Erin Mahan, The Lost Season

Like many athletes, Erin Mahan was looking to find a sport that could fill a void during the soccer off-season. The Ashland athlete decided on track and before long it not only became her top sport, but the only sport she would participate in.
“It was in the spring of eighth grade when I started looking for another sport. I thought that I’d give track a try, but I really wasn’t sure if I’d like it,” Mahan said. “My favorite part of soccer was racing people to get to the ball, track was literally the best part of soccer. I became so obsessed with track that I eventually dropped soccer to concentrate on track.”
During the winter season she takes part in the 55-meter hurdles, the 55-meter sprints as well as the relays. During the spring she has run the 100 meter hurdles, with a personal best of 18.2 seconds last spring; the 100 meter dash (13.0); the long jump (30 feet 11 inches) and as part of the 4 x 100 relay team (51.32).
Although Mahan find the individual events fun, she prefers running the relays because of the success they have had.
“The relay team has done really well over the past few seasons. We finished second at the States during my sophomore year,” the now senior Clocker said. “I was really looking forward to this season as I wanted to see how far we could go.”
As Mahan and her teammates were preparing to take on the 2020 spring track season Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker installed a stay at home ruling until May 4, thus suspending the first part of the season. Athletes all over the State were frustrated and didn’t know what was to come.
“We were really looking forward to the upcoming season and when it was suspended it was disappointing,” Mahan said. “With the suspension I just hoped that the season was just going to be a delay and in the mean time kept running the streets in town to stay in shape.”
Clocker Track Coach Chris Avery was also upset at the suspension, but knew it was for the good. While she couldn’t get onto the track with her athletes to help them get ready for the upcoming season, she was trying to keep them busy by posting workouts that they could do alone in their individual homes.
“All sports were feeling the pain, but I think track was feeling it more,” Avery said. “Track has an overall team feeling to it, especially spring track as the athletes all have a bonding and they get to do it outside in the nice weather with their friends.”
As the deadline loomed closer and the students were actually looking to get back to school Governor Baker delivered a crucial blow to their hopes of getting back onto the fields. Baker announced that the students would continue to home school for the remainder of the year thus ending the 2020 spring sports seasons leaving a lot of seniors confused and saddened.
“Unfortunately cancelling the season was for the best. Better safe than sorry,” the Ashland runner said. “The longer it went on I didn’t have faith that we would be getting back on the track. I had made my peace with the fact that I wouldn’t have a senior season. I had accepted it but was still disappointed that O couldn’t completer my final season and say my goodbyes to track.”
Mahan, who will be attending the University of Massachusetts at Amherst in the fall, will not be attempting to run for the Minutemen, but instead focusing on her school work. While she feels that being a Division 1 school, she was most likely not good enough to make the team but may run for and intermediate or club team in the future.
Although Mahan will not be running for UMASS in the NCAA, Coach Avery is hoping that before all her seniors head off to college that she can get them together to do something. She also noted that some of her athletes are looking into the Bay State Games in July.