It’s been a typical winter season for our track & field athletes in the Bay State. On a weekly basis, we’ve witnessed an abundance of PRs, meet records and national-caliber performances. By season’s end, possibly within the next couple weeks, there is a legit chance we could have some new state record-holders.
Here’s the athletes we feel that could etch their names in the book.
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PEABODY’S ALEX JACKSON – BOYS’ SHOT
Just a week after a sub-par performance at the All State Meet where he finished eighth overall, Newton North’s Max Klein was at his best at the New England Championships in 2022. Klein unleashed the current state record of 67 feet, 8.25 inches, a PR by nearly three feet. Three years later, Jackson has a chance to erase that impressive mark. The Tanners senior is the nation-leader in this event with an all-time best of 66-6.25 from the NEC Winter Invitational on Dec. 14. In all his other meets, save for a 59-7.5 effort at the Div. 2 State Relays, Jackson has gone 62-8.5 or further. He’s still got plenty of meets remaining to try and eclipse Klein’s record, including high-level competitions like the Millrose Games on Feb. 8 where he’ll be matched up against the nation’s elite. One big throw is all it takes. Jackson has certainly proved he has it in him to get it done.
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NATICK’S EMANUELLA EDOZIEN- GIRLS’ 55-METER HURDLES
As a junior and senior at Brockton during the 2011 and 2012 seasons, there was no one better in the hurdles in the state (and region) than Vanessa Clerveaux. The future world-class hurdler is our only high school athlete to break eight seconds for the 55m hurdles, and she did it twice, including blazing to the current state mark of 7.98 at the 2012 New England Championships. While carefully monitoring her progress in this race the last few weeks, Edozien made it a reality this past Sunday that the 13-year-old record could go down this year. The Redhawks’ junior was lights out in her specialty at the Large School meet of the Coaches Invitational with a PR of 8.03, an effort that ties her with Mansfield alum Jen Esposito for No. 3 all-time in the state. Edozien’s previous best was 8.10. Here’s the kicker. If it doesn’t happen this year, she still has one more year left. Remember, she’s only an 11th grader.
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BROCKTON’S LUCAS ANDRADE – BOYS’ 55-METER HURDLES
Yes, we could have two new records in the hurdles as Andrade is certainly capable of dipping under the 2022 record of 7.31 by Lawrence’s Jordan Volquez from his victory at the New England’s. Despite not feeling his best health-wise, the Brockton standout was just one hundredth of a second from Volquez’s record at Sunday’s Coaches Invite with winning time of 7.32, a performance that ranks him No. 2 all-time. A flawless effort and his health issues behind him could equate to a sub 7.3 for Andrade in this event with at least three or more races remaining this winter.
