As they should, MA track & field is dedicating this Sunday to our beloved moms, those that are no longer with us and those that are still here. This weekend there will be no meets on Mother’s Day. But there will be plenty on Friday and Saturday, more than a half dozen in that two-day span.
What are some of the events we feel could generate excitement and perhaps produced some top state- and national-level performances? Here’s a few we think will be among the best.
MSTCA Twilight Invitational – Girls’ 100m HH, 400m IH
This event features All-American pentathlete Sarah Dumas of Franklin. The Panther senior owns the top seed in both hurdle events with times of 14.37 seconds in the 100m HH and 1:02.70 in the 400m IH. She’s the overwhelming favorite in both events so we are predicting a double golds for the talented hurdler. The question is how fast will she go at Friday night’s meet. Dumas has a season best of 14.84hh right now. You know she’ll be shooting for that No. 1 spot, one that’s owned by Natick sophomore Emmanuella Edozien, who ran 14.71 at the Jim Hoar Freshmen-Sophomore Invitational last weekend. Dumas might also be eyeing the top position in the 400m hurdles, which fellow rival Giuliana Ligor of North Reading took over after winning the event at last Saturday’s Twilight Invitational. in 1:01.02, currently No. 13 in the country. Could it be thrice as nice for Dumas? She’s also the two seed in the high jump with her best of 5-5.
MSTCA Twilight Invitational – Boys’ 200m
When you base it on FAT timing, the state has two sprinters that have broken 22 seconds this spring with Lincoln-Sudbury tenth-grader Nico Begic and Boston Latin’s Max Deane both running 21.88 at their respective meets last weekend – Begic at the Jim Hoar Freshmen-Sophomore Invite and Deane at the Weston Twilight Invitational. Taunton’s Dmetrrius Shearrion could be one of a few more that could go sub-22. Shearrion owns an all-time best of 21.82 from his fourth-place finish at the Division 1 Championships as a sophomore in 2022. He ran a hand-held best of 21.64 in a league meet on Tuesday and also also won the Warrior Invitational in mid April with a fast 22.22. He’s ready!
MSTCA Coaches Invitational – Boys’ 400m IH
In this race we have four hurdlers that have run 56 seconds this season with Attleboro’s Maxwell Crawford (56.04hh), Brockton’s Jarred Mighty (56.44hh), Brockton’s Antonio Tobin (56.53 FAT) and North Quincy’s Jayden Francis (56.74hh) expected to answer the gun. Someone’s got to break into the 55s with a field like this. The state’s current No. 1 is 54.74 by Westford Academy’s Ryan Kyle from last weekend’s Weston Twilight Invitational. At No. 4 is Acton Boxborough’s Noah Stegmeier at 55.81, the last runner to break 56 seconds this season.
MSTCA Coaches Invitational – Boys’ 100m & 200m
The 200m features our defending state champion and this year’s 55m titlist Christopher Brooks of Wellesley. Brooks ran an all-time best of 21.42 to win his crown last spring and clocked 21.44hh in a league meet on April 24. He certainly has the competition to push him with Deane (21.88) and Brockton’s Lucas Andrade (22.14) on the line.
Brooks and Andrade will be back at it again in the 100m with the 1-2 seeds in a race where six have broken 11 seconds. Brooks has a best this season of 10.84 and a PR of 10.61. Andrade leads the state this spring with a 10.68 from the Ron Wayne SEC Speed Jamboree in Brockton.
MSTCA Coaches Invitational – Boys’ Mile
This should be a good one with at east four runner capable of stealing the show – Boston Latin’s Colin Fisher (4:18.55), Oliver Ames’ Brendan Thomas (4:19.34), Ludlow’s Logan Walsh (4:20.73) and Groton Dunstable’s Greyson Duane (4:22.12).
MSTCA Coaches Invitational – Girls’ Shot
Two of our state’s top two shot-putters will be stepping into the circle this weekend with :Ludlow’s Elena Chaplin and Newton North’s Skye Petrie Cameron in the field. Chaplin was our indoor titlist at the Meet of Champions this past winter. She has a state-leading 42-3 this spring. Petrie-Cameron won the outdoor crown in 2023 and has a best of 43-1.75
MSTCA Coaches Invitational – Boys’ Long Jump
This event features the state indoor champion with Saint John’s Antonio Wiafe the No. 1 seed. Wiafe currently ranks No. 2 in the state behind Kyle (23-8) with a best this season of 23-1.5. He has a PR of 23-10 from the New Balance Nationals last June. Five more in the field have gone further than 22 feet. At the 2-3 seeds are Attleboro’s Adian Rivera (22-10) and Natick’s Dyland Weddie (22-7).
MSTCA Coaches Invitational & MSTCA Twilight Invitational – Girls’ Mile
Last year the state had seven runners clock sub-5 in this event. So far we have four that have gone under the milestone. We could have at least one (or more) added to that list on Satuday. The top seed is North Quincy’s Aluna Coogan Coyne, who ran an all-time best of 4:59.10 at the New Balance Nationals in March. Other than the Division 2 Relays on April 28, this will be the talented senior’s first statewide competition of the season, so don’t be surprised if she comes close to a PR this weekend. She has a good field behind her. Westfield’s Megan Moran (5:03.56) and Oliver Ames’ Katie Sobieraj (5:04.72) are the next two seeds.
At the Twilight meet on Friday, we have a field that features three that have run 5:05 or faster. Pentucket’s Kaylie Dalgar is the top seed with her PR of 5:00.51 from her fifth-place finish at the New England’s this past March. She ran an outdoor best of 5:03.41 last weekend at the Trials Of Miles in New York. There’s also Holliston’s Maggie Kuchman, who ran an all-time best of 5:04.98 at the New Balance Nationals this year.
