Perfect weather produced fast times at Friday’s BSR Mid-Distance Classic.
Hosted by St. John’s Prep, participants of the third annual event were greeted with mid 50-degree temperatures and no wind. Most took advantage of the ideal conditions.
The Marblehead duo of Will Cerrutti and Nathaniel Assa finished 1-2 in the boys’ mile. In an exciting finish, Cerrutti was able to hold off his teammate in the closing stages to win with a PR of 4 minutes, 19.03 seconds. Assa was timed in 4:20.16.
The race featured four others that broke 4:30 – St. Raphael (RI) Academy’s Arthur Ferris (third, 4:23.13), Andover’s Landon Zoss (fourth, 4:23.83), Catholic Memorial’s Michael Upton (fifth, 4:28.14) and Andover’s James Gallaudet (sixth, 4:29.39).
Assa led for most of the four-lap race with several close behind. He broke from the pack with less than 200 meters remaining with only Cerrutti able to match his move.
“I knew there were a couple of guys in the race,” Assa said. “I figured I’d just take it out and just feel out the competition and see how everyone was feeling. With 400 meters to go, there was one guy right behind me. I’m blanking on his name. I knew if I wanted to put it away, I would have to go around the 300m mark. I knew Will was somewhere behind me, too. At the 200m mark, we both kicked. Coming around the turn when Will passed me I was like, ”Please don’t make me kick.’ I kind of glanced and realized it was Will and was like, ‘We’re good.'”
The pre-race plan was to try and secure the top two positions.
“Our coach a couple of weeks ago told us how 1-2 Marblehead would be just a phenomenal thing,” Cerrutti said. “It really stuck with us. I started off in tenth and I worked my way up and I saw Nate and he helped me throughout the race. We just worked together and finished together.”
In another close affair, Bromfield’s Evelyn Wool edged St. Raphael’s Mackenzie Lickert at the line of the girls’ mile, winning by less than a tenth of a second with a time of 5:10.91. Lickert finished at 5:11.00. Alyssa Parenteau of La Salle Academy (RI) was third in 5:14.68.
The Bromfield senior, who clocked a best by six seconds, admitted she was surprised by the huge PR.
“I don’t know,” Wool said, when asked where her effort came from. ” I was like, ‘Just take the race (out).’ This has been the most competitive race I had all season. I was like, ‘I’m just going to go for it,’ and I did.”
Six runners dipped under two minutes in the boys’ 800m with St. John’s Prep’s Daniel Padley leading five other Bay Staters under the mark with a season best of 1:56.40. Ludlow’s Logan Walsh was third with a time of 1:57.16. Eamon O’Brien of La Salle took the gold in 1:54.39.
Promising freshman Susan Wisniewski of Pentucket broke 2:20 to take the girls’ 800m. She posted a nearly three-second victory with a PR of 2:19.65. La Salle’s Layne Stevens was second at 2:22.35.
“I knew there was a lot of girls in my heat that were right around me,” said Wisniewski, whose previous best was 2:21.58. “I really made sure to stick with them. With 200 (meters) left, I just outkicked them and sprinted with everything I had left.”
St. John’s Prep went 1-2 in the shot with Anthony Ragosa taking the title with a heave of 47 feet, 10.5 inches. The Eagles’ William Seaha was second with a distance of 43-5.25.
Top seed Nora Kisel of Essex North Shore was a winner in the girls’ 200m. St. John’s Prep’s Henry Barone was a double victor, placing first in the boys’ long jump (19-0) and the triple jump (37-6).
