It’s not late February or the Meet of Champions, but there’s no doubt it might feel like it.
While not every top athlete will be there, a hefty dose of talent will still descend on Reggie Lewis on Saturday for the annual MSTCA Coaches Invitational.
After glancing through the entries for this weekend’s competition, it’s clear the vibe of a championship-caliber meet will be in the air—and, of course, on the track.
Here’s some of the more intriguing match-ups that we noticed in the boys’ events.
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Shot
It’s not often you see two shot putters from the same state surpass 60 feet in a single season, but that’s exactly the case here—and both will be in action at Saturday’s meet,
Going toe-to-toe inside the circle will be Oliver Ames’ Mitchell Callender and Hopedale’s Ari Levine. Callender became the first athlete in the state to eclipse 60 feet this season, launching a best of 62-7.25 at a Hockomock League meet last week. He followed that up this past Saturday at the Division 3 Relays with another big throw of 60-3.
Levine owns a personal best of 60-8.75, recorded while placing second at last spring’s Meet of Champions. He came close to that mark earlier this winter, winning the Nor’ Easter at the Track on Jan. 11 with an indoor best of 59-6.5. Last weekend at the Division 5 Relays, he nearly matched that effort with a throw of 59-6.25.
With both throwers in peak form, this showdown inside the ring has all the makings of a must-watch event.
High Jump
Don’t ignore the infield. Some drama could certainly unfold in the high jump, where Saturday’s competition will feature several of the state’s top performers this season.
The No. 1 seed is Central Catholic’s Carlos Quintana, who soared to a personal-best 6-8 at an MVC meet on Jan. 14. Prior to that performance, the undefeated junior put together a stretch of four straight meets clearing 6-6, a testament to his consistency.
Rounding out the top seeds are Case’s Ben Deady and Lowell’s Parris Mbeca, both of whom have cleared 6-6 this winter, along with Wakefield’s JaMauri Belmer at 6-5.
A preview of next month’s Meet of Champions? Don’t be surprised.
55m Dash
You got a need for speed? Shift your attention to this event on Saturday. All the athletes will be digging their spikes into the blocks, and the race will feature some of the state’s finest sprinters.
Reading’s Ryan Pulpi appears to hold a slight edge over the field. He currently ranks No. 2 in the state in this event after blazing to a time of 6.47 at a league meet on Jan. 12. On the same day, he also posted a state-leading 34.04 in the 300m.
The race has plenty of depth, with six other competitors having gone under 6.60 this winter. Among them are Clinton’s Sean Blaze (6.52), Essex North Shore’s Makaio Bay (6.53), and Xaverian Brothers’ Alex Todorov (6.53). Todorov owns a personal best of 6.45 from last season.
Will it come down to a lean at the finish? A sub-6.4 performance? Don’t be surprised if we see both on Saturday.
Two Mile
Back in 1998, the great Andy Powell set the current meet record when the former Oliver Ames standout clocked an impressive 9:06.94.
We believe that nearly 30-year-old mark could be challenged this weekend. The top seeds based on personal bests are Boston College High’s Greg McGrath and Falmouth’s Silas Gartner.
McGrath owns a personal best of 9:06.54 from his runner-up finish at last winter’s Meet of Champions and has raced sparingly so far this season. That appears to be by design, with an eye toward peaking for championship season and beyond—a buildup that could begin this weekend in a two-mile race where he’ll undoubtedly be tested.
Gartner has yet to run an all-out deuce this winter, but he enters as the state mile leader after placing second at the Apple Bank Hispanic Games in 4:13.55. His all-time best in the two mile is 9:07.95, set last year.
Based on what we saw during cross country, both runners like to make the race honest and should be front and center once the gun is fired.
With a 9:15.37 best and added confidence gained from his victory in the Division 1 race at last fall’s Meet of Champions in cross country, Oliver Ames’ Landon Sarney should be right in the lead pack with hopes of stealing the show.
Once again, we believe this race has the potential to challenge Palmer’s meet record on Saturday. At the very least, expect winning times to fall in the 9:10–9:15 range.
4x200m
The state’s three best relay teams will be on the line together, and one thing is guaranteed—it’s going to be electrifying.
The teams to watch are Catholic Memorial, St. John’s Prep, and Xaverian Brothers. Catholic Memorial is the lone squad to break 1:30 this winter, racing to a state-leading 1:29.63 victory at a Catholic Conference meet on Jan. 16.
St. John’s Prep (1:30.03) and Xaverian Brothers (1:30.06) are both on the brink of dipping under the barrier, and it could very well happen this weekend with this talented trio on the track.
Who will come out on top? Take your pick.
