With so many variables, it’s never easy. But we’ll give it our best shot predicting who we feel will be some of our top track & field athletes this outdoor season. Here we feature the boys’ jumping events, which includes the pole vault, long jump, triple jump and high jump.
HIGH JUMP
Competition-wise, it simply couldn’t get any more closer in this event than it was this past indoor season at the Meet of Champions. The top seven finishers all cleared a height of 6 feet, 4 inches with Andover’s Harvey Lys winning the crown on fewer misses. While we don’t expect a carbon-copy of last month’s meet this spring, we do expect it will once again be a tight competition with our state’s best leapers. During the winter campaign, Carver’s Camren Allain, who tied for third at the MOC, finished as the state leader in the high jump by clearing an all-time best of 6-8 to capture the Division 5 crown. Lys and Brockton’s Lucas Andrade each went 6-6, while North Attleboro’s Carson Crump, Masconomet’s Nathan Molina, and Attleboro’s Maxwell Crawford each soared to 6-5 by season’s end. These are just a handful of athletes that could make it happen this season. Allain gets the slight favorite nod here. In addition to his state-leader in this event, he was second at last year’s MOC to graduating senior Jon Mignacca of Bishop Feehan.
LONG JUMP
As a ninth-grader last year, Lexington’s Amari Mow couldn’t have asked for a better introduction. The talented underclassmen took individual honors at the Division 1 Championships, Meet of Champions and Freshman section of the New Balance Nationals. He attained his PR at the D1 meet where he soared to a distance of 22-8. The multi-talented Mow, who stars on the school’s football and basketball teams during the fall and winter seasons, did not compete this past indoor season. This is an event that could get interesting, very interesting. On the indoor surface this past winter, a half dozen athletes leaped 22 feet or further, including Mansfield’s Chamberlain Guthrie, who had a state best and PR of 23-0.5 at the D3 meet and Saint John’s Antonio Waife, the individual titlist at the MOC with a indoor best of 22-7.75. Waife, who was third at the MOC last spring, owns an all-time best of 23-0.5 from his win at the Weston Twilight Invitational. Other athletes that could make an impact are Natick’s Dylan Weddle, Marblehead’s Alex Hersey, Burlington’s Ryan Brooks and Stoughton’s Alex Hunyh, who were all in the 22-foot range. No doubt, we could have a number of athletes exceeding 23 feet this season.
TRIPLE JUMP
This event appears to be wide open with a number of athletes capable of winning come championship time. St. John’s Prep’s Tireni Asenuga ranks No. 1 among returnees with a best of 46-3.5 from the Andover Boosters Invitational. Natick’s Matthew Acouah (44-8.5) and Peabody’s Evan Bedard (44-2.5) went 44-plus last spring. Several more were in the 43-foot range with Durfee’s Josh Sanon (43-9), Newburyport’s Jalen Wise (43-7.3), Sharon’s Elijah Wisdom (43-4.25), Milton’s Zakai Perkins (43-4), Attleboro’s Adrian Rivera (43-1), Cardinal Spellman’s Nathan Monteiro (43-0.5) and Dedham’s Eyram Kplorfia (43-0)
POLE VAULT
The top two finishers from last year’s MOC are gone with the graduation of Andover’s Ryan Swenson and Westborough’s Alan Nguyen. But the next eight podium athletes are coming back. From that meet, the No. 1 returnee is Nashoba’s Sawyer O’Riorrdan, who was third overall with a PR of 13-6. Acton Boxborough’s Christopher Osselmann, a senior, had a state No. 3 of 14-0 from his victory at the Weston Twilight invitational. Other top athletes expected to compete among the elite are Littleton’s Mubeshire Bradshaw (13-0), North Andover’s Ethan Belongia (12-6) and Westborough’s Daniel Velez (12-6), to name a few.
