Yes, it’s early and, as we all know, a lot can occur over the next three-plus months. Still, what happened during the indoor season last year and the subsequent outdoor campaign, and even cross country this past fall for our distance runners, can provide us enough background to make some good ole’ fashion predictions. So what will happen this season by our talented athletes?
Here we feature the boys’ throwing & jumping events.
Shot
The favorite here is Peabody’s Alex Jackson, who swept the individual titles (indoor and outdoor) last year and is the only athlete to exceed 60 feet. During the winter season, the Tanner senior tossed the metal ball further than 58 feet five times. He achieved his indoor best of 60-6 to win the Div. 2 crown and was just a quarter inch short of that mark at the Nike Indoor Nationals (NIN) where he secured All-American status by placing fifth overall. From last year’s indoor meet, six of the top eight have graduated, which means we’ll have several new faces occupying the podium this winter. Hopedale’s Ari Levine and Amherst-Pelham’s Logan Alfandari appear to be Jackson’s biggest threats. But they’ll certainly have to be on their games to try and dethrone the Peabody standout, who has shown great consistency from inside the circle. Levine, a junior, was fourth at the Meet of Champions last February and had a best of 54-3.75 at the New England’s, where he was ninth overall. Alfandari, who missed the podium last winter, taking tenth overall, tossed an indoor best of 53-0.25 to capture the PVIAC Indoor Championships. He had his best season once the competition switched outdoors, winning the Div. 4 Championships and placing fourth at the MOC. He continued his late-season excellence by taking eighth at the New England’s with a PR of 56-3.75 and finishing fourth at the Nike Outdoor Nationals.
Jackson is again our pick as the favorite. In the inaugural year of this event, the Tanners’ gifted thrower won by more than eight feet with a PR of 67-11. His effort was one of three throws that were further than 60 feet. Afandari ranks No. 2. He was a runner-up to Jackson at the MOC of 59-5.5. He appears to have the best chance to upset his rival this indoor season.
Long Jump
The No. 1 seed in this event is St. John’s Antonio Waife, who has a chance for the trifecta after sweeping the long jump last year by winning the indoor and outdoor crowns. Waife finished his spring season with 23-footers in three of his last four meets, including a season best of .23-6.5 at the MSTCA Coaches Invitational. During indoor, he had a SB of 22-7.75 to take top honors at the MOC. Returning from 2023-24, are two more from the t\op eight from the MOC with Ryan Kyle (seventh) and Chicopee’s Jacob Lozado (eighth). Kyle had a SB of 21-9 at the beginning of indoor last year and leaped an all-time best of 23-6 in a league meet at the start of the outdoor season, He was generally in the mid 21- to 22-foot range duirng the winter. Lozado leaped a PR of 21-3 last winter to win the Div. 4 Championships.
High Jump
We expect the competition will be very tough in this event. Among our returnees, Brockton’s versatile senior Lucas Andrade had the top jump with a PR of 6-6 from the MSTCA Winter Festival. Andrade, who soared to an all-time best of 6-8 from his victory at the Div. 1 outdoor championships, also happens to be our state’s top 55m and 55m hurdler, too. Right behind Andrade in the high jump is six athletes that had bests of 6-4 last year – Hopkinton’s Logan Sullivan, Melrose’s Samuel Madden, Algonquin’s Miles Lipka, St. John’s Prep’s Andrew Bertucci, Brockton’s Jaden Lopes-Ribeiro and Mohawk Trials’ Chay Mojallai. This one could get interesting, very interesting.
