Day 2 of the MSTCA Northeast Invitational promises to be a record-setting affair. Several meet records are within reach, making this a day to watch closely. With that in mind, here are some of the top events to watch during Saturday’s competition.
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GIRLS’ 1,000m
The No. 1 seed and overwhelming favorite is Newton South’s Emily Frawley. The Lions’ talented senior enters the race with a personal best of 2:54.09, which she did to take runner-up honors at last year’s Meet of Champions. Frawley has competed sparingly this season, running legs on two 4×400-meter relays and clocking a 5:28.19 mile about a month ago. That light racing schedule appears intentional as she prepares for a long indoor season that will likely extend into mid-March and culminate at the New Balance Nationals.
Frawley won the 800 meters at this meet last year in a solid 2:16.34, which came in just her third individual race of the season. Look for the Yale-bound runner to open the new year with a sub–three-minute performance this weekend. On paper, it appears that Frawley—a 2:10 half-miler—could be running solo for much of the six-lap race, as she owns an eight-second advantage over the next closest seed, Groton-Dunstable’s Meghan McEleney.
But don’t be fooled by the numbers. McEleney is more than capable of delivering a big performance on Saturday. While she has also raced sparingly this season, early indications suggest she has a legitimate shot at breaking three minutes. Three weeks ago, she clocked a season-best 5:10.28 to win her race at the BU Mini Meet on Dec. 13. A low-60-second 400-meter runner with a 2:17 best in the 800m, McEleney has the speed and strength to make things interesting.
The meet record stands at 2:53.25, set in 2024 by former Holliston standout Carmen Luisi. We should know early whether that mark is in jeopardy. If Frawley passes through the opening 400 meters in the 67–68 second range, the record could very well go down.
BOYS 300m
This could be a race that comes down to the final few meters, perhaps even a lean at the finish. Three sprinters enter with seed times under 36 seconds – Xaverian Brothers’ Alex Todorov (35.12), Shepherd Hill’s Anthony Graves (35.28), and Catholic Memorial’s Jameson Booker (35.43). Graves and Booker recorded their personal bests this season, while Todorov owns a season best of 36.03, set in a Catholic Conference matchup last Friday where he finished third behind Booker.
That result could provide Todorov with added motivation this weekend. Last winter, as a junior, he captured the individual title at the Catholic Conference Championships, Todorov’s shown he’s capable of delivering in big moments if everything comes together.
The meet record stands at 34.97, set last winter by Rick Barros of Snowden International. There a chance it could get erased with this trio on the line.
GIRLS’ 600m
This could be one of the most exciting races of the afternoon. The top four runners own personal bests under 1:40, with three more right on the cusp. Based on what we’ve seen, the favorite nod goes to Wachusett’s Naomi Witt.
We got a firsthand look at what the talented junior can do under pressure last month at the Boston Holiday Challenge. Running the 800m leg of the sprint medley relay, Witt turned a tight race with Moses Brown into a runaway victory, helping her team qualify for the New Balance Nationals with a leg well under 2:20. She later returned to capture the 1,000m in 3:02.
Witt enters with a seed time of 1:39.15, a mark she ran last year while winning the 600m at the MSTCA Speed Classic. She has 59-second speed in the 400 meters and posted a personal best of 2:13.15 in the 800 last spring. With that range, she has the ability to dip into the 1:37 range, a time that should seal the deal.
Pembroke’s Ella Govostes (1:38.92), Pinkerton Academy’s Sarah Rzasa (1:39.31), and Exeter’s Izzie Bremer (1:39.48) of New Hampshire occupy the next three seeds, based on last year’s bests. Also keep an eye on Old Rochester’s Phoebe Cowles, The tenth-grader clocked 1:40.13 to place second at the recent Northeast Freshman–Sophomore Championships.
BOYS’ 4x200m
Already this season, three teams have flirted with breaking 1:30 in this event, and one of them will be on the line this weekend with top-seeded Xaverian Brothers. The Hawks’ quartet of Luke Preskenis, Sean Moynihan, Aidan Arnold, and Alex Todorov enters with a seed time of 1:30.06, set while winning a Catholic Conference meet on Dec. 19.
Currently holding the fastest time in the state is St. John’s Prep at 1:30.03, with Boston College High ranked third at 1:30.52. There’s little doubt Xaverian Brothers would like to become the first team this season to crack 1:30. As added motivation, the meet record is well within reach. In fact, the Hawks have already gone faster than the current mark of 1:30.17, which was set by Xaverian Brothers themselves last winter.
Pinkerton (1:31.52), Braintree (1:32.13), and Catholic Memorial (1:32.54) round out the next three seeds in the race.
Girls’ 4x400m
What better way to end Day 2? The top five teams in this race have all gone faster than 4:09, setting the stage for a thrilling finale. Brookline leads the field with the No. 1 seed at 4:03.47, followed by Bishop Feehan (4:04.49), Wachusett (4:06.29), Pinkerton Academy (4:08.15), and Exeter (4:08.22). Beyond that group, the next seed sits more than 10 seconds back.
The meet record stands at 4:07.37, set by Wachusett in 2023. With this lineup answering the gun on Saturday, that mark could be saying goodbye.
