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Quabbin Regional seniors Natalia Marchand and Seth Twarog, who have been friends and classmates since their early elementary school days, will continue together as student-athletes and teammates at Springfield College in the fall.
Both from Hubbardston and team captains, Marchand and Twarog have proven themselves as indoor and outdoor track stars for the Panthers.
The duo, who will focus on sprint events at Springfield, made their decisions after they were invited to attend the President’s Reception for Academic Excellence in late February, an event which celebrated accepted students with high academic achievement.
Marchand and Twarog are members of Quabbin’s National Honor Society.
“Right away, when I stepped on the Springfield campus, I just loved the whole atmosphere,” said Twarog, who plans on majoring in finance and/or business. “Everybody, including the track team members, were all so welcoming. We even got to see a college indoor track meet while we were there.”
Added Marchand, who will major in exercise science, “I really like Springfield’s way of nurturing spirit, mind and body, and also the focus on leadership and the health of the students.”
Already, in the early weeks of the 2024 high school spring track season, Marchand has qualified for the state championship meet in the 200-meter dash and high jump. Her goals for this season include lowering her personal best of 27 seconds in the 200, a mark she clocked earlier this month in a meet at Groton-Dunstable. She also would like to cross the finish line in 1:01 or better in the 400.
In the high jump, Marchand’s personal best is 5 feet, 1 inch, and she’s only an inch from tying the Quabbin record of set 25 years ago by Sara Sherblom, now an assistant coach of the Quabbin girls' outdoor track team.
“Natalia is a second-year captain and a true leader,” said Quabbin varsity track coach Jesse Twarog, Seth's mother. “She helps other athletes with events and demonstrates to them a strong work ethic. Her form is impeccable which helps her succeed in both sprinting and jumping. She’s only an inch away from the high jump record, so she’s working on more power and explosiveness to get over the bar.”
“Seth has been a pleasure to coach,” said Matt Castriotta, Quabbin boys' varsity indoor and outdoor track and field coach, who has led the Panthers to three CMass outdoor team titles and a 24-2 dual meet record since 2018. “Through hard work and determination he has become a force for our teams. He’s one of the top pole vaulters in our league and one of the top sprinters in the 400 and 200 in Central Mass, plus a very decent javelin thrower.”
Seth Twarog’s personal best time in the 400 is 52.18 seconds and 23.4 in the 200. He has cleared 10 feet in the pole vault and tossed the javelin 119 feet.
Last year, Twarog was part of the Panthers’ 4x400 relay team that broke the school record and qualified for the Nike Outdoor Nationals at the University of Oregon’s Hayward Field. Besides Twarog, the other relay members on that team were current Quabbin runners Jaxon Warburton and Bryce Venne, along with Will Hood, who graduated in 2023. The team, which competed in the Emerging Elite category finished 15th.
In this past indoor season, Marchand and Twarog excelled, Natalia finishing within the top 10 in the 300 and high jump at the Central Mass. Championship, and 12th in the 300 and 10th in high jump at the Division 5 state meet. Twarog placed second in the 600 at the Division 1 CMass Championship and sixth in the same race at D5 states.
Twarog, a top varsity soccer player for the Panthers and also a club soccer player, had a breakout indoor track season during his sophomore year, leading him to focus and work toward becoming a track athlete in college.
Marchand, who played soccer and basketball in her middle and early high school years, zoned in on track especially after being on the Panthers’ record-setting sprint medley team as a freshman in 2021. “Being in the relays with the upperclass students, that’s what really started my love for track,” she said.
Also during the past winter, Marchand and Twarog ran together in a mixed (coed) 4x400 relay, setting a school record with the other team members, Conner Breeds and Abi Falconi.
Although hindered by illness and injuries a year ago, Marchand still qualified for the states in her top three events.
“This year, Natalia is starting the season much healthier,” said Jesse Twarog, who was a triple jump specialist during the early 1990s at UMass. "She is stronger and faster this spring, and I’m very excited to see her progress. I really believe that she hasn’t tapped into her full potential yet. She’s just a pleasure to coach.”
—Contact Jay Gearan at sports@telegram.com.
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