It could be a record-breaking day at the Meet of Champions with several meet and state records in jeopardy at Saturday’s competition at Reggie Lewis. Here we preview the shortest events on the track that could certainly make a big impact with the level of talent expected to answer the run.
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BOYS
55m dash (meet record, 6.37 – Lowell’s Richmond Kwaateng, 2020)
As always the case in meets of this magnitude, a lean at the finish could determine the winner in this race with the possibility of a new meet record. The No. 1 seed is Waltham’s Sunil Peters with a best of 6.41 seconds. The next four sprinters in this race have also broken 6.50, including one of our top returnees from last year’s meet, Winchester’s Daniel Killian, the No. 2 seed. Killian, who was fourth at the MOC in 2024, has a seed of 6.45. Other possible contenders are Xaverian Brothers’ Alex Todorov (6.45), Walpole Austin Feener (6.48), and Marshfield’s Nathan Looney (6.48).
300m (meet record, 34.92 – Attleboro’s Hafiz Greigre, 2023)
At the Division 1 Championship last Wednesday, Newton North’s Reese Connors became our first runner to break 34 seconds for the 300m with a new state record of 33.94. Will the star sprinter catch lightning in a bottle one more time this weekend? He certainly has the field to push him to the limit again on Saturday. Seven other runners in this field have dipped under 35 seconds with Killian holding the two seed again with a best of 34.37 from the MLV12 Varsity Championship. The Winchester senior will have fire in his eyes after finishing second to Reading’s Ryan Pulpi at the recent Division 2 Championships. Pulpi is right behind Killian in the rankings with his best of 34.38 from D2. We’re thinking the meet record will not just be broken, it will be destroyed!
55m hurdles (meet record, 7.47 – Somerville’s Luis Moriera, 2001)
Say good-bye to the 24-year-old meet record in this race. The No. 1 seed is our newest state-record-holder Lucas Andrade of Brockton, who set the current mark of 7.30 at the Division 1 Championship last week. Considering his best is nearly two tenths of a second faster than the meet mark, there’s no doubt in our mind he’ll be under Moreira’s 2001 record. But will he win the race? You can’t forget the hurdler that finished second to him at Div. 1s – Lowell’s Khai Yin. The Red Raiders’ senior, who ran 7.36 at divisional, actually tied the state mark five days before that race with a PR of 7.31 at the MVC Championship, With his best effort, he could not only win on Saturday, but erase a less than 10-day-old state mark on race day. Don’t forget the No. 3 seed, too, Milton’s Zakai Perkins holds that distinction with a best of 7.40. This could be one of the events of the day.
600m (meet records, 1:19.62 – Newton North’s Theo Burba, 2017)
We should have a race here, folks. The No. 1 seed is Weston’s Ben Tavares, who won the Div. 4 title on Saturday with a PR of 1:20.59. Tavares was a third-place finisher in this race last year and is the defending New England titlist. This past weekend’s race, which is a best by a second and half this season, should give him plenty of confidence when he toes the line this weekend. No doubt, Tavares will be pushed with the level of talented expected to show up. At the Nos. 2 and 3 seeds are Brookline’s Harry Flint (1:21.58) and Lowell’s Abdul Jalloh (1:22.10). Four more have broken 1:23 and 10 have gone under 1:24. Yikes!
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GIRLS
55m Dash (meet record, 7.01 – Cambridge Rindge & Latin’s Brianna Duncan, 2016)
We’ve had two that have been close, very close. But as of now, no runner has broken seven seconds for the 55m this season. We believe that in record fashion, it will happen this weekend. The top two seeds are Sharon’s Nina Kyei-Aboagye (7.03) and defending state titlist Lauren Quarm of Methuen (7.06). In their only head-to-head matchup this season, Quarm got the best of her rival with a winning time of 7.15 at last month’s Coaches Invitational, just about a tenth of a second ahead of the Sharon sprinter. Both seem to be at peaking at just the right time. Kyei-Aboagye ran her season best at the Hockomock League Championship on Feb. 6 and won the recent Div. 2 meet in 7.09. Quarm blazed to her SB at the Div. 1 meet. Sub-7 certainly appears possible, which will eliminate Duncan’s nine-year-old record. Six more in this field have broken 7.30, including No. 3 seed Breanna Braham of Dennis Yarmouth (7.17), another runner who could steal the show.
300m (meet record, 39.69 – Shrewsbury’s Domonique Hall, 2014)
Braham and Kyei-Aboagye are the two fastest in this race and the only runners that have broken 40 seconds for the one-and-a-half lapper. Braham has gone under the mark the last four meets, including the Coaches Invitational Small School meet where she ran a best of 39.26. Kyei-Aboagye went sub-40 for the first time last Thursday with her winning time of 39.70 at the Div. 2 meet, Based on her consistency, were giving Braham the favorite nod, but only slightly. Among others that have a chance to strike it rich are Natick’s Chloe Elder (40.12) and red-hot Macey Shriner of Plymouth North (40.23), who has PR performances in races ranging from the 300m to the mile this season.
55m Hurdles (meet record, 8.05 – Brockton’s Vanessa Clerveaux, 2013)
The favorite here is our recent state-holder Emmanuella Edozien, who ran 7.96 to win the Div. 1 Championship last week, breaking the old mark of 7.97 by former Brockton great Vanessa Clerveaux in 2013, While her time is nearly two tenths of a second faster than the No. 2 seed, we’re not counting that hurdler out. You simply can’t when she’s North Reading’s Giuliana Ligor, The multiple all-stater and 400m state record-holder ALWAYS comes to race when the stakes are at their highest and we don’t expect that to change this weekend. She comes in with a best of 8.15, which she did to take the Cape Ann League Championship on Feb. 4.
600m (meet record, 1:33.69 – Acton-Boxboro’s Samantha Friborg, 2017)
OMG! This race should be insane. It features three runners that have a legit shot to win it all on Saturday – Shriner, Framingham’s Sasha Lamakina and Ligor. Shriner has the top time coming in with a best of 1:31.75 from a Patriot League meet on Jan. 30. Lamakina looked impressive in winning Div. 1 with a PR of 1:32.85. Then you have our defending titlist Ligor, who won’t make it easy to give up her throne. She’s fresh off her win at the Div. 5 meet on Monday where she had a PR of 1:33.82. Look for the trio to still be together through 400 meters, which we’re expecting to be close to a minute, maybe faster. From there, that’s where this race could turn epic between three runners who don’t like to lose. Take your pick in this one in a surre-to-be record-breaking performance.
