~ The Advocate Asks ~ Young Saugus Sachems Track Camp athletes talk about how the summer experience benefited them

  Editor’s Note: For this week’s column, we accepted an invitation from Coach Chris Tarantino, who oversees the Saugus Sachems Track Camp, to come down to the MacNeill Memorial Track Field to interview some of the kids who competed in this year’s summer track camp, several of the supportive parents and volunteer coaches. Tarantino, a 1990 Saugus High School graduate who distinguished himself as a star while on the Sachem track team, has been running a track camp for more than 20 years. A group of 44 participants in the Saugus Sachems Track Camp – boys and girls ranging in age from four to 18 – finished second overall among 15 teams competing in last Saturday’s (July 20) Fourth Annual CLCF Summer Showdown in Cranston, R.I. The Saugus kids took home 19 first-place awards. Tarantino called Wednesday night’s final meeting of the summer track team “one last hurrah” – an opportunity for the kids to hang out as teammates for one final time, share their success and competition experience, take some photos with the second-place meet trophy and enjoy one more day of camaraderie. Here are some highlights from the interviews with the kids, parents and coach.

 

Q: What did it mean for you to participate in the summer track camp? What benefited you the most? What was your favorite part? How many years have you been doing this?

Elizabeth Silipigini, 10, third year of camp: “Seeing all of my friends and actually doing something fun in the summer.”

Stella Beaulieu, 9, first year of camp: “Having fun in the summer, getting to learn new things and seeing my friends.”

Amber Mouhidin, 11, first year of camp: “It’s really fun, helps your running, allows you to make friends and is very welcoming.”

Cora Cottam, 11, third year of camp: “I made many friends and got to help build a community. It was very fun doing this.”

G.G. Cottam, 12, third year of camp: “It helped improve my stamina for other sports I do. I also made a lot of friends.”

Kendall Powers, 12, second year of camp: “It’s really fun and challenges myself so I can be better in sports. I can meet new people.”

Amelia Clark, 10, fourth year of camp: “I like running and it helps me improve my running. And I like seeing my friends. It’s very fun.”

Luiz Sena, 10, fourth year of camp: “I like it because it’s competitive and it really builds character.”

Matthew Bell, 12, sixth year of camp: “I like the running events. It helps me with them and they are fun.”

Mary Zona, 11, second year of camp: “I like it because it gives me something to do and I can talk with all of my friends when I’m doing it.”

Aubrey Viciere, 12, third year of camp: “Being able to condition and being able to hang out with my friends.”

Liam Marcu, 9, third year of camp: “It’s the competition that I enjoy. I was sick and still competed and I got a medal – 6th place – in the 800 meter.”

Leo Hobbs, 7, second year of camp: “Running and having fun.”

Tye Hobbs, 4, first year of camp: “It teaches me about running.”

Fernando Frossard, 5, first year of camp: “I love the games.”

Felipe Frossard, 10, fourth year of camp: “I love doing the discus. It’s really cool. I like it. There’s a lot of activities to do.”

Namoi Tarantino, 12, eighth year of camp: “Improving my stamina in running and my distance in throws. It’s a great way to make new friends and learn new skills.”

 

What did the parents say about track camp benefits?

David Hobbs, father of Leo and Tye Hobbs: “I think it’s an amazing program. Coach T. does a great job with understanding what each kid needs and establishing individual goals for them. He seems like a really good man. You can honestly tell that he cares about the kids. This camp provides a good space for these kids to have some healthy fun and get the energy out.”

 

What did the coaches say?

Chris Tarantino, also known as “Coach T.,” is the heart and soul of the track camp. “It was truly a collective effort by all – the coaches, counselors, parents and alumni – to make it a first-rate experience for all of the campers: the 57 who participated in the program, the 44 who went down to Cranston, Rhode Island, to compete in the Summer Showdown. They represented 38 families. We had the most entries in the Summer Showdown and we finished second out of the 15 teams that competed.

Kenny Okoye, 22, a 2020 Saugus High School graduate who attended Southern Connecticut State University and who has helped out coaching the young athletes in high jumping: “I have competed with Coach T. since age seven. And during the last couple of years, I’ve helped him out as a coach, helping kids with their high jumps. The best thing about this program is the teamwork, the energy that you bring and the way it helps your competitive nature. Coach T. is the reason why I’ve taken an interest in track and am now experiencing the coaching aspect.”

Victoria Sparages, 27, a 2016 Saugus High School graduate and a graduate of Westfield State. She now coaches young athletes in the high jump at track camp. “Getting kids involved with track at an early age really helps to develop an interest in the sport. I’ve competed in track in middle school, high school and college. I didn’t know anything about track when I started. I joined the Cross Country team, thinking it was track. Once I got involved with the track camp, I learned a lot under Coach T.”

