This is it. One more chance to earn an entry into the upcoming divisional state championships or improve on your current seeds for next weekend’s meets. That’s what’s on the docket this Saturday with the MSTCA State Qualifier Meet. Here we list four of the top girls’ events that will be contested inside the Reggie Lewis Center this weekend.
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600m
The top seed is Holliston’s Carmen Luisi, who has been having a splendid indoor campaign this winter, one that’s included a PR of 2 minutes, 53.25 seconds for the 1,000-meter run. Luisi comes into this race with a best of 1:38.23 in the 600m. In 2023, she had a best of 1:39.04, which she did at this same meet. Considering her best for the 1K last year was 2:58.47 from the New England Championships nearly a month later, we feel she’s capable of a time a lot faster this weekend considering what she’s already done for the 1K this season. Don’t be surprised if she’s in that mid 1:30 range on Saturday. That’s an effort that could put her near the top in the rankings for the three-lapper. At the two seed is Whitinsville Christian’s Emma Wierenga with a time of 1:40.42. Natick’s Kendall Hacker is at No. 3 with a time of 1:41.38.
LONG JUMP
So far this season, we’ve had four athletes that have exceeded 18 feet in this event. We could have a fifth on Saturday. The top seed is Norwell’s Liliana MacDonald, who leaped a best of 17-9.5 at the Boston Holiday Challenge on Dec. 27. The Clipper senior has been consistent all season long with no jump less than 17 feet this year. She won the Coaches Invitational a couple of weeks ago with a solid 17-7.5 and recently finished second to Middleboro’s Isbael Wheeler at the South Shore League Championships, falling just two inches short of Wheeler’s 17-5.25 effort. MacDonald may have a little fire in her eyes from that near victory this week, extra motivation that could get her to 18 feet. MIddleboro’s Jocelyn Bush is also in the field. The junior leaper has a season best of 16-6.5 from the Holiday Challenge. This past spring, she had her all-time best of 17-9 to place fourth at the Twilight Invitational.
MILE
The state has produced an impressive 10 runners under 5:10 in this event this season. Could we have more on Saturday? Holliston’s Maggie Kuchman, our Div. 2 state cross-country champion, ran a best of 5:09.24 last year at the Meet of Champions where she was seventh overall. She’s only run the mile twice this season, winning both by a substantial margin at a pair of Tri Valley League meets back in December. In other words, her season best of 5:17.28 from one of those meets is very deceiving. Kuchman has run 2:58 for the 1K this winter. She’s ready for a PR performance this weekend. The No. 2 seed in this race is Woburn’s Sinead Butler, who clocked a best of 5:11.65 at the Division 2 Championships last winter. Look for her to try and dip under 5:10, too.
4x200m
This event certainly has the potential to produce some excitement at the finish line. It features three teams that are separated by less than a quarter of a second based on the seeds – Hopkinton (1:50.79), Holliston (1:50.81) and Braintree (1:50.98).
