More than 1,500 athletes are expected to invade the TRACK at New Balance for Sunday’s Marathon Sports Winter Warrior HS Invitational.
The second annual meet, presented by New Balance, features 13 events. Here’s a few we expect could generate some excitement in the five-plus hours of competition.
North Reading multiple state titlists Giuliana Ligor is entered in the 55-meter dash and the 300m. In both events, the versatile senior will face stiff competition, namely from Sharon’s Nina Kyei-Aboagye. Ligor is the No. 1 seed in the short dash with a seed time of 7.40 seconds, just three hundredths of a second ahead of Kyei-Aboagye. The Sharon junior has the edge in the 300m with a top time of 40.00 to Ligor’s 40.11 seed.
The girls’ mile matches O’Bryant’s Sara Chama Blanco against Norwood’s Natalie Martin. Chama-Blanco, a sophomore, has a seed listed at 5:15. A few weeks ago, Martin clocked her best for the eight-lapper with a PR of 5:20.24 in a league meet at Reggie Lewis. Marshfield’s Eleanor Angeles-Whitfield could also be a factor. She’s seeded at No. 3 with a time of 5:38.22, which she ran about a week ago in league competition. She owns an all-time best of 5:03.58 from the 2023 BSR Elite Scholastic Mile. She has an indoor PR of 5:20.09 from that same year.
In the 1K and two mile, Keaney Bayha of Pilgrim (RI) is the No. 1 seed. The Rhode Island state cross-country champion, is a heavy favorite in both events. For the deuce, she ran her current best of 10:45.40 at the Beantown Winter Classic last weekend at the TRACK at New Balance. She’s the top seed in the 1,000m by 14 seconds with her PR of 2:58.47, which she did at the BU Sharon-Colyear Danville Season-Opener earlier this month.
The boys’ shot features a 50-footer with St. John’s prep’s Anthony Ragosa in the field. The SJP senior currently ranks fourth in the state with an indoor best of 50-6. Chelsea’s Ariel Aracena is the two seed with a best of 47-8.
Brockton’s Lucas Andrade, one of our state’s top high-jumper, is entered in his specialty. The gifted senior is currently tied for the No. 1 spot in the rankings with an indoor best of 6-6. Andrade’s effort came at Beantown Classic where he was third overall.
The 55m dash could be determined by a lean at the finish. The top three in the race are separated by two hundredths of a second based on their seeds. That trio includes Marshfield’s Nathan Looney (6.58), Bridgewater-Raynham’s Marqui Galvin (6.59) and New Hampshire’s Ceasar Flahn of Manchester Central (6.60).
Look for the 300m to be competitive, too. The top two seeds are Brockton’s Jared Mighty (36.31) and Marshfield’s Nathan Looney (36.50).
Marshfield’s Matt McCabe, a 1:55 half-miler, is the No. 1 seed in the 1,000m. He owns a best of 2:35.29 from his victory at the Patriot League Indoor Championships last winter.
