Trombly's hard work pays off

Women's track and field senior quad-captain Jess Trombly is the quintessential multi-event athlete. Aside from playing soccer in the fall and anchoring the national runner-up 4x400 relay team in the indoor season, the Nashua, NH, native is a dominating force in the spring time on the outdoor track.

Last spring she placed third in the heptathlon at the NCAA Division III Championships at Saint Lawrence University in Canton, N.Y. This year, Trombly will be more focused on the heptathlon, as she was new to the event last season.

Trombly has plenty of experience with the heptathlon's track events -- the 200 meter run, 800, 100 hurdles, and the jump. Last year alone, she broke five school records and qualified for Nationals in 11events. Trombly finds the high jump and shot put to be the most challenging events.

"Most heptathletes participate in all [seven] events during the regular season," Trombly said. "Sometimes I'll do the shot put, but not the open high jump. It makes it hard when I go compete [at Nationals]. I do practice twice a week with the shot put coach."

Trombly's extra work does not go unnoticed by her teammates, including classmate and fellow quad-captain Katie Higley.

"Her success is definitely a combination [of natural talent and work ethic]," Higley said. "She works harder than most people I have ever seen, she's a fierce competitor who always works hard on the track whether in practice or meets. She's always in the weight room, and when she's near the track she's always thinking about how she can improve as an athlete, which is essential if you want to be as successful as she's been."

Trombly's national success with the 4x400 relay team along with senior quad-captain Emily Bersin, junior Sika Henry, and sophomore Rachel Bloom, has also distinguished her as one of the top athletes in the region. Trombly's duties as a captain and her close work with younger members of the team, like Bloom, have put her in a leadership role on the team.

"She contributes a lot in regard to setting an example of how to get great things done on the track. She's been really successful all four years," Higley said. "Emily [Bersin] and Jess helped set a precedent for Rachel [Bloom] and lots of other freshmen on the team."

Ultimately, the success Trombly gains from her talent and work ethic inspires the rest of her teammates to do their best.

"Everybody looks up to her because she's the standard for the team," Bloom said. "The rest of the team tries to reach [her] level in our training and everything else."