DIVISION 5 CHAMPIONSHIP – GIRLS
Day/Time: Friday, 4 p.m.
Teams: Amherst-Pelham, Apponequet Regional, Archbishop Williams, Arlington Catholic, Auburn, Bedford, Bishop Fenwick, Bishop Stang, Cardinal Spellman, Chicopee, Danvers, Dedham, Dover-Sherborn, East Longmeadow, Falmouth, Fontbonne Academy, Foxborough, Gloucester, Greater Lawrence Tech, Groton-Dunstable Regional, Hanover, Holliston, Lowell Catholic, Ludlow, Lynn Vocational Tech, Marlborough, Medfield, Nauset Regional, Newburyport, North Middlesex Regional, Norton, O’Bryant, Pembroke, Pope Francis Preparatory, Saint Mary’s, Saugus, Tewksbury Memorial, Wakefield Memorial, Watertown, Wayland, Whitinsville Christian, Wilmington
Top Events To Watch: Mile: Division 4 is as deep as it gets in the Mile. Five girls under 5:10 and nine at 5:15 or better. Abby Flagg of Whitinsville Christian is the favorite, and has been arguably the best miler this season not named Hennessy. However, it’ll be worth monitoring scratches, as #2 seed Lucy Downin of Holliston, is entered in the 600, 1000, and Mile. She has proven all season not to be underestimated and has fantastic speed. While Emily Flagg appears to prefer the 2 Mile, she’s entered here as well, and if the two sisters can work together to gap the field, that would put Whitinsville right in the thick of the team battle. 600m: It turns out Division 4 is deep across all middle and distance events. The previously mentioned Lucy Downin is the top seed with her recent 1:36.93. However, the rest of the field is top notch, led by Julia Ritchey of Dover-Sherborn. Ritchey is undefeated in her last three 600m races. 1000m: Of all the races on the Oval, this one may have the most potential with the top four at 3:01 or better. Wakefield’s Quin Wilcox is the top seed at 2:59.95 and won the 1K at State Coaches. Groton-Dunstable’s Meghan McEleney is #2 at 3:01.12, and could play spoiler. She could also be a factor in the Mile as well. Add in Sara Chama Blanco of O’Bryant and the previously mentioned Downin, and you may have the race of the day. 55 Hurdles: The Hurdles features State #3 Sazie Wrentmore of Wayland, fresh off a PR of 8.41 at the Dual County League Championships. 10 points would be huge for Wayland here. However, Weston’s Solana Varela isn’t far back at 8.50 and will be in the hunt for points as well. Shot Put: The shot features State #2 Isabel Zukowski of Auburn. With a best of 41’4″ she’s the class of the field and could put on a show Friday.
Team Outlook: Of our previews so far, this one seems to be the toughest to call. Amherst-Pelham won the the relay meet, and will be in contention, but they may not have the top individual scorers needed. Holliston may have the right combo depending on how they want to utilize Downin. However, the team to watch out for may be Weston. They’re deep with potential scoring athletes and will be a factor in the relays.
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DIVISION 5 CHAMPIONSHIP – BOYS
Day/Time: Friday, 4 p.m.
Teams: Amherst-Pelham, Apponequet Regional, Archbishop Williams, Arlington Catholic, Auburn, Bedford, Bishop Fenwick, Bishop Stang, Cardinal Spellman, Chicopee, Danvers, Dedham, Dover-Sherborn, East Longmeadow, Falmouth, Fontbonne Academy, Foxborough, Gloucester, Greater Lawrence Tech, Groton-Dunstable Regional, Hanover, Holliston, Lowell Catholic, Ludlow, Lynn Vocational Tech, Marlborough, Medfield, Nauset Regional, Newburyport, North Middlesex Regional, Norton, O’Bryant, Pembroke, Pope Francis Preparatory, Saint Mary’s, Saugus, Tewksbury Memorial, Wakefield Memorial, Watertown, Wayland, Whitinsville Christian, Wilmington
Top Events To Watch: Silas Gartner vs Michael Mohoric: The Falmouth and Newburyport Seniors are entered in multiple events so keep an eye on final start lists when they become available. Right now they’re set to square off in the 1000m and Mile. On paper, Gartner holds the advantage in the Mile, but they’re almost dead even in the 1000m. Gartner ran 2:31.82 early in 2025, while Mohoric recently ran 2:30.03. Given Gartner’s penchant for hard running, it’s likely we could see both athletes under 2:30. Gartner is also entered in the 2 Mile. 55m: Gustavo Varela of Greater Lawrence Tech has the #2 time in the state with his PR of 6.45. He’ll look to distance himself from the rest of the top sprinters this week. 600m: Like Varela, Norton’s Sean Parham has the #2 time in the state in an event that still appears wide open. If he can improve on his 1:22.64, perhaps run 1:21, he’ll feel more comfortable heading into the Meet of Champs. LJ and HJ: Wakefield’s JaMauri Belmer is the top seed in both events, and securing 20 points could help seal the deal for Wakefield. Belmer holds an outdoor Long Jump PR of 23-6.75. 4x400m: Newburyport (3:29.85) and Wakefield (3:30.16) are the top seeds. Fitting, considering the meet could come down to both teams. Most of the athletes will have already competed making this one tough to call.
Team Outlook: It could come down to a two-way battle between Newburyport and Wakefield. Both teams are strong and well balanced. Pembroke is always a team to watch out for, and could upset both if they have a great day.
One Response
My predictions:
Girls:
1. Amherst Pelham
2. Weston
3. Foxborough
I think Amherst Pelham gets it done. They might not have top individual scorers, but they can score in almost every event and have the top seeded 4×4 team. I also like those western MA teams exceeding expectations when coming to New Balance. Weston has some top runners, but I feel that gives them a ceiling on how many points they will score – I think they will need some unseeded surprise point scorers to win. Not sure why St. Mary’s was ranked so high in the MSTCA poll. Downin probably needs to PR in back to back to back races in order for Holliston to be in the mix for top 2. I can’t imagine she runs all 3, so I give the edge to Foxborough for third on the strength of their sprinters.
Boys:
1. Newburyport
2. Wakefield Memorial
3. Pembroke
If Newburyport scores 16-20 points in the hurdles, they’ll be in the drivers seat to win. Otherwise Wakefield takes it.