It was a first for the Algonquin Regional boys and business as usual for the Wellesley girls at Thursday’s MIAA Division 2 Championships.
Algonquin edged runner-up Peabody, 43-42 to earn its crown. Not too far behind were 3-4 finishers Bridgewater Raynham (38 points) and Reading (37 points). Wellesley scored 64 points, 15 ahead of second-place Sharon to win its eighth consecutive team title.
The Titans’ Miles Lipka scored nearly half his team’s points in the boys’ meet with a double-winning performance. Lipka soared to a height of 6 feet, 4 inches to capture the high jump and took gold in the 55-meter hurdles with a time of 7.56 seconds. Jonah Gould struck it rich in the mile, breaking the tape in 4:24.96.
Just a half second separated the top five finishers in the 600m, won by Bridgewater Raynham’s Caiden Blake in 1:24.48. Finishing close behind were Arlington’s Nico Peukert (second, 1:24.75), Marshfield’s Matt McCabe (third, 1:24.83), Reading’s Cameron Gigler (fourth, 1:24.90) and Beverly’s Evan Wong (fifth, 1:24.97). Wong slipped in with by taking the prior unseeded heat.
Peabody teammates Alex Jackson and Arena Saint Victor went 1-2 in the shot. Jackson, the state and nation-leader, tossed the metal ball 61-3. Saint Victor went 52-8.75.
Marshfield’s Graham Heinrich came close to his state No. 1 in the 1,000m, crossing the line in a triumphant 2:29.20.
Wellesley’s depth prevailed in its meet, one where the Red Raiders fell short of an individual title.
Wellesley did collected 20 of its points by winning two of the three relays, The foursome of Delaney Dyer, Ava O’Grady, Emma Tuxbury and Kayla Bohlin combined for a time of 4:07.73 to take the gold in the 4x400m. The Red Raiders also took the 4x800m (9:37.61) with the quartet of Madeline Tuxbury, Bohlin, Emma Tuxbury and Dyer.
Michigan commit Annie Comella scored 14 points individually for Wellesley by placing second in the 55m dash (7.37) and third in the long jump (17-2).
The Red Raiders also had runner-up finishes from Bohlin in the 600m (1:38.27) and Dyer in the 1,000m (3:03.13).
In the 1K, it was all Macey Shriner. The Plymouth South senior dominated the field with a new state-leader by nearly three second of 2:51.46. That time currently ranks No. 15 in the country.
Sharon’s Nina Kyei-Aboagye was a double-winner. She was the fastest of the day with victories in the 55m dash (7.09) and the 300m (39.70). She also ran a leg on the Warriors’ first-place 4x200m (1:47.75).
Winchester sophomore Riley Newman won the mile with an impressive 5:08.32 clocking.
