Throughout the season, Chelsea High girls track coach Mark Martineau established objectives for sophomore Stephanie Simon, a 5-foot-4-inch athlete who consistently surpassed each one.
Stephanie Simon is on her
way to another victory for the Chelsea High girls track team.
“I think Stephanie exceeded our expectations to the point that we don’t know what the expectations should be for Stephanie,” remarked Martineau, who has overseen the resurgence of the CHS track program and guided Simon’s emergence as its leading athlete.
Simon’s outdoor track season represents an unprecedented achievement in school history. She earned Commonwealth Athletic Conference MVP honors in track and field at the CAC Meet and received the season-long award. Six school records were set by Simon, and she won every event she entered except one—her older sister Martine, an All-State competitor bound for Mass. College of Art, defeated her in the triple jump on that single occasion.
The Division 1 State Meet saw Stephanie qualify in six events: high jump, triple jump, long jump, 100 meters, 200 meters, and 100-meter hurdles. She competed in three events at the Division 1 Meet, finishing third in the high jump, third in the 100-meter dash, and second in the triple jump.
At the New Balance Nationals held at North Carolina A & T State University, where top track athletes from across the country competed, Simon placed 15th in the high jump and 27th in the triple jump.
According to Martineau, Simon’s development has been remarkable and her prospects are exceptionally promising.
“Stephanie has improved a ton from freshman to sophomore year, which leads us to believe that there is more room to grow,” Martineau stated. “It’s hard to predict what her ceiling is.”
This rising star is already being mentioned alongside Autumn Lopez, Denise Chappell, Kristin Rosa, Tiffany Moore, Katrina Hill, Nancy Pilcher, Laurie Taraskiewicz, Minerva Cruz, and Loreen Bradley—among the greatest female athletes to represent CHS.
A 16-year-old, Stephanie is the daughter of Hubert and Mathilde Simon, who are of Haitian descent. Both parents played soccer in Haiti. She attended the Early Childhood Learning Center, the Berkowitz School, and Clark Avenue Middle School. Besides her older sister Martine, she has an older brother, Norbert, a CHS and UMass/Boston graduate and former CHS track athlete, and a younger brother, Emmanuel, who will enter CHS as a freshman.
What does Stephanie Simon consider her strongest track event?
“The high jump is my favorite event, but my best event is the triple jump,” she responded.
Simon is setting higher expectations for the coming season.
“My goal for the high jump is to jump 5-6 by the end of indoor season and 5-8 in the outdoor season. For the triple jump, I want to be able to jump 38 feet consistently and in the 100 meters, I want to be in the high, 11-seconds. And we’re going to try out the 400 meters next year,” she stated with confidence.
Her sister Martine serves as both a role model and motivation in her track pursuits.
“Martine taught me in my freshman year the do’s and don’ts and I appreciate all that she has done for me,” Stephanie explained.
Martineau stands out as the Most Valuable Coach in her athletic career. Martineau is leaving the coaching position to become Grade 9 assistant principal at CHS.
“Coach Martineau has been an incredible mentor who has brought out all the excellence in me and I’m definitely going to miss him as my coach,” Stephanie said with emotion in her voice. She also expressed gratitude for the support and encouragement provided by CHS Athletic Director Alpert’s.
College coaches are taking notice of Stephanie Simon’s record-breaking performances. As a strong student, Simon is considering prestigious schools including Amherst College, Smith College, and Tufts University.
“I’m only a sophomore and I believe I can get better,” Stephanie concluded.