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ROXBURY — Roger Fuller, who has been coaching at Methuen High for 46 years, was honored by the Merrimack Valley Conference Friday afternoon at the league championship meet. Fuller is retiring after this season including his spring track head coaching duties. He was a science teacher at Methuen High for 32 years and has been a three-sport coaching staple (head and/or assistant) for 46 years at the school. Lowell assistant coach Scott Ouellet, who coached with Fuller at Methuen for nine years, said, “Roger is a throwback. He was/is the ultimate teacher/coach. He loved being a teacher as much as being a coach and he took his job very seriously. I know to this day some his best friends are his colleagues from the science department at Methuen High. “Roger always saw the positive in a kid. He always believed in the kids and had a great way in always getting their best. Roger was incredible at developing relationships with the kids and this created long lasting loyalty between him and his athletes. His former athletes come back every fall and packed the MHS alumni race. Most were there just to see Rog and check in. “Obviously his X’s & O’s of coaching track were top notch but really, what made him great, was his passion, commitment and love of being there everyday with the kids and developing a fun, hard working culture. Roger really has a special way of commanding the locker room and this inspired many MHS track athletes. It has been an honor and privilege to have worked with him and to have a learned so much from him.” Fuller, a Mass. State Track Coaches Hall of Famer, has won numerous awards including last spring being named the Moynihan Lumber Lifetime Achievement Award winner.

Duffy brings home two golds North Andover junior Erick Duffy was a triple winner at the MVC Meet. Known for his pole vaulting brilliance, he obviously also can run the 55-meter hurdles (7.94) and teamed with Kyle Salois, Matt Manteiga and Stephen Stabile to win the 4x160. He also took a fifth in the long jump. Central’s Steven Jackson beat Andover’s Ray Gorzela (both were clocked in 6.76) in the 55 meters. Haverhill’s brilliant middle distance runner George Papoulis won the 600 in 1:21.59 and North Andover’s Anthony Christian captured the high jump at 6-0. Lawrence won the 4x400 relay.

Illness can’t stop Kobelski As the day wore on, Andover coach Peter Comeau was unsure if Eagle-Tribune All-Star Lizzie Kobelski would run at all after battling a sore throat throughout the week. “She was as sick as could be and I didn’t know if she would run,” said Comeau. “On Wednesday she couldn’t get over a hurdle, and on Thursday her mom said she couldn’t get out of bed. But there she was, sneezing and blowing her nose, then she just took off.” Kobelski won the 55 hurdles in 8.96, just ahead of Tewksbury’s Kendall Paolella (8.98). That led the Andover girls to a second-place with 71 points, trailing just Tewksbury (77 points). Andover dominated the hurdles. In third was Miranda Lawrence (9.18) and Sammy Shea was fifth (9.33). Lawrence added the other Andover individual victory, taking the long jump with a 16-9.5. Kobelski was third in the event. Lawrence also teamed with Shea, Audrey Adam and Ally Bennett to take the 4x200 (1:49.08). Defending Eagle-Tribune spring track MVP Wilshka Samuel of Methuen won the 300 in 41.89, and ran on the 4x400 that was first in 4:08.01. Jazmin Encarnacion, Jackie Mothon and Jelke Meyer joined her. Also scoring victories were Haverhill’s Maddie Buco in the 1,000 (3:07.96) and North Andover’s Catherine Flaherty in the high jump (5-2).