 

Summer Program Roster 2024

Here is the list of the 57 participants in this year’s Saugus Sachems Track Camp. Their ages are included along with their event and how they finished in last Saturday’s Fourth Annual CLF Summer Showdown in Cranston, R.I. There were 44 athletes who competed in the Summer Showdown.

Aaron Al-Marayati – 18 – javelin (2nd), discus (4th)

Alanah Sullivan – 11 – hurdles (1st), 100m, 200m, long jump (8th)

Alena Bruzzese – 13

Alexander Diciero – 8 – hurdles (7th), 400m (5th), javelin (2nd), long jump (8th)

Amber Mouhidin – 11 – 400m (6th), long jump (7th), triple jump (2nd)

Amelia Clark – 10 – 200m, shot put (7th), long jump, triple jump (1st)

Annalisa Ferrrara – 10 – hurdles (1st), 100m (3rd), 200m (2nd), long jump (5th)

Ashlyn Michaud – 13 – hammer (1st), shot put (3rd), javelin (2nd), triple jump (1st)

Ashton Coviello – 16

Aubrey Viciere – 12 – 100m, hammer (5th), discus (3rd), high jump (1st)

Benjamin Belliveau – 9 – 100m, 800m (7th), javelin (5th), high jump

Brandon Szloch – 8 – hurdles (3rd), 100m, javelin (1st), long jump (8th)

Brayden Giacobbe – 9 – hurdles, hammer (1st), javelin, long jump

Carlo Bonito – 6

Chalais Saintil – 17 – discus (1st)

Charlie Winter – 7 – hurdles (4th), shot put (1st), javelin (2nd), long jump (4th)

Chris Santaniello – 11

Connor Waters – 12 – hammer (1st), javelin (5th), discus (2nd)

Cora Cottam – 11 – 100m, 200m, long jump, triple jump (3rd)

Destiny Okoye – 14

Domenic Bruzzese – 8

Elizabeth Silipigni – 10 – 100m, 200m, hammer (2nd), shot put (5th)

Enzo Liebl – 7 – 100m, shot put (2nd), long jump

Felipe Frossard – 10

Fernando Frossard – 5

Gigi Cottam – 12

Jack Gori – 12 – 100m, 200m (6th), javelin (4th), high jump (1st)

Jimmy McGrath – 8

Jonathan Bell – 9 – hurdles (8th), 100m, javelin (6th), high jump (3rd)

Kason Imbrogna – 16 – 1500m (2nd), 800m (4th), javelin (2nd), discus (3rd)

Kendall Powers – 12

Leo Hobbs – 7 – hurdles (6th), 200m, javelin (5th), long jump (7th)

Liam Marcu – 9 – hurdles (3rd), 800m (6th), 200m, long jump

Lillian Waters – 10 – hurdles (4th), 400m, shot put (3rd), javelin (4th)

Luca Giardullo – 8 – hurdles (2nd), 100m, 200m (5th), long jump (3rd)

Luiz Sena – 10 – 400m (7th), 800m (3rd), high jump (2nd), long jump (6th)

Luke Porrazzo – 9 – 1500m (2nd), 400m, 800m (2nd), javelin (8th)

Maggie Winter – 10 – hammer (3rd), shot put (8th), javelin (2nd), long jump

Mark Benoit – 6 – hurdles (1st), 200m (1st), shot put (1st), long jump (2nd)

Mary Zona – 11 – 100m, shot put (5th), high jump (2nd), long jump

Matthew Bell – 12 – 1500m (2nd), discus (3rd), high jump (3rd), triple jump (2nd)

Matthew Benoit – 9 – hurdles (6th), shot put (2nd), javelin (2nd), triple jump (2nd)

Matthew Silipigni – 10 – hurdles (7th), 400m, shot put (5th), long jump

Maximiliano Libier – 10 – hurdles, javelin (3rd), high jump, long jump

Michael Wheeler Jr. – 9 – hurdles, 1500m (5th), javelin, triple jump (3rd)

Naomi Tarantino – 12 – hammer (4th), shot put (6th), javelin (3rd), triple jump (4th)

Nicholas Gomes – 10 – 800m, shot put (3rd), javelin (4th), triple jump (1st)

Olivia Clark – 12 – triple jump (1st)

Robert Churchill – 8

Samantha Donovan – 11 – 100m, 400m (5th), 200m, triple jump (6th)

Samuel Gomes – 9 – hurdles (5th), 800m (8th), 200m, long jump

Santino Diciero – 6 – hurdles (3rd), 100m (6th), shot put (2nd), long jump (1st)

Skylar Li – 11 – 100m, hammer (8th), triple jump (5th)

Sophie Sene – 11 – 100m, hammer (7th), shot put (8th)

Stella Beaulieu – 9 – 400m (8th), 200m, shot put (6th), long jump

Thomas LeBlanc – 10 – 400m, javelin (1st), high jump (1st), long jump (5th)

Tye Hobbs – 4