The starter’s gun goes off, and Megan Frazee starts sprinting down the track. It takes merely a few seconds before Frazee blows away from her competition, cruising to a first place finish. This is a feeling that has become frequent for Frazee throughout her senior season at WA.

After an incredible winter-track season, Frazee has been named the Boston Globe Track Athlete of the Year. The award is given to the best Track and Field athlete in the Greater Boston area, thus making it a significant honor. This award is meaningful for Frazee, and is another step forward in her Track and Field career.

“This award was nice to receive and I know that my hard work is being recognized,” Frazee said. “The award is a huge honor and I am proud to be named for it this year.”

Frazee is committed to run Track and Field at UMass Amherst, and will begin her collegiate career in the 2022-2023 school year. Frazee already has her eyes set on significant goals for her Track and Field career in college.

“My goals at UMASS are to place and eventually win an event at our conference Championships (A-10), and to also qualify for NCAAs,” Frazee said.

During her time at WA, Frazee comprised an impressive Track and Field resume. Her most notable accomplishments were jumping almost 19 feet in long jump, winning the State hurdles event, and placing 3rd in the Nation in Pentathlon at New Balance Nationals in New York City, helping Frazee become an All-American for the first time.

In order to reach this stature in Track and Field, Frazee maintained a hard work ethic all throughout her four years at WA. Now after a memorable senior season, this hard work has come to fruition.

“Throughout the preseason, I did private sessions with a coach to work on form and technique for all my events, along with lifts and regular strength workouts. When the winter season started I continued with out of school coaching along with my in school six-day-a-week practices,” Frazee said. “With all of my coaches both in and out of school, I was able to start consistently earning personal bests in hurdles and long jump.”

Winning Boston Globe Track Athlete of the Year is a difficult feat, as there are thousands of athletes in contention for it. Frazee credits her coaches for mentoring her along the way, as they played a major role in her earning this award. 

“My coaches were a huge part of me winning this award, and they continue pushing me to do even better. They have always been there for me and understand when we need a day off or a little extra push in an event to try and earn a personal best,” Frazee said. “They have been extremely helpful in my time at WA, and I owe a lot to them.”

Frazee competes in eight different Track and Field events, including hurdles, short sprints, long jump, high jump, shot put, javelin, pole vault, and the 800m. Of these eight events, Frazee enjoys hurdles and pole vault the most, as they both provide different levels of difficulty. 

While Frazee has earned significant recognition for her athletic achievements throughout her senior season, she has also built strong relationships with her teammates thanks to Track and Field at WA.

“My favorite parts of Track and Field so far have been the bus rides and the time in between workouts when everyone is talking and bonding with each other. Bus rides are always so fun and we all sing along to music, like most teams do,” Frazee said. “It’s nice to have these moments, because although Track and Field is individual most of the time, we are all still a team and a family.”