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Sports

Season Preview: Key Returners Set to Lead Melrose Track

The Melrose High track team will welcome several important returners from last season.

With winter refusing to let go of its icy grip, and their home track under construction, the Melrose High boys and girls track teams already have a lot to compete with. 

“It’s hard to say but we’re doing the best we can with the facilities and everything,” said boys coach Tim Morris. “Now we really don’t have access to our track so we’ve been using the gym and the roads and going up to Stoneham a couple of times.”

“We haven’t had any home meets here in years anyway,” Morris said. “Even before construction the track was in poor condition plus it was short. And it ran through the baseball field so that was just a tough situation to deal with. Now when the new track goes in down in Pine Banks ... it should be great. It’s just adapt and improvise.”

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Regardless of their track conditions, the Red Raiders are welcoming back some key returners from last year in senior captains Cody Lusas (shot put, discus), Aaron Jones (100, 4X100, long jump) and Dan Johnson (4X400, triple jump) along with junior Kevin Persons (100,200).

As a sophomore last season, Persons took 15th in the all state meet in the 200 with a time of 23.34 and was named a Middlesex League All Star. This past winter season, Persons upped his game and finished seventh in the 300 with a 36.25. 

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Lusas, also a league all star, took 11th in the shot put in last spring’s all states with a 48-03.25 in the, and in the winter improved on that throw with a 48-03.75 to finish 10th in states.

The boys and girls team kick off the 2011 track season with a meet at Reading on Monday at 3:30 p.m. 

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