Beginning on Wednesday and stretching to Saturday, we’re expecting some intense competition with the MIAA Divisional Championships. The individual and team battles with be fierce with the best of the best competing inside the confines of the Reggie Lewis Center.
Throughout the week, Bay State Running will be providing preview capsules of each division. Here we feature Division 1 girls.
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DIVISION 1 – GIRLS
Time/Place: 4:30 p.m., at Reggie Lewis Center
Teams: Acton Boxborough, Andover, Attleboro, Boston Latin, Braintree, Brockton, Brookline, Cambridge Rindge & Latin, Central Catholic, Durfee, Framingham, Franklin, Haverhill, Lawrence, Lincoln Sudbury, Lowell, Medford,, Methuen, Natick, Needham, New Bedford, Newton North, Newton South, Revere, Shrewsbury, Taunton, Wachusett, Westford Academy, Weymouth
Events To Watch: The No. 1 time in the 600-meter run this season is 1 minutes, 31.75 seconds by Plymouth North’s Macey Shriner. Could that time be challenged? It’s a stretch, but not too far-fetched to say it can’t be touched. The top three seeds are the runners right behind Shriner in the rankings, Haverhill’s Lauren Downer, Framingham’s Sasha Lamakina and Lexington’s Amelia Whorton. Downer comes in with a best of 1:33.89, Lamakina has a top time of 1:33.98 and Whorton, only a freshman, is at 1:34.44. We expect a lot of races in this meet to charge up the crowd. This one could create the most noise with the winner determined in the final few meters of the race. This will not be the first time this trio has toed the line together. Just about two weeks ago, all three answered the gun at the Coaches Invitational Large School Meet. At the Jan. 26 race, Lamakina took top honors with her current best. She was followed closely by Whorton and Downer. This could be a replay of that race with all capable of winning…Keep an eye on the clock in the 55m hurdles. On the line is the hurdler that has a chance to break the 13-year-old state record of 7.97 by former Brockton great Vanessa Clerveaux. Natick’s Emmanuella Edozien holds that distinction and made that 2012 record more of a reality when she captured her specialty at the Coaches Invite with a PR of 8.03, the third best clocking all-time in the state. Edozien will be pushed. The No. 2 seed is Central Catholic’s Arianna DiPetro, who comes in with a best of 8.31. a time that’s currently third in the state…Edozien is also entered in the 55m dash, a race that could be close at the finish. The top seed is Methuen’s Lauren Quarm, a runner-up in this event last year and eventual state titlist at the Meet of Champions. Quarm comes in with a season best and state No. 2 of 7.07. She’s been eyeing a sub seven-second performance all year, something she accomplished at the MOC last winter with her all-time best of 6.95. It could happen at Wednesday’s race. No doubt she’ll be challenged, primarily from the next two seeds, Edozien and Lexington’s Aubrey Deardoff, who have seeds of 7.23 and 7.24…The 1,000m could get interesting, and also very fast. The top four runners in the field have broken three minutes, including state-leader Ciara Evans of Newton North with her best of 2:54.30. Lamakina and Downer are listed in this race, too. Will either or both scratch from this race? That’s the question. The duo comes in with times of 2:55.37 and 2:56.58, respectively. At the No. 4 seed is Newton South Emily Frawley, who is certainly a threat to win it all. In a solo effort, Frawley captured the 1K at the MSTCA Qualifier this past weekend with a best of 2:58.92. She won the race by nearly 10 seconds, and split 33.91 for her last 200m. We could see a time in the low 2:50s win this race… The relays feature state-leaders, Weymouth (9:24.84) in the 4×800 and Methuen in the 4x200m (1:45.41). Brookline is the top seed in the 4x400m and ranks No. 2 in the state…Don’t forget what happens at the shot. This event features our state’s No. 1 thrower with Haverhill’s Madeline Goncalves inside the circle. Goncalves has a PR of 43-0 from her win at the MSTCA Boston Holiday Challenge on Dec. 28.
Team Outlook: Newton North, Natick and Central Catholic appear to be our leaders in this one. With the ability to score several points in the distance events and a decent amount in the relays, Newton North appears to have the edge.
