With so many variables, it’s never easy. But we’ll give it our best shot predicting who we feel will be some of our top track & field athletes this outdoor season. Here we feature the boys’ sprinting events, which includes the 100m, 200m and 400m
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100m
The favorite here is Wellesley’s Christopher Brooks. The Red Raiders’ senior is the top returnee from last year. He was second at the Meet of Champions behind Methuen grad Darwin Jimenez with a PR of 10.69. Brooks proved this past winter that he’ll be up for the challenge this spring after a dominant season in the sprints, including winning the 55m dash at the MOC. Bridgewater-Raynham’s Kauan Bento, Acton Boxborough’s Leonid Burlak, Winchester’s Daniel Killian and Amesbury’s Michael Sanchez were all sub-11 guys in 2023 and could certainly contend for those top podium spots. Buriak was second to Brooks in the 55m at the MOC in late February, while Killian was fourth. They’re just a few of several more that could make a difference this spring. Keep an eye on Minnechaug’s Noah Barthwatte, who was third in the 55m at the MOC. In a meet with East Longmeadow on April 1, he clocked a respectable 11.04 for the 100m. That’s just four hundredths of a second from his PR from last year. He’s certainly capable of breaking 11 seconds this season.
200m
Brooks gets the nod here, too. He’s the defending titlist in this event, blazing to an all-time best of 21.42 to edge Acton-Boxborough grad Alex Landry at the line. The Red Raider standout was frequently under 22 seconds last spring, earning wins at the Coaches Invitational and Div. 2 Championships. This past winter, he also clocked a PR of 34.99 in the 300m to secure fourth overall at the MOC. Burlak, Killian and Bento were also under 22 seconds in 2023 with times between 21.86 and 21.98. It could get interesting.
400m
Will anyone touch Natanael Vigo Catala in this event? It doesn’t appear that way. The Haverhill senior is the top returnee from last year with an outdoor best of 47.82, an effort that placed him second to Malden grad Johnny Emmanuel at the Div. 1 Championships. Vigo Catala is coming off a highely successful indoor campaign where he won his second straight 300m title and also earned All-American status at the Nike Indoor Nationals where he was third overall in 47.94. The Georgetown commit with be chasing the 46-second barrier this spring, a goal he made clear to us last year. We believe he’ll achieve that milestone by season’s end and could challenge the current state mark of 46.71, set way back in 1979 by Brockton’s Mike Sullivan. A bunch of guys in the 49-second range will be returning this season, too. Among them are Nauset Regional’s Damian Bebber, Amesbury’s Sanchez, Acton Boxborough’s Noah Stegmeier, Greater New Bedford’s Daniel Ward and Acton Boxborough’s Ajay Raina.
