It attracted a bunch of athletes, it was a nighttime event and the temperature was in the 60-degree range.
Despite a one-hour rain delay and a few scattered showers here and three, the positives outweighed the negatives and attributed to plenty of PRs and seven new state-leaders at the mega-popular Weston Twilight Invitational. In other words, it was business as usual for Saturday’s meet.
Westford Academy’s Ryan Kyle was the recipient of two of those state No. 1s with a sweep of the boys’ hurdle events. Kyle captured the 400-meter IH with a PR of 53.38 and came back later by going sub-14 in the 110m HH with a time of 13.92. In both races, the talented senior won handedly.
By the time he hit the backstretch of the 400m IH, he was well on his way to a victory.
“I am extremely, extremely happy,” Kyle said. “That’s almost a second and a half PR from last season so it was really, really good to get a time like that this early.”
The Westford Academy standout was the gold medalist in the 110m hurdles and runner-up in the 400m IH at last year’s Meet Of Champions. He’s looking to get the two-for-1 deal this time around.
…and little bit more.
“The goal is not just state titles but state records,” he said. “I want both of them.”
Defending state and MA record-holder Giuliana Ligor of North Reading looked strong in winning the girls’ hurdling events. Ligor made it back-to-back titles in the 400m IH with a season best and state-leading time of 1:01.23. The Hornets gifted senior also came out on top in the 100m hurdles with a time of 14.49.
Ligor beat teammate Callie MacLellan in the 400m IH. MacLellan was timed in 1:03.12. She was followed by Weston’s Solana Varela in 1:03.26.
“I’m glad to get a season best. There’s nothing better than that right now,” she said. “I definitely want to shrink that PR down a little more by the end of the season.”
Norwell’s Noah Mulligan defended his title in the triple jump by soaring to an all-time best of 46-4, an effort that put him on top of the rankings. Mulligan’s effort was five inches further than his previous best from last year’s Twilight meet. The Clipper senior was also third in the long jump with a distance of 22-4. North Reading’s Kieran Miller took that event with a best of 22-8. The versatile Mulligan was also second in the 400m with a PR of 48.66. Newton North’s Juan Talisayon won the race with a state No. 2 of 48.44.
In the pole vault, Belmont’s Noah Woo matched his PR with a winning height of 14-0. He won by six inches and tied his best set just two days earlier in a league meet.
So far this season, it’s been all about consistency.
“I try to stay incredibly level-headed. Kind of go through everything in my head, while I’m jumping,” he said. “I had, I believe, three misses – one at 14 (feet) and two at 14-3. Going up to my PR, I was very steady and consistent with my jumping. I think that definitely helped me not get too confused, not get distracted.”
Breanna Braham had a statement race in the 400m hurdles. The Dennis Yarmouth senior was a runaway victor against a talented field, blazing to a PR of 54.89. She won the race by nearly four seconds. Braham also ran a leg on her team’s third-place Sprint Medley Relay squad that was timed in 4:29.45.
At Regis College for the distance events, BC High’s Greg McGrath led four under 9:20 in the two mile with a state best of 9:12.66. Ethan Sholk of Lincoln Sudbury was second with a time of 4:15.64. Sholk was a day removed from racing to a PR of 4:15.64 at the BSR Elite Scholastic Mile.
