One of the highlights of the outdoor track & field season this time of year has always been the Weston Twilight Invitational, a meet that often attracts some of the state’s best.
This year’s meet, which is sponsored by HOKA and Marathon Sports, will continue the tradition on Saturday night with loaded fields in just about all of the events. Of the 38 events (boys and girls) that will take place, here’s the six we find the most intriguing.
Please note: If you can’t make it tonight, fret not. We got it covered. Our State Running team will be providing a live stream of the meet on our BSR YouTube page.
LIVE STREAM
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Girls’ 100m
Over the years we’ve had our share of top sprinters in the Bay State, so this event always seems to create some excitement at this meet. This race matches up our state 55m champion from this past winter, Pembroke’s Sara Clafin, against the defending 100m and 200m titlists, Westford Academy’s Elaina Tweedie. Both come in with seeds of 12.15, although Tweedie did clock a PR of 12.12 to take her title at the Meet of Champions in 2022. Hopkinton’s Loren Canty is the No. 3 seed at 12.2. The weather appears perfect for a fast time on Saturday night with the temperature around race time in the 60-degree range with very limited wind. Could we see a time under 12 seconds this early in the season? You never know. We certainly have the competition to make it happen, or at least come close. Tweedie is also the No. 1 seed in the 200m at 24.83. This one won’t be easy, too. She’s matched up against Beverly’s Meredith Pasquarosa (24.9) and Framingham’s Abby Desmarias (25.2)
Girls’ Pole Vault
This past weekend, Natick’s Alyssa Peasley had a huge PR in this event when she soared to a height of 12-feet even at the Division 2 State Relays. That’s a height that ties her with two others for No. 6 all-time in the state and is more than five inches higher than her previous all-time best of 11-6.25 from the BU Last Chance National Qualifier on Feb. 26. Peasley will have the competition to push her this weekend. The next two athletes behind her both have seeds at 11 feet or higher with Westborough’s Melinda Haagensen (11-6) and Lincoln-Sudbury’s Katherine Sills (11-0) occupying those spots.
Boys’ 400m
This will be Haverhill’s Nataenal Vigo-Catalia first competitive race since taking runner-up honors at the adidas Indoor Nationals in mid March with a PR of 47.67. Only one MA runner has ever gone under 47 seconds for the 400m with state record-holder Mike Sullivan of Brockton clocking 46.71 at the National AAU Juniors in 1979. Based on what he did during the indoor season, Vigo-Catalia has a legit chance to be the next. On Saturday, the speedy senior will face top competition from Newton North’s Quincy Scott (49.19) and Branndon Uda-Thach (49.80).
Boys’ Two Mile
This race could get interesting. That’s if it happens. The No. 1 seed is Paul Bergeron of Westford Academy, who a day earlier will be competing in our BSR Elite Scholastic Mile. Bergeron has a best of 9:04.06 from the two mile from his third-place finish at the Meet of Champions this winter. Less than a month ago, he ran 8:51 for 3,200m at the Arcadia (CA) Invitational. Will he scratch from Weston or go back-to-back? If he does compete at Saturday’s meet after a sure-to-be all-out effort in Marshfield, can he still run sub 9:10? We think he’s capable. That might also be a time he’ll need to win at the nighttime meet. Seeded at No. 2 is Ryan Leslie of Billerica, who ran a best of 9:12.34 to place fourth at MOC. This could be one of the more exciting races of the night if it happens..
Boys’ 200m
Hmm…two of four returnees that broke 22 seconds last year going head-to-head. And they’re teammates! Newton North’s Everton Muir and Myles Scott are our top two seeds with best of 21.47 and 21.57, respectively. Muir was a runner-up at the MOC last year and Scott finished seventh. This friendly rivalry could come down to the wire where a lean at the finish determines the winner. Could Newton South’s Will Truncer also be in the picture? He comes in with a best of 22.17. By the way, Muir is the No. 1 seed in the 100m, too. He was also second in that event at MOC last spring with his current PR of 10.77.
Girls’ Triple Jump
The top seed is Billerica’s Nyah Joseph with a distance of 38-6. Forgive us if we’re wrong, but we believe this is Joseph’s first year doing this event. In 2022, only one athlete exceeded 38 feet and that was MOC winner Shakira Cadet of Durfee at 38-11.5. Do we have a new star in the making? It sure looks that way. Joseph recently won the Pentathlon at the MSTCA Multi Fest and Relay Invitational, further proving she has the versatility and talent to go far in this event. The next two seeds are Braintree’s Bridget Lee (37-0) and Norwell’s Lily MacDonald (36-10).
