After the first lap of his 800-meter race, Logan Walsh admitted he wasn’t feeling his best. As with any race, sometimes that initial 400m isn’t a true representation of what could happen in the end.
Fortunately that was the case for the Ludlow High senior at Friday’s BSR Mid-Distance Classic.
After pushing through a headwind on the backstretch, things started to turn for the better for Walsh in the closing stages, just enough to pull of a narrow win and fast, early season time of 1 minute, 57.48 seconds. The Lions’ junior had to dig down deep and use ever bit of energy he had to hold off Marshall Vernon of La Salle Academy (RI), who snared runner-up honors with a time of 1:56.99.
“It was a good race,” Walsh said. “I got lucky with the finish with them pushing me and right on my back. It just worked out to what I wanted.”
The Ludlow standout was among a tight pack after the first 400m, which he passed around 57 seconds. He didn’t move into the lead until the final straightaway.
“I felt pretty bad. My legs felt pretty bad at that point,” said Walsh, making reference to his opening 400m “I just started to push though (for the next 300m) and when there was 100 (meters) left, all of a sudden my legs felt better and I felt great, and decided I’m taking the lead.”
Walsh is coming off a season where he was the Division 4 champion in the 1K and the mile. In the latter, he was also seventh overall at the Meet of Champions. This spring, he’s looking to repeat what he did at divisionals with his dominance of the middle-distance events and then focus solely on the mile at the MOC in June. He currently owns a best of 4:20.37 from the D4 meet.
Westford Academy’s Abigail Hennessey defended her title in the 800m with a time of 2:17.59. The WA senior’s victory didn’t come easy. She not only had to deal with a strong headwind on the backstretch, but also a tough competitor with North Reading Giuliana Ligor in the race. The multi-talented senior, who was the state’s 600m champion and an All American pentathlete this past winter, was right behind her rival with a PR of 2:18.85.
With the wind playing somewhat of a factor, Hennessey took a patient approach at the start.
“The first 400 I could really feel it. I kind of just decided to stick behind Giuliana and see if she can block the wind a little bit and see if that would work,” she said. “I ended up going a little slower than I wanted to at the 400. I was kind of disappointed by that, so I just tried to push it through the 600 on the backstretch with the wind again, which was really bad. Coming around the last 200, I could feel it like pushing me. That was really good. It pushed me to the end.”
For Ligor, who’s often called to duty multiple[le times in a meet, it was a rare opportunity for her competing in just one event, especially the 800m, which concludes the pentathlon.
“Honestly It felt a lot different,” he said. “The first 400 was a lot less tiring for sure. Usually the first 400 i feel like I can’t do another lap. This time it was a lot easier.”
Pentucket’s Kaylie Dalgar (5:12.38) and St. John’s Prep’s Daniel Padley (4:27.12) were the respective winners in the girls’ and boys’ mile.
Dalgar, who owns a best of 5:00.51 for the mile, was looking for a strong effort with limited concern of the digital numbers on the finish line clock.
“I was just coming in here looking for like a good time. It was my first race since indoor nationals,” she said. “I wasn’t expecting much. I’m really happy with the time.”
Finishing second in the race was Westford Academy’s Emily Wedlake with a time of 5:14.85. Bishop Feehan’s Lauren Augustyn was third at 5:15.13.
Padley, a bronze medalist in the 1,000 at the MOC last month, was running his third mile of the outdoor season. He was just ahead of Xaverian Brothers’ Brady Armstrong, who was timed in 4:27.69 for second.
Padley kept himself among the leaders throughout the four-lap race.
“We went out really hard the first lap and them we slowed down a lot and it kind of became more of a tactical race,” he said. “I was just thinking, ‘Play it safe, play it easy.’ I knew I had a kick in there.”
In second place with 400m left, Padley took the lead shortly after and then nestled back in second with about 250m to go.
“The wind kind of hit like a truck out of nowhere. It was the first time I had the lead at that part,” he said. “Then Brady went around me. I was okay with letting him take it. Then I just sat for a bit. (On the last stretch) I felt great. The kick was there. I just felt smooth. I was happy to get the win today.”
St. John’s Prep also got a win from Gael Garcia in the shot. The SJP junior tossed the metal ball 48 feet, 6.75 inches. He was more than four inches ahead of teammate Anthony Ragosa, who was second with a distance of 44-2.5.
