Highlighting Two Lower Merion Track Standouts

Two key athletes on the Lower Merion High School Girls’ outdoor track team stood out this season: Junior Gabby Jarvis - a shotput and discus thrower - and senior team captain Dori Olson.

Jarvis felt fortunate to be able to compete at all for the LM Aces this spring. Until midway through the season, Jarvis was not cleared to compete due to an ACL injury she sustained this past fall while playing soccer for the Aces against Wissahickon High School.

Jarvis remembered:

Ten minutes into the second half when I lunged for the ball, my foot got caught in the turf so when I twisted that’s when it (my ACL) tore. I immediately felt and heard a popping noise.”

The LM Girls throwing coach Jordan Brown appreciated that Jarvis showed up for the practices this spring to support her teammates even though she was officially sidelined.

“She was very optimistic,” said Coach Brown.

“Knowing that I would be able to throw soon made it easier to stay optimistic,” said Jarvis. “Also attending the practices made it feel like I was still throwing mentally but not physically.”

Jarvis added that at track practices, watching her teammates throw helped her to better understand the throwing techniques.

She was finally cleared to compete mid season.

“It was honestly like I never took a break from throwing,” said Jarvis. Most parts of my form came back like riding a bike. But it did take staying until 7 pm some days to get the little things down. I was definitely thrilled to be back to throwing though.”

Earlier this month at the Central League Meet, Jarvis finished third overall in the discus where she posted 94 ft. and 7 inches for a new personal record.

Jarvis is now taking precautionary measures to prevent another ACL tear.

“Before I tore my ACL I wasn’t doing anything to prevent tearing it, which maybe is why I tore it in the first place,” said Jarvis. “It’s one of those things you see and hear happen to other people and think it won’t happen to you. To prevent re-tearing it, I am doing things to strengthen my hamstrings and quads and making sure they are equally as strong as one another. I am also lifting most days after school.”

Jarvis will be a key Lm athlete to watch for next season.

As for this past track season, Sandy Hoopes, Head Coach of the LM Girls’ Track team was happy with the way that Dori Olson led the Aces.

Dori was an excellent team captain,” said Hoopes. “She was dedicated and a hard working four year varsity athlete. She was constantly encouraging her teammates to do their best.”

At Central League, Olson finished second overall in the triple jump, with a t34-00.00 leap for a new personal best. At the same meet, she

ran a personal best in the 400 meter run, clocking 1:02.78 for an 8th place finish.

A high point for Olson was when she competed against two of her freshmen teammates in the 100 Meter.

“They both beat me,” said Olson. Their efforts in the 100 made Olson optimistic about next year’s season.

Olson will attend Rice University at Houston, Texas this fall where she will major in social policy analysis. She will not run for Rice.