The region’s elite all under one roof. The best of the best from Maine to Connecticut and everything in between competing for individual (and team) glory inside the confines of the Reggie Lewis Track & Athletic Center.
That’s right, it’s here. The 37th annual New England Interscholastic Indoor Track & Field Championships. We glanced through the entries for Saturday’s meet and, yes, some of our top performers have skipped the regional competition to focus on the upcoming national meets in mid March. But that doesn’t mean this meet will be short on talent. There are plenty of athletes that will spark some excitement for this weekend’s competition.
Throughout the week, we’ll do our best to get you charged up for the New England’s by previewing who we believe will be the top athletes in each event.
Here’s we begin with the girls’ and boys’ throwing and jumping events.
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GIRLS
SHOT
This is an event that could get very competitive. It features five throwers that have tossed the metal ball further than 40 feet. The top seed is Maya Quaranta of Sacred Heart (CT) with a best of 45 feet, 5 inches from the Throwhawks Field Party on Jan. 25. In the last five meets, Quaranta has gone more than 44 feet and should be the favorite to attain gold this weekend. At the two seed is RI state champion Gifty Bediako of Classical with a PR of 43-4.5 from the class championships on Feb. 1. Like Quaranta, the talented senior is super consistent. She’s gone 40-7.75 or longer in her last six meets. One big throw against her rival could be extra special for Bediako. Look for MIAA Meet of Champions (MOC) winner Madeline Goncalves of Haverhill to be in the mix, too. Goncalves comes in with a best of 43-0 from the Boston Holiday Challenge back in late December. She’s been unbeaten in MA and has thrown less than 40 feet just twice in 11 meets. Plus she’s on her home turf. Other top entries are Bloomfield (CT) junior Payton Sirdine (40-3.5), and Cumberland (RI) senior Payton Goulding (40-3.5).
LONG JUMP
Talk about an impressive field. All nine competitors in the final flight have done 18-plus feet! The No. 1 seed is Vanessa Agyemang of Bloomfield (CT), who captured the recent CIAC State Open with an all-time best of 19-5, her third 19-footer of the season. Knocking on the door of 19 feet is the two seed Emmanuella Edozien of Natick (MA) with a best of 18-10 from the MSTCA Qualifier a few weeks ago Nini Olawuyi of Exeter/West Greenwich (RI) is the third seed with her best of 18-5.25 from the State Meet less than two weeks ago. Other top leapers and their seeds include Oliver Ames (MA) sophomore Lavender Kozaka (18-4.25), Wellesley (MA) senior Annie Comella (18-3.5) and Newton North’s Blake MacNeal (18-3.25). MacNeal has gone further this season with a best of 18-6.75 from the Division 1 Championships, an event she was second to Edozien by just two inches.
HIGH JUMP
Here’s a competition you won’t want to miss. It matches ME’s Isabella Harmon of Scarborough against MA’s two-time indoor champion Zoe Santos of Norton. Both share the top seed with identical 5-6 leaps at their respective State Meets. Harmon has gone higher, soaring to a height of 5-7.75 at the Fleet Feet Indoor Invitational on Jan. 20. Five more in this event went 5-4 at their championship meets. The quintet includes S’Starr Parham of Attleboro (MA), Lisi Palmer of Brunswick (ME), Danielle Bates of Timberlane Regional (NH), Mia Lee-Bowens of Middleboro (MA) and Kaitlyn Quealy of Holliston (MA).
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BOYS
SHOT
The benchmark for this event is 60 feet. On Saturday, we’ll have four inside the circle that have achieved that milestone this winter, and a few more on the cusp. Based on PR this season, three are among the top 11 in the country with Peabody (MA) senior Alex Jackson (66-6.25, US #3), Norwich Free Academy (CT) senior Chris Amy (65-7, US #4), and East Lyme (CT) senior Thomