The latest Wellesley sports update:

Wellesley High track & field teams start strong

The Wellesley High School boys and girls track and field teams are off to strong starts this season, with each team topping Milton and then Framingham in the first 2 meets of the season. Up next: Brookline, when students return from April vacation.

Thanks to Darren Bovie for sharing these photos:

2023 4-12 WHS v Framingham Track and Field Meet 17 — Photos courtesy of Darren Bovie

Golfer Lavu masters Augusta

Congrats to Wellesley Middle School 8th grader Aarav Lavu, who finished as runner up at the Drive, Chip & Putt Nationals held in Augusta, Ga., the week before the Master’s tournament earlier this month. We posted about Lavu in the fall after he qualified for the competition.

Lavu finished runner-up after a loss in a play-off. He finished 2nd in the chipping skill and won the putting competition. “We are incredibly proud of his performance on the national stage covered by Golf channel. Definitely made Wellesley proud,” wrotes mom, Reeta.

Aarav first tried golf at the age of 4, and his improvement has continued since.

aarav lavu augusta — Professional golfer Scott Scheffler with Wellesley’s Aarav Lavu at medal and trophy ceremony

Hunnewell field lighting update

Wellesley School Committee member Linda Chow shared an update on the Hunnewell track & field lighting plans at about the 46-minute mark of the recent Playing Fields Task Force meeting (see Wellesley Media recording). Those involved in moving the lights forward have expressed frustration at the length of the process and the growing expenses associated with it.

One hold-up involves the Wetlands Protection Committee, which is looking to hire a firm to conduct a peer review of lighting’s potential impact on the environment and is expected to provide an update at its April 27 meeting (School Committee will need to pay for the review). The School Committee has previously hired a firm called Epsilon Associates to conduct such a study, and has brought Epsilon back to answer questions raised during a recent Wetlands meeting on the topic.

The School Committee has also obtained outside counsel to support its efforts, Chow said, and that counsel has recommended that the School Committee reach out to the Natural Resources Committee (which oversees the track and field property) to get a handle on the policies and parameters around light use.

The Field Fund website says that the fundraising effort is about two-thirds of the way toward its goal of raising $1.5M based on donations and pledges.

Separately, Chow noted that proponents of Article 43 on the Annual Town Meeting warrant, a citizen petition seeking to have the town “appoint a committee to conduct an independent, comprehensive, analysis of all costs and benefits of additional night time sports or other outdoor night events on public lands in Wellesley,” has made an amendment. They’ve pulled the second motion under the article, no longer requesting a moratorium by the Natural Resources Commission on the lighting installation at the track and field. Expect Town Meeting to address Article 43 either on April 27 or 28.