It’s used as a way for athletes to improve their seedings or secure a spot in the upcoming divisional state championships and Meet of Champions. You know the events will be competed at a high level this weekend when our Massachusetts track & field athletes make the trip to Reggie Lewis for the MSTCA Last Chance Qualifier.
Here’s some of the events we feel could spark some interest.
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BOYS’ MILE
There’s no guessing who the favorites is in this race. Top seed Michael Mohoric of Newburyport owns a PR of 4 minutes, 19.26 seconds, set during his win at the Northeast Invitational. That’s an effort that’s nearly 12 seconds faster than the two seed.
Mohoric’s sub 4:20 performance was his lone all-out effort this season. All signs point to another fast showing this weekend as he looks to sharpen his form ahead of the upcoming divisional meets There’s good reason to expect it. On Tuesday, the Clipper senior proved he’s in peak form to excel after winning the 1,000-meter run in a state-leading 2:30.03 at the Cape Ann League Championship.
GIRLS’ MILE
In this race, Whitinsville Christian’s Emily Flagg is the No. 1 seed after clocking a best of 5:09.37 at the Boston Holiday Challenge. As of this writing, Flagg ranks No. 17 in the state. A time in the 5:06 range will move her all the way into the top 10 this season. The Crusaders junior owns a seed time seven seconds faster than the No. 2 seed, setting the stage for what could be a solo effort. But it shouldn’t affect her mindset. After all, it is a scenario she has grown accustomed to over the past few years. She’s more than capable of producing a PR without anyone on her shoulder.
BOYS’ 600m
With three runners under 1:23 and five more below 1:24, the potential is there for yet another memorable race in the 600m in the coming weeks. Saturday’s race could further shape the conversation when talking about top competitors for the three-lapper. Based on seeds, the top seven in this race are separated by 1.44 seconds with times ranging from 1:23.33 to 1:25.77. In a field this tightly packed, times are certain to fall in a race that could have several still in contention coming down the final stretch.
The No. 1 seed is Groton Dunstable’s Andrew Kosiba, who clocked his best to finish second to Norton’s Sean Parham at the MSTCA Speed Classic back on Dec. 21. The next two are Old Rochester’s Brendan Foster (1:25.27) and Brockton’s Abdiel Snelling (1:25.28).
BOYS 1,000m
With two runners already coming within a tenth of a second of the milestone, it feels like only a matter of time before someone breaks 2:30 in the 1,000m. Will it happen this weekend? Probably not. But don’t be surprised if we see a performance in the 2:31 range — or possibly faster.
The runner to watch is Arlington’s Nico Peukert. Back in mid-December, the Spy Ponders senior ran a PR of 2:33.39 to win an ML-12 competition by nearly 10 seconds. It’s an event he’s contested sparingly — just three times this season and once in 2025 — but the credentials are there. Peukert currently ranks No. 1 in the state in the 600m at 1:22.54, and last spring he captured the Div. 2 title in the 800m with a best of 1:53.03.
On Saturday, he’ll face a field that includes three runners seeded in the 2:36 range. That could be enough to push the pace through the first two laps before Peukert takes control for good over the closing stages.
GIRLS’ 1,000m
So far this season, five runners have broken the three-minute barrier in this race, and one of them will toe the line this weekend. The top seed is Seekonk’s Hayden Robinson, who captured the 1,000m at the SCC Championship on Jan. 19 in a state No. 3 of 2:58.81. Robinson primarily competed in the 600m last year, placing third in this race in 2025 before following that performance with a a PR of 1:36.95 to earn runner-up honors at the Div. 5 Championship.
She has only competed sparingly this winter and has not competed in the 600m. That leads us to believe that the 2:13 half-miler is focused more on the 1,000m this season with hopes of placing high in the coming weeks. She will be pushed this weekend. At the No. 2 seed is Cambridge Rindge & Latin’s Sophia Juanes Seto. The CB&L senior ran a best of 3:01.09 last year, a time that placed her fourth at the Div. 1 Championship.
BOYS’ 300m
This race is shaping up to be one of the top events to watch at the Meet of Champions. As of now, six runners have already broken 35 seconds. That number could grow this weekend. The top two seeds are Boston College High’s Rayeden Surpris and Brockton’s Jarred Mighty. Surpris enters with a best of 35.64, while Mighty follows closely at 35.92.
In particular, Mighty has captured our attention. Unlike previous meets, the Brockton senior will be focusing on just one individual event. In all four of his 300m races this season, the state’s top hurdler has also doubled back in the 55m hurdles, where he owns a best of 7.50. With his attention squarely on the 300m, a fast sub-35 performance is well within reach.
