Thomas Woodville ’17: There is no denying the impressive contributions Brittany and Brianna Belo ’14 have made to the EA track program. The two twin sisters, from Philadelphia, PA have both broken several school records thus far in their high school careers. When asked who their biggest supporter is, the two track stars cited their father and his consistent support for them. They added that he was extremely excited when they decided to run track, primarily because he was a track star himself. The Belos went on to say that in addition to their parents, their biggest motivator is their coach John Goens, or how they and the team refer to him, “CoGo.” When asked to describe Goens, Brittany stated, “He always has a great attitude and he’s funny too, which really makes it easy to train and work with him.” Goens spoke to their leadership, saying, “They definitely have the respect of the rest of the girls. Their work ethic is sound and they are committed to bettering themselves out on the track-just like when they are in the classroom.” He emphasized how proud he is to have coached Brittany and Brianna and that he is excited to see what they will accomplish during the remainder of the year. The twins have earned several school records including the 4×100 meter relay along with Gianna Smith and Lolo Lomax with a time of 50.14. Brittany went on to beat another school record in a different group running the 4×200 meter with a time of 1:47.21. Individually, they have both placed in the top 6 for the 200m multiple times. They will be representing Episcopal at the PA State Indoor Championships on March 1st at Penn State University in not only the 4×200 relay, but also the 4×400 relay.
Photo Courtesy of Brittany Belo ’14
Despite all the success they have had running track, they have both have decided not to dedicate their collegiate careers to the sport as they have other interests. However, they explained that they might want to be walk-on athlete if that is a possibility. Despite being so successful, they did not start running until their sophomore year and the last minute decision was made based on simply not having any other options. “We just weren’t really interested in anything else,” explained Brittany. When asked if they had played any sports before track, Brittany noted that she did play soccer before and that from that experience she knew that she was fast and that track may be a good fit for her. Over the years, they explained how they both have developed strengths and weaknesses. Although Brittany said that she is sometimes lazy, her determination causes her not to slack in her training and she is able to perform well due to her undeniable drive. She also says that besides being fast, Brianna is a great motivator for the team, and carries the team on her shoulders. Due to this leadership, they have both earned the honor of being captain in winter track as well as spring track along with senior teammate Lolo Lomax ‘14.