PRs are always nice, but Michael Mohoric wants more—much more.
After battling through early traffic over the opening 200 meters, the Newburyport senior took control of the 800m by the bell lap at Friday night’s BSR Eagle Invite.
Mohoric powered across the finish in 1:54.88, a personal best by nearly three seconds and good for a decisive victory. Xaverian Brothers’ Jack Weintraub placed second in 1:57.45.
“I’m happy with it,” Mohoric said. “It was a great effort for the day. But I’m in shape for better, and I’m aiming for more. The guys on my college team are all around 1:53, so I’m trying to get there.”
The MIT commit, who earned bronze in the mile at the Meet of Champions this past winter, didn’t execute his ideal start. He came through the opening 200 meters in just over 28 seconds.
But it took some work to get there.
“I got bullied a little bit at the beginning. That’s been happening a couple of times recently,” he said. “It’s okay. I had to swing out to lane four to get around some people. I went out in 28, which is a little slow, but I recovered well and closed strong over the last 400.”
Mohoric’s performance sets the stage for what he hopes will be a strong final season before taking his talents to the collegiate level. He has several milestones in mind, including one he could check off his list in a few weeks at the BSR Elite Scholastic Meet.
The Newburyport senior is entered in the featured mile at the May 15 meet, where he’ll line up against many of the state’s top runners.
“I want to try and do well at Nationals, probably in the mile, but maybe the 800, too – we’ll see,” he said. “I really want to break 4:10 in the mile. A lot of the top kids in Massachusetts are chasing that, too – John Bianchi from Natick, Silas Gartner from Falmouth, Theo Butty from Brookline. They’re all really talented, and I think we can all get there.”
The finish-line camera was needed to decide the boys’ 200m, where St. John’s Prep teammates Daylan Sullivan and Andrew McMannon were separated by just 0.003 seconds after both clocked 22.22. Boston College High’s Mikey Frost took third in 22.34.
The depth was just as impressive, with the top six finishers all breaking 23 seconds. St. John’s Prep added two more to that group – Ahmir Hykel (fourth, 22.44) and Ethan Stefanovich (fifth, 22.82).
“I knew it was going to be a close race,” Sullivan said. “Coming off the final turn, Coach (Adam) Yang told me to be 100 percent out of the blocks, then around 50 meters just open up and go. That’s exactly what I did. I felt really good off the curve—I didn’t see anyone around me and thought I had it. Then, all of a sudden, my teammate and Mikey Frost came up behind me.”
Earlier in the meet, Frost cruised to the 100m title, winning in 10.99. Hykel took second in 11.23.
Frost currently ranks No. 5 in the state with a season-best 10.78, set in his runner-up finish to Sullivan at the Catholic Conference Jamboree on April 11. He’s coming off an indoor season where he won the 55m at the Division 1 Championships and placed sixth at the Meet of Champions.
“My goal is to improve on where I was in the 55, place higher at Meet of Champions, and hopefully make Nationals in the 100, which I believe is 10.7,” Frost said. “I’m close there, and hopefully in the 200, too – just working on my endurance over the back half. It’s about continuing to build and peaking at the right time.”
Susan Wisniewski of Pentucket successfully defended her title in the 800m. The junior took her specialty by nearly three seconds with a time of 2:21.28. Maconomet’s Savannah Stevens was second in 2:24.11.
St. John’s Prep’s Mateo DeOrio captured the boys’ mile in a PR of 4:27.87, but it didn’t come easily. DeOrio had to hold off a late surge from Rhode Island’s Joseph McFarland of St. Raphael’s (4:28.28) and Matthew Lewis of La Salle (4:28.43). La Salle’s Will Souza also factored into the race, finishing fourth in 4:29.96.
In particular, DeOrio could hear the footsteps of McFarland, who was creeping up fast the last few meters.
“The last 100 (meters) I could definitely hear him,” the Eagles’ senior said. “I kept telling myself I have to get to the line before him. I got to win this, and I ended up doing that. It felt really great.”
Competing in her first track season, Beverly sophomore Grace Corbett was far ahead of the field in winning the girls’ 400m hurdles. The promising underclassman was clocked in a solid 1:08.30, a time that ranks No. 12 in the state right now. Teammate Adele McKenna was second at 1:15.84.
It was all St. John’s Prep in the boys’ shot. The Eagles took seven of the top eight placements with junior William Seaha launching a nearly three-foot best of 51 feet, 8.25 inches. Teammates Ethan Caulfield (second, 46-7.5) and Nicholas Kokonezis (third, 45-10.25) secured the next two spots.
“I just had a really good week of practice – no school, that helped,” he said. “Plus the competition, a lot of Prep kids in the top six. I kind of thought about it like practice. I just didn’t think about it too much.”
