From coast to coast, it was a busy day for our Massachusetts athletes, highlighted by the performance of one standout cross-country runner.
Saturday’s action featured statewide competition at two locations, with the opening day of the MSTCA Winter Festival at the Reggie Lewis Center and the third annual Indoor Mercury Games at Wheaton College. Meanwhile, nearly 3,000 miles away in San Diego, our own Abby Hennessy was among 52 of the nation’s best at the Brooks XC Championships.
Let’s start with Hennessy, the Westford Academy senior, who capped off her stellar fall campaign the same way it began—with a big-time performance in the season’s biggest meet at Balboa Park. The University of Washington commit ran with the leaders through the first half of the race and held on to place fifth overall with a time of 17 minutes, 21.8 seconds for the five-kilometer distance.
Hennessy continued Westford Academy’s impressive streak of All-American and top-seven finishes at the national meet, formerly known as the Foot Locker Nationals. Last year, Ghosts standout Jack Graffeo, now a freshman at Colorado, finished third overall. In 2023, current Stanford sophomore Paul Bergeron placed seventh.
Pre-race favorite Natasza Dudek claimed the top spot at Saturday’s race. The Ann Arbor (MI) sophomore phenom established herself at the front early and out-dueled New Jersey’s Blair Bartlett of Lawrenceville in the closing stages, winning in 16:55.5 on the demanding 5K layout—just 1.6 seconds ahead of her Northeast rival.
Hennessy was locked in with the leaders from the outset, trailing the pace-setting Dudek and Bartlett by two seconds or less through the first half of the race. She passed the opening mile in 5:17.6 and reached the 1.5-mile checkpoint in 8:04.7. Hennessy dropped to fourth by two miles (11:05.0) and powered through the final mile to secure her top-five finish.
Her latest effort puts the finishing touch on a season for the ages for one of our state’s all-time great middle- and long-distance runners. Congratulations, Abby—what a year!
And what a perfect way to end it.
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The first of two days at the Winter Festival featured several strong early-season performances.
Parker Charter’s Nathaniel Henshaw was victorious in the mile, running a personal best of 4:27.36, four seconds ahead of runner-up Ryan Costello of Newton North, who finished in 4:31.39. Henshaw also ran a leg on the Panthers’ winning 4x800m relay, teaming with Danny Garrison, Jett Johnson, and Stellan Ogilvie to post a time of 8:29.09.
The talented senior is just a month removed from the best cross-country season of his career, one that included titles at the Division 3C meet and the Meet of Champions. The momentum appears to be carrying over as Henshaw begins his final indoor campaign.
Newton North’s George Rumkin blazed to the fastest 300m time in the state this season. Rumkin out-raced teammate Logan Smith to win in 36.04, with Smith close behind at 36.61. The top four finishers broke 37 seconds, as Littleton’s Seiji Friedman placed third (36.65) and Lunenburg’s Jake Burns finished fourth (36.80).
Lowell’s Parris Mbeca cleared a state-best 6 feet, 4 inches in the high jump, while the Red Raiders also moved to No. 1 in the state in the 4x200m relay with a time of 1:33.84. The relay squad included Jordan Oge, Avian Xayadeth-Keo, Jermaine Sherwood, and Egeiton Dyer.
On the girls’ side, state-leading performances came from Algonquin’s Tanvi Mehta in the 600m (1:40.52), Chelmsford’s Kate Leonard in the 1,000m (3:04.87), and Brookline in the 4x800m (10:46.86).
Just a week after placing 13th at the New Balance RunningLane XC Championships, Whitinsville Christian’s Abby Flagg competed in the mile, running a PR of 5:14.82, which currently ranks No. 2 in the state. Groton-Dunstable’s Meghan McEleney holds the top spot after clocking a season-best 5:10.28 at Saturday’s BU Mini Meet.
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It appears one of the state’s top shot-putters means business this season.
Competing in his specialty at the Mercury Games, Hopedale’s Ari Levine opened his campaign with a powerful toss of 56-8.5. His mark ranks No. 1 in the state and No. 17 nationally. Levine also captured the 25-pound weight throw with a personal best of 50-10.25.
The Hopedale senior was one of just two throwers to surpass 60 feet in the shot put last year, reaching the milestone with a best of 60-8.75 at the Meet of Champions to finish second to then-senior and eventual state champion Alex Jackson of Peabody.
New Bedford’s Nialonis Smith also enjoyed a sweep of the throwing events, winning the shot put at 34-1.5 and the 20-pound weight throw with a toss of 47-6.
Foxborough’s Lauren Bober got her season off to a fast start—literally. The Warriors’ senior broke the tape in a big personal best of 7.35. Bober, who finished 12th at last year’s Division 4 Championships, lowered her previous best of 7.52, set at a Hockomock League meet.
