Thirty hours of intense competition filled the Reggie Lewis Center this past weekend as the MSTCA Kalperis State Relays took place over three days.
Along with a host of PRs and meet records, 10 team champions were crowned across five divisions. Athletes from throughout the state delivered standout performances in one of the season’s most demanding formats, with relays testing both depth and endurance.
On Friday, Wilmington and North Reading captured the girls’ and boys’ Division 5 titles. Melrose and Walpole claimed the respective championships in Div. 3, while Amherst-Pelham and Wakefield emerged on top in Div. 4 on Saturday.
The meet concluded Sunday with Hopkinton sweeping the Div. 2 titles, and Lexington and St. John’s Prep winning it all in Div. 1.
If we did our math correctly—and we believe we did—a total of 55 relay squads earned the provisional standards for the New Balance Nationals in mid March. Of those, 17 girls’ teams and 14 boys’ teams secured automatic qualifying marks. The Sprint Medley Relay was the standout event, with 20 teams hitting the provisional standard, all but two of which went on to lock in automatic qualification.
Want a few more stats? Of course you do.
Four new state-leading relay marks were established during the weekend. In Div. 1, Brookline clocked a winning 3:25.83 to take over the top spot in the boys’ 4x400m, while Lowell ran a state-best 8:01.69 in its victory in the 4x800m.
On the girls’ side, Newton North posted the fastest 4x400m time in the state this season, combining for a 4:06.05 in Div. 1. Billerica moved into the No. 1 position in the girls’ 4x800m, winning Div. 2 with a time of 9:18.58.
Individually, Lexington’s Ainsley Cuthbertson raised the bar in the shot put relay, improving on her own state-leading mark with a PR of 42 feet, 8.5 inches—an increase of more than a foot.
What a weekend!!! What a way to crank up the excitement across the Bay State with championship season just weeks away.
And yes—it’s coming fast.
Now let’s take a look at everything that went down this past weekend.
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DIVISION 1 – Sunday
Can you say dominance? That was the case for the Lexington girls at this meet. The Minutemen nearly hit the century mark, compiling 93 points to secure the title by 32 points over second-place Newton North. Lexington scored in every event and captured five victories — the 4×800-meter (9:30.39), sprint medley (4:09.68), distance medley (12:30.11), shuttle hurdle (29.45), and shot put (93-11) relays. The 4×800, SMR, and DMR were New Balance qualifiers.
St. John’s Prep also decided its verdict early, winning the boys’ title with a 68–37 win over runner-up Central Catholic. The Eagles scored in eight events, highlighted by victories in the 4x50m (21.27) and 4x200m (1:30.66) relays. SJP also placed second in the shuttle hurdle relay and the DMR, among other strong finishes.
Lexington won the long jump relay with impressive distances from the trio of Simon Tandeih (23-1.75), Luis Linares Gutierrez (22-9.25), and Cleavon Manor (21-7.5).
DIVISION 2 – Sunday
Hopkinton earned a two-for-one deal, with its boys’ team defeating Andover, 54–45, and its girls’ squad edging Algonquin Regional, 40–37.
For the boys, the Hillers captured just one event — the 4×50-meter shuttle hurdle relay (25.92) — but piled up points with strong finishes in the 4×400 (second, 3:31.74), DMR (fourth, 10:53.37), and SMR (fifth, 3:41.49).
Concord-Carlisle impressed in the distance events, particularly the DMR, where it went 1–2 with sub-11-minute performances of 10:47.34 and 10:47.83.
The Lady Hillers scored in six events, winning the 4×200-meter (1:49.0) and shuttle hurdle (31.01) relays.
Algonquin Regional showcased its leaping ability in the high jump relay with a combined height of 15-3.25. All three athletes cleared five feet — Charlotte Lipka (5-2.25), Tanvi Mehta (5-0.25), and Niamh O’Sullivan (5-0.25).
DIVISION 3 – Saturday
With similar scores, Walpole defeated Reading, 54–41, for the boys’ crown, while Melrose topped Duxbury, 51.5–43, for the girls’ title.
Walpole scored in all 10 events, highlighted by wins in the 4×200-meter (1:33.12) and shuttle hurdle (26.51) relays.
Greater Lowell Tech dominated the 4×800, as Matthew Guerin, Jesus Andrades, Anthony Beaudoin, and Maurice King Jr. combined for an 8:11.21 — 13 seconds ahead of runner-up Milton.
Melrose scored in all but two events, led by a victory in the 4×800 (9:44.40) and a runner-up finish in the DMR (12:55.99).
Duxbury showed its speed by finishing 1–2 in the 4×500 with times of 24.50 and 25.01, while Ashland won a competitive DMR in 12:47.53. Melrose placed second, followed by Marblehead in third at 12:54.19.
Wakefield and Amherst-Pelham each claimed close victories in their respective boys’ and girls’ meets. Wakefield scored 62 points to earn top honors on the boys’ side, with Newburyport second at 53 points and Pembroke third with 51. The girls’ meet was even tighter, as Amherst-Pelham captured the title with 37.5 points. Holliston and Newburyport tied for second with 30.5 points apiece.
Wakefield reached the podium in eight events, highlighted by victories in the 4x200m (1:32.18), 4×400-meter (3:30.16), and long jump (64-0.75) relays. The long jump was led by a near 23-footer from MaMauri Belmer (22-10.5).
Amherst-Pelham scored in six events, winning the 4x400m (4:12.53) and long jump (48-11.5) relays.
Wakefield and Whitinsville Christian delivered strong performances in the DMR, finishing 1–2 with respective times of 12:38.01 and 12:43.03.
The opening meet of the weekend turned into a competitive battle on both sides. North Reading won the boys’ title by fewer than four points, finishing with 36.5 points. Joseph Case and Pentucket tied for second with 33 points each. On the girls’ side, Wilmington captured the crown with 45.5 points, while Ayer-Shirley and Lunenburg were deadlocked for second at 39 points apiece.
The Hornets earned key points by winning the long jump relay (60-6.25) and placing second in both the high jump (17-0) and 4x50m (22.80) relays.
In the DMR, Parker Charter broke its school record with a time of 10:53.83. The quartet of Jett Johnson, Cormac Hildreth, Danny Garrison, and Nathaniel Henshaw comprised the record-setting squad.
Wilmington’s victory was highlighted by first-place finishes in the 4x50m (24.94) and 4×200-meter (1:50.3) relays. Kayleigh Walker, Cate McDonald, Isabel Carriere, and Alexis LeBlanc teamed up on the 4x50m, while Walker, McDonald, Carriere, and Avery King combined efforts on the 4×200.
