and a school record holder.
“At first, I was just really happy, and then I did it again, and I was even more excited about it,” Lothian said of setting the school record. “I’ve wanted to break it since I was a freshman, even before.”
Lothian first became interested in track when she raced at Schofield Elementary School’s field day in fourth grade and was determined to win. After that, she started training with a private coach on a club team. She practiced with them through eighth grade, and now she runs for the high school. John Griffith, the head coach of the girls track and field team, attributes her success to her admirable work ethic.
“Her determination to be the best she can be makes her so successful. She sets goals for herself, like breaking the school record in the 55m dash, and she went out and did it three times,” said Griffith.
Lothian is also second on the school record list in the 100 meters with a time of 12.20 seconds. She is also part of the school-record holding 4×100 meter relay team from 2022 with a time of 48.37 seconds.
“Sometimes working out isn’t the easiest thing and you don’t have discipline and motivation, but you have to stick with it,” said Lothian.
Lothian’s teammates attest to this as well. “Abby is one of the hardest working people on our team. She is always motivated and positive, no matter how hard the workout is,” said Sabrina Hart ’23. “She is so successful not only due to natural talent, but because of hard work as well.”
Griffith also described Lothian as a leader on the team. “She leads by example and she loves the sport of track and field. She doesn’t say a lot, but she’s very coachable and someone that all the other girls look up to,” he said.
Ultimately, Lothian’s favorite aspect of track and field is the community she’s found within the sport. “You meet so many great people and form great relationships,” she said.