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 4 girls.
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DIVISION 4 – GIRLS
Day/Time/Place: Saturday, 10:30 a.m., at Reggie Lewis Center
Teams: Montachusett, Greater Lawrence Tech, Northeast Metro, O’Bryant, Wakefield, Nashoba, Wayland, Amherst-Pelham, Holliston, Lynn Voke, Middleboro, Newburyport, Danvers, East Longmeadow, Fitchburg, Madison Park Tech, Scituate, Foxboro, Nauset Regional, Dracut, Ludlow, North Middlesex, Dedham, Medfield, Marlborough, Pembroke, Auburn, Gloucester, Watertown, Hanover, Tewksbury, Falmouth, Groton-Dunstable, Apponquet Regional, Norton, Weston, Swampscott, Dover-Sherborn, Salem, Holyoke, Chicopee, Oakmont, Archbishop Williams, Bishop Stang, Saint Mary’s, Fontbonne, Arlington Catholic, Cardinal Spellman, Ursuline Academy, Bishop Fenwick, Pope Francis Prep, Notre Dame Academy, Saint Paul Diocesan, Lowell Catholic, Saint John Paul II, Crist Rey, Academy of Notre Dame, Whitinsville Christian
Events To Watch: The 600m could be one of those races that’s determined in the final few meters. The top two seeds are Newburyport teammates Devin Stroope and Morgan Felts with PRs this winter of 1:36.75 and 1:36.85, respectively. Whitinsville Christian’s Emma Wirenga, who has an all-time best of 1:37.64, is the No. 3 seed. The next two have also broken 1:40 with Pembroke’s Ella Govostes (1:39.85) and Wakefield’s Quin Wilcox (1:39.85)…A lean at the finish could determine the winner in the 55m dash. Chicopee’s Sophia Guzman is the top seed with a best of 7.31. Right behind is Wilmington’s Alexis LeBlanc (7.37) and Pembroke’s Sadie Nugent (7.39)… Six runners have broken 11 minutes this season for the two mile. The best of them all will be on the line in this race. Holding the No. 1 seed and spot in the state rankings is Whitinsville Christian’s Emily Flagg with a best of 10:45.38 from her victory at the MSTCA Freshmen-Sophomore Invitational on Jan. 4. The next two seeds are Holliston teammates Maggie Kuchman (11:2061) and Annabelle Lynch (11:34.96). This will be the third event of the day for Lynch and Kuchman…Pembroke will be looking to become our state’s sixth team under 1:46 in the 4x200m relay. The top-seeded Titans rank sixth in the state with their best of 1:46.34, just over a second from state-leading Amherst-Pelham (1:45.16)…The high jump features state-leader Zoe Santos of Norton. Santos soared to a best of 5 feet, 6.5 inches to win the TVL Championship on Jan. 26. Holliston’s Kaitlyn Quealy is at No. 2 with a best of 5-4.
Team Outlook: With strength in the distance events, Holliston appears to have an edge over its competition in this one. Pembroke, Newburyport and Weston should be among the other schools fighting for those top spots on Saturday
