MIAA Division 1 Championships – Boys
Site/Time: Westfield State University/Friday, 3 p.m., Sunday, 2:30 p.m.
Schools: Acton-Boxborough Regional, Andover, Arlington, Attleboro, Boston College, Boston Latin, Braintree, Brockton, Brookline, Cambridge Rindge & Latin, Central Catholic, Durfee, Framingham, Franklin, Haverhill, Lawrence, Lexington, Lowell, Medford, Methuen, Natick, Needham, New Bedford, Newton North, Newton South, Saint John’s, Saint John’s Preparatory, Shrewsbury, Taunton, Wachusett Regional, Weymouth, Xaverian Brothers.
Top Events To Watch: Are you kidding me? The 400 meters on Sunday is absolutely loaded, with several athletes capable of winning the title. Based on the seeds, the top seven runners are separated by just 1.02 seconds, with times ranging from 49.16 to 50.18. Another eight competitors in the field have broken 51 seconds this season. The top seeds – and the only runners under 50 seconds – are Brookline teammates Elijah Sweeney (49.16) and Harry Flint (49.34). Look for several athletes to still be in contention coming off the final turn, with a lean at the finish potentially determining the winner. Can you say 48 seconds? We believe the champion will need to be in that range, and perhaps have some company…Two days earlier, Flint will be vying for the 800-meter crown, a race in which he finished second at this meet a year ago. On May 15, the Brookline senior proved he’s ready to take the next step by racing to a state-leading and winning 1:52.71 at the BSR Elite Meet. He’ll have plenty of competition pushing him, with Xaverian Brothers’ Jack Weintraub likely his biggest threat. Weintraub finished fifth at the BSR meet in a personal-best 1:54.72. Five more runners in the field have dipped under 1:57…The two mile on Day 1 could certainly get intense. Newton North’s Ryan Costello is the top seed at 9:12.31. The race also features Lexington’s Patrick Noonan (9:19.47) and Boston College High’s Greg McGrath (9:22.31), the indoor Meet of Champions winner. Keep an eye on McGrath. He’s raced sparingly this outdoor season, much like he did during the winter. We suspect that’s by design as he gears up for championship racing. McGrath owns an all-time best of 8:56.84 from New Balance Nationals Indoor in March and could be primed for a big performance…The state’s No. 1-ranked team leads the charge in the 4×100-meter relay, with St. John’s Prep holding that distinction at 41.80. At No. 2 and No. 3 are the teams that also occupy those spots in the state rankings—Lexington (42.53) and Framingham (42.89). This one could get intense … and very fast. The 4×400-meter relay, featuring Brookline (3:22.53) and Lowell (3:23.00), along with the 4×800-meter relay, where Xaverian Brothers enters at 7:56.47 and several others are capable of breaking eight minutes, are also races that shouldn’t be missed…The high jump certainly has the potential to be decided by a jump-off. The top four seeds – Attleboro’s Nathan Chery, Braintree’s Brendan McGeough, Lexington’s Cleavon Manor and St. John’s Prep’s Tyson Stroope – have all cleared 6-6 this season. Four more competitors enter with seeds of 6-4, making this one of the deepest events in the meet….At the recent Middlesex League Championships, Lexington’s Simon Tandeih soared to a personal best of 24-9½ to finish second to Wakefield’s Jamauri Belmer, who matched the state record with a leap of 24-11. Could we see a 25-footer this weekend? It could happen.
Team Outlook: This could be a close one between three teams – Lexington, Brookline and St. John’s Prep. Take you pick in this one.
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MIAA Division 1 Championships – Girls
Site/Time: Westfield State University/Friday, 3 p.m., Sunday, 2:30 p.m.
Schools: Acton-Boxborough Regional, Andover, Arlington, Attleboro, Boston Latin, Braintree, Brockton, Brookline, Cambridge Rindge & Latin, Central Catholic, Durfee, Framingham, Franklin, Haverhill, Lawrence, Lexington, Lowell, Medford, Methuen, Natick, Needham, New Bedford, Newton North, Newton South, Shrewsbury, Taunton, Wachusett Regional, Weymouth.
Top Events To Watch: In the mile, we’re expecting three, possibly four, runners to still be in contention late in the race. The field includes three athletes who have broken five minutes this season—Needham’s Greta Hammer (4:55.45) and Lexington teammates Amelia Whorton (4:57.21) and Jane Conrad (4:59.74). Sophia Juanes-Seto of Cambridge Rindge & Latin is the No. 4 seed at 5:00.03, but she owns a personal best of 4:57.21 from last spring. Hammer (10:31.65), Juanes-Seto (10:46.41) and Conrad (10:50.94) will also lock horns in what should be a highly competitive two mile…The 100-meter hurdles features Natick All-American Emmanuella Edozien, who ran a state-record 13.57 at last year’s Meet of Champions. She brings a season best of 14.06 into the divisional meet after her victory at the recent Bay State Conference Championships and appears to be peaking at just the right time. She’ll have some strong competition pushing her, including Central Catholic’s Arianna DiPietro, the No. 2 seed with a best of 14.44...Could we see a 20-footer in the long jump? Lexington’s Aubrey Deardorf came just four inches shy of that milestone at last week’s MLC Championships with a season best of 19-8. In what’s been a strong year for the event statewide, she ranks No. 3 in Massachusetts behind Oliver Ames’ Lavender Kozaka (20-0¾) and Westford Academy’s Kaitlyn Boakye-Yiadom (19-10½). The triple jump features state leader Blake MacNeal of Newton North, who will likely have 40 feet on her mind after posting a best of 39-3½ this season…The discus could generate plenty of excitement with Lexington’s Ainsley Cuthbertson (146-3) and Taunton freshman Glenys Nwachan (142-10) both having surpassed the 140-foot barrier this season. Cuthbertson will also be looking to improve on her state-leading 41-9¾ in the shot put.
Team Outlook: Lexington is the clear-cut favorite in the girls’ competition with the ability to win this meet by 50 or 60 points.
