The top stories of 2024.
Yep, we get it. A near impossible task when you’re dealing with the level talent that this state consistently produces each year. But as we often say, we’re going to give it our best shot here at Bay State Running. For some of our athletes on this list, they made multiple headlines over the last 12 months. We’re going to limit it to the one we felt was the best of them all.
So, without further adieu, let’s get started.
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Bergeron Goes Sub 8:40 For 2M At Brooks PR
Paul Bergeron could have several races on this list, but the one we’re going to highlight is the one he ran at the Brooks PR Invitational in Seattle. Matched up against the nation’s best in the two-mile run, the Westford Academy standout smashed his barely two-week-old state record by finishing fourth overall in 8 minutes, 39.37 seconds. Bergeron dipped more than four seconds under his already-amazing previous state mark of 8:43.86 from the MIAA Meet of Champions, another meet we could have also listed here. During an incredible two days (May 30, June 1) at the MOC, Bergeron also claimed the mile with a PR of 4:07.98.
Peabody’s Jackson Tosses 60-Footer For First time
Every event has their milestone marks. For an elite shot-putter like Peabody’s Alex Jackson, it’s the 60-foot mark. A year after exceeding 50 feet for the first time, Jackson was destined to reach his latest benchmark by season’s end with a trio of 58-footers by early February. The Lancer standout came through with his best effort at the Division 2 Championship on Feb. 19. It was there that Jackson tossed a then indoor PR of 60-6, his first time over 60 feet. He would do it again at the Nike Indoor Nationals the second weekend in March with a distance of 60-5.75.
Quarm Breaks Seven Seconds For 55m
We’ve had our share of gifted sprinters over the years. But prior to last year’s indoor season, only three have ever broken seven seconds for the 55-meter dash. Only a tenth-grader at the time, Methuen’s Lauren Quarm became the fourth under the mark by capturing the short sprint at the Meet of Champions with an all-time best of 6.95 seconds, an effort that moves her to No. 3 on the list behind state record-holder and Norton alum Brooke-Lynn Williams (6.87) and former Cambridge Rindge & Lation great Brianna Duncan (6.94).
Pierre Soars To Near Olympic Trials Qualifier For Triple Jump
She would take individual honors at the Meet of Champions and a few weeks later add a national title to her resume, but the performance we’re putting here for Lincoln-Sudbury triple-jumper Gabrielle Pierre is the one she did at the Division 1 Championships on May 24. It was there that Pierre soared to a two-foot best in her specialty with a state and New England record of 43-feet even. Her effort was just three inches from earning the standard for the Trials in Oregon just a month later.
Gavenas Beats Nation’s Best At Foot Locker
With it’s near-perfect weather year round, San Diego is a popular destination for most. For another reason besides the consistent mid 70-degree forecast, it has to rank right up there on the list for Tamrat Gavenas. A year after finishing second in the Foot Locker Nationals at the southern California locale, the Phillips Academy (MA) standout got it all right this time around at the Dec. 14 meet. Making a bold move with about a half-mile remaining, Gavenas earned his first national title, covering the five-kilometer layout at Balboa Park in a time of 15 minutes, 23.9 seconds. The Harvard-bound senior led a strong MA contingent at the meet with Westford Academy’s Jack Graffeo securing third and Tyngsboro native and Bishop Guertin (NH) senior Matt Giardina taking seventh overall.
Ligor Breaks 400m HH State Mark
Breaking a minute for the 400m is a goal that’s achieved by only a small percentage of top high school runners. Now put hurdles in front of you, and that percentage gets even smaller. On average lately, maybe 15-20 total throughout the country have gone under 60 seconds. On May 30, Giuliana Ligor joined that illustrious list during Day 1 of Meet of Champions. The then-Reading Memorial junior was lights out from the beginning of her race and claimed the individual title with a winning time and state record of 58.97. Her effort eclipsed the 2011 record of 59.52 by Medfield’s Alexandra Stanton and ranked her No. 10 in the country by season’s end. Ligor wasn’t finished after her historic victory in the hurdles either. Two days later, she also won the 400m (without hurdles) in a PR of 55.62.
Needham’s Hammer Qualifies For NXN
Since early October, Greta Hammer was untouchable on the cross-country trails this fall, a season that included convincing victories at the Division 1A Championships and the Meet of Champions. The icing on the cake came just a week after earning her Div. 1 crown at the MOC. Traveling to Bowdoin Park in Wappingers Falls, N.Y., Hammer earned a trip to Portland, Ore., for the Nike Cross Nationals. She solidified her spot by taking runner-up honors at NXR-Northeast, clocking 18:22.3 on a very-difficult 5K course. Two weeks later, Hammer placed a respectable 25th overall against the talented field at NXN.
Westford Academy Is Part Of Insane DMR
In most elite competitions, including meets like the New Balance Nationals, a time under 10 minutes would often secure your team a gold medal at the finish. Not this time. Not at the NBN this past June. It what was one of the greatest performances collectively in the DMR, seven teams broke the 10-minute barrier, including our own Westford Academy. The quartet of Graffeo (3:01.47, 1.200m), Ryan Kyle (48.52, 400m), Adam Wedlake (2:00.98, 800m) and Bergeron (4:06.57, 1600m) finished fifth overall, combining for a state record of 9:57.63, a time that erased the 12-year-old mark of 10:01.32 by Marshfield at New Balance in 2012.
A Week’s Worth Of PRs For Reilly
We’d be remiss to exclude Northbridge’s Marcus Reilly from this list, The recent Northbridge grad finished off his high school career with an impressive string of performances. Less than a week before competing in the mile at the Brooks PR Invitational, Reilly raced to a New England record of 3:42.41 for 1,500m at the Adrian Martinez Invitational. He followed that race by placing second at the Brooks Invite in a then-best of 4:03.85. A few days later, the now Michigan freshman was at Franklin Field in Philadelphia for the New Balance Nationals. Reilly gave himself the perfect sendoff before embarking on a sure-to-be successful collegiate career by placing third in the mile with a PR of 4:01.16 and clocking his first sub 1:50 for the 800m where he was timed in 1:49.97, good for eighth overall.
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We’d like to finish this article by wishing you a Happy New Year. We’d like to thank all of you, the athletes, the coaches, the parents and all our supporters of Bay State Running. Without you, were just a name. It’s a team effort all the way around. We’re all part of this thing called BSR. We appreciate your dedication to the great sports of cross country and track & field and, of course, us here at BSR. For the athletes out there, additional kudos for always, and we mean ALWAYS, giving us great stuff to write about each and every week. You are all truly remarkable.
Once again, have a Happy New Year. Wishing you all the best in 2025.
