It’s more than just bragging rights, a qualifier for the nationals and/or a chance to get a huge PR against New England’s finest. The coveted Golden Ticket for the HOKA Festival of Miles in St. Louis on May 30 is up for grabs for the individual winners at the second annual BSR Elite Scholastic Mile. This year’s event will be held on Friday night at Regis College. Just like 2023, the fields in the boys’ and girls’ races are absolutely loaded.
Below is our boys’ field alomg with links to our live stream and live results.
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Jack Graffeo, Westford Academy (MA)
Along with teammate Paul Bergeron, Graffeo was part of a formidable duo during the cross-country season. He was fifth overall at the Meet of Champions (MOC) in the fall and, like Bergeron, qualified for the Foot Locker Nationals in San Diego after placing eighth at the Northeast Regionals at Franklin Park. The talented junior owns a best of 4:19.66 for the mile, an effort that placed him third overall at last year indoor MOC. Graffeo has also gone sub-15 for 5K. At the New Balance Nationals in early March, he finished with an impressive time of 14:49.17. Look for Graffeo to improve on his mile time significantly on Friday. At the very least, we’re thinking a time in the 4:12-4:13 range. He proved that to us this past weekend at the Div. 1 State Relays where he ran a leadoff 1,200-meter leg of 3:05 for the Ghosts’ second-place DMR squad.
Tamrat Gavenas, Phillips Academy (MA)
Here’s another Foot Locker finalist and a runner that could certainly make some noise up front. During the fall, the Phillips Academy junior earned his spot out west at the FL Northeast Regionals by placing fourth overall. He placed an impressive third out in San Diego where he was timed in 15:16.60 on the difficult 5K course at Balboa Park. Gavenas raced to a 3K best of 8:14.94 at the BU Terrier Classic and was sixth overall in the high school mile at the Millrose Games where he ran an all-time best of 4:12.07. He was also a runner-up in the mile at the USATF New England Indoor Track & Field Championships.
Maddox Jordan, Noble (ME)
The University of Rhode Island-bound senior has range from the 400m to the mile. He has PRs of 52.25 for the 400m, 1:14.42 for 600 yards and 1:51.82 for the 800m, which he did during the indoor season at BU’s Bruce Lehane Scarlet & White Invitational on Feb. 3. Jordan, who captured the mile at the New England Championships back in March, owns an all-time best of 4:111.19 from the BU Terrier Classic at the beginning of the year. Jordan was among the field in the Championship Mile at this past weekend’s Penn Relays Carnival. He was 11th overall with an outdoor best of 4:15.38.
Paul Bergeron, Westford Academy (MA)
You can never count out Bergeron to come out on top in a race like this. The Stanford-bound senior always rises to the challenge when the competition at its’ best. At last year’s meet, Bergeron ran a nearly nine-second best of 4:10.62 to place seventh overall. During the fall, the WA standout won his second straight Div. 1 title at the MOC and secured his second consecutive berth to the Foot Locker Nationals by placing third at the Northeast Regionals. He earned All-American status at the Nationals where he was seventh overall. Bergeron competed in just two events this past indoor season, which included his runner-up finish in the 5K at the New Balance Nationals in March where he ran a PR of 14:14.57. The Westford Academy standout should be ready to roll on Friday. At the D1 Relays, Bergeron ran a 1,600m anchor for the Ghosts’ DMR squad with a solo 4:14. Westford Academy won the unseeded section by 40 seconds.
Byron Grevious, Exeter (NH)
If we had to pick a favorite, Grevious would be the one. The Stanford commit was second in this race last year where he finished just strides behind St, Raphael grad Devan Kipyego with an outdoor best of 4:07.85. the fastest seed time among all our entries. He was third for 5,000m at the Nike Indoor Nationals this year where he was timed in a best of 14:12.66. He also has had a 3K best of 8:10.99 at BU’s Bruce Lehane Scarlet & White Invitational and twice broke 4:08 for the mile, taking third overall at the Millrose Games with an all-time best of 4:07.78 and second at the NIN where he raced to a time of 4:07.98. Less than two weeks ago, Grevious ran a best of 1:53.72 for 800m in a dual meet.
Chris Larnard, Boston College High (MA)
Lanard is enjoying a successful senior year for the Eagles. During the cross-country season, he was sixth at the prestigious Manhattan Invitational and second in the Div. 1 race at the MOC. On the indoor surface, Larnard won mile at the Div. 1 Championship and came back a week later to win it all at the MOC where he clocked his current best of 4:14.01.
Marshall Vernon, La Salle Academy (RI)
The lone Rhode Islander in the field is a good one. The La Salle sophomore was a double winner at the RI State Meet, winning the 3K and the 1,500m and finishing fourth in the 1,000m. Vernon also ran a 3K best of 8:36.0 to finish second in the 3K at the Yale Track Classic and clocked his all-time best of 4:16.22 to take runner-up honors at the New England’s. Less than two weeks ago, Vernon was second in the 800m at the BSR Mid-Distance Classic where he ran a PR of 1:56.99. The gifted tenth-grader has stated to us on a few occasions that his goal is to break 4:10, or at least come close. He’s a smart racer and will do what it takes to give himself the best chance for a favorable outcome in the end.
Jacob Redman, Bedford (NH)
The senior from the Granite State has some impressive credentials. Redman took gold in the 1,000m at the New England’s this past winter. He also ran his all-time best of 4:16.39 for the mile at the New Balance Nationals and owns a PR of 1:55 for the 800m.
Jamie Lano, Coe Brown (NH)
The UMass-Lowell bound senior has a best of 4:15 flat for the mile, which he did to finish 18th at the New Balance Nationals. Lano was also second in the Div. 2 race at the NHIAA Indoor Championships where he was timed in 2:27.71. The talented senior has 53-second speed for the 400m and ran a best of 1:54.4 at the Nike Indoor Nationals. Land recently clocked 4:19.14 at the recent CT Distance Festival.
Bona Bradshaw, Littleton (MA)
The Tigers’ senior was fourth in the mile at the MOC this past winter. Bradshaw owns a best of 4:19.77 for the mile, which he did at the New Balance Nationals. He also has a 1:58 best for 800m.
Logan Walsh, Ludlow (MA)
Walsh could be the most versatile of all the athletes that will be competing on Friday. The recent 800m titlist (1:56.48) from the BSR Mid-Distance Classic, also has a best of 4:20 for the mile. What distinguishes him from the rest is he’s also pole-vaulter, achieving an all-time best of 11 feet, 6 inches on April 30.
