In just two years, Methuen High girls track star Lauren Quarm has built a legacy most could only hope to achieve in a four-year career.
By taking home our Eagle-Tribune girls outdoor track Athlete of the Year — the story and our girls track All-Star team are on Page D3 — Quarm is now a two-time Eagle-Tribune MVP. She took home girls indoor track Athlete of the Year this past winter.
And she just just finished her sophomore year!
Quarm joins an extremely impressive group of super sophomores that have torn up the track.
Central Catholic’s Katharine Duren (2019) and Methuen’s Wileshka Samuel (2014) each earned Eagle-Tribune spring track MVP honors as sophomores. Samuel went on to become the only athlete in area history to win the honor three times. Duren won again as a senior, after her junior season was cancelled by COVID.
The only other athletes to win Eagle-Tribune spring track MVP honors twice were Pentucket’s Saige Todisco (2017-18), Pinkerton’s Camille Quarles (2006-17) and Londonderry’s Helena Kimball (1994-95). No boy has ever repeated as spring track MVP.
Quarm certainly has a very strong shot at matching Samuel’s Athlete of the Year three-peat. She’s already broken two of her records.
This spring, Quarm set a new Eagle-Tribune area all-time record in the dash FIVE TIMES! Her final best was a 11.92 at Meet of Champions. The previous area record was Samuel’s 12.17 run in 2015.
To put that in perspective, as a sophomore, Samuel’s best 100 dash was a 12.50.
And Quarm — who also set a Methuen record in the 55-meter dash (6.95) in the winter, besting Samuel’s mark — did it all while dealing with injuries this spring.
“Lauren’s season was all about how well she could overcome adversity,” said Methuen girls head coach and sprint coach Brittany Carpio. “She was dealing with a calf injury for most of the season, doing her best to be as healthy as she could for her team. By the end of the season, she was having her best races when it mattered most.
“Her 4×100 team had the utmost confidence in her during every race to anchor them, and her individual season was nothing short of impressive. and I know she already wants more. She definitely matured and is ready to take the next step in her racing abilities.”
And even after two dominant seasons — she was an Eagle-Tribune All-Star in indoor and outdoor track as a freshman — the success hasn’t gone to Quarm’s head.
“Lauren is so humble in her approach to races, big or small,” said Methuen boys head coach and former Rangers star Kevin Alliette. “She never lets on that she’s nervous, and she races with fire. Faculty and staff ask me about her daily. They’re so impressed with her accomplishments in such a short time.
“Her continued hard work will land her on the roster at a competitive college in a few years.”
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