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Two weeks after his indoor track season ended, Josh Adams dinged up his knee while snowboarding.

Although not serious, the injury taught him a lesson.

"You have to be super careful," he said. "Any little thing could mess you up for a long time."

Who's that girl lighting up the game tape? Was that Karina Lopez?

"Everybody," Lawrence girls basketball coach Dan Blouin said, "thought it was somebody else."

But there she was, running the floor, grabbing rebounds, pressuring the ball on defense. Blouin eventually pressed the stop button on the VCR and peered at her.

The Tigers (3-6) fell 84-61 to North Reading despite a number of strong performances. Among the winners were Leah Webb in the shot put (31-5), Olivia Ruta in the pole vault (7-0), Hannah O'Flynn in the discus (91-2), Tess Salabella in the javelin (91-2) and Molly Miller in the dash (16.7).

Behind Boston College recruit Sara Missert, who had three impressive efforts to capture the long jump, triple jump and 400, Central Catholic won its battle of unbeatens with Haverhill, 87-58, clinching at least a share of the MVC Large title. Central improved to 4-0 with just its dual meet against Andover remaining.

Londonderry downed Salem, 91-54. D.J. Post took the shot put and javelin for the Lancers. Mike Marshall shined for the Blue Devils, winning the long jump, high jump, 110 hurdles, and 300 hurdles.

With wins over previously undefeated Hamilton-Wenham (93-52) and a talented North Reading squad (80-65), the still-undefeated Triton girls track team (5-0) has now reached the halfway point to its season goal | a Cape Ann League championship.

Kaitlyn Wallace won two individual events (shot put, 32-5; discus, 98-2) for Newburyport. Alli Hill-Wilton (high hurdles, 17.6) and Meghann Ronan (pole vault, 8-0) also placed first.

"We had a good effort versus a strong team with some of the more outstanding front-liners in the state," Foley said. "We competed hard and had some nice efforts, particularly in the throw events and from Taylor Burl, Hannah McCormick, Alli Hill-Wilton and Maura Welch."

Kayley Pettoruto surprised even herself at All-States this winter.

"Last year I barely made the state cut in the 600," she said. "This season I placed fourth at All-States. That is a pretty big leap." That fourth, in 1:37.14 while running in an unseeded heat, earned crucial points in helping Andover squeak past Newton South 36-32<1/2> for the All-State title.

Katie Sullivan is a teacher, coach and lawyer all rolled into one.

Now in her third year at the helm of the girls track team at Central Catholic, the Andover High (1999), University of Maryland (2003) and Suffolk Law (2006) graduate teaches at Central during the week, mixing in home closings when she can.

Her Raiders were slated to open the season Wednesday (3:30 p.m.) at Lawrence Stadium against Billerica.

1. So what was the most difficult part of law school?
   "It's the amount of work, the amount of reading. That's easily the toughest part."

2. How do you balance daily life and work?
   "The first year, you don't balance it. It's just law school. Your social life becomes your study groups. It's like boot camp."

3. Is it interesting doing different kinds of work every week?
   "Obviously, it's a change. I remember leaving Lawrence Stadium (last year), running to my car, grabbing my suit, going back into the rest room and changing like I'm Superman. I feel like I have to find the nearest phone booth to change."

4. Could you describe your part-time work?
   "If it fits in my schedule, essentially I'm the attorney the bank provides at the closing. I don't have to do a lot of the paperwork before hand. It's done for me. It requires me basically to be able to travel. The farthest I drove to a closing was to Provincetown. For the most part, it's making people happy. People usually leave the table happy."

5. Was the bar exam as difficult as people say?
   "On top of it, I was applying to Central while studying for the bar. The added stress, that was tough. At that point, you want it so badly, you're just about studying 24 hours a day."

6. Did you make it down to the Final Four when Maryland was playing (in 2002)?
   "I didn't go. I stayed on campus. We had classes. I'm probably glad I didn't. I was on campus for the riots. I had never seen pepper spray sprayed out of a fire extinguisher. Kids were hanging from places, I don't know how they got up there."

7. Did you know any of the players from that era?
   "The first player off the bench (Drew Nicholas), he had a big, big crush on my (freshman-year) roommate. He used to call all the time. (Later) I was a teaching assistant, he took the class."

8. Maryland basketball has a pretty notorious student section. Were you a part of it?
   "I guess. We probably were not as notorious as they are now. I did the chants, held up the newspapers, but I never threw anything at opposing parents or the opposing bench. My brother's there now, I can't say the same for him." (Sullivan's brother Colin, a St. John's Prep graduate, is currently at UMD. He hosts "Sully's Sound-Off", a sports talk show on campus radio station WMUC).

9. You've been to both the Comcast Center and Cole Field House. Which one do you like better?
   "I graduated at the Comcast, but Cole Field House, I'll always remember. When we took our first tour of Maryland at Cole Field House, I realized I wanted to go there. The (Wizards), with Chris Webber, were practicing down on the court. (I thought), 'I gotta come here.' My dad and I looked at each other. That pretty much sealed the deal."

Coach: Steve Derro (13th season)

Last season: 5-5

Returning lettermen: Hillary Biggs, sr.; Marissa LaFlamme, sr.; Sara Pagliarulo, sr.; Alison Pearsal, sr.; Christine Roy, sr.; Courtney Spurr, sr.; Kirstie Barry, jr.; Ellen Broz, jr.; Emily Funk, jr.; Cheyanne LaFrance, jr.; April O'Brien, jr.; Julia Quattrini, jr.; Holly Jakobsons, so.; Alanna Poretta, so.

Equal rights will be a major issue in high school track and field.

But it will be the local boys who may have to picket and lobby for fair treatment. Their female counterparts should again gather the lion's share of the headlines, records and honors. Last spring there were 36 additions to the area's all-time list on the distance side and only five male additions.

What are your personal goals for the upcoming track and field season?

Are you aiming to beat your best time in the 100 meter dash? Are you trying to beat the state record throwing the shot put? Are you trying to make it through a hurdle run without knocking any over?

Schedules are now available for the majority of high school baseball, softball, lacrosse and track teams for the 2008 spring season. Over the next couple of weeks, stories previewing what the spring holds for each team, rosters, and team and individual player photographs will begin to appear on RallyNorth. If your team has a schedule or roster that we do not have yet, please e-mail it to rallynorth @eagletribune.com.

In her stance, just before the gun sounded to start the 55-meter dash at the Massachusetts Division 1 State Meet on Sunday, Christina Muccio looked down at her right hand and the letters "FPM" as she has done before every race of her varsity career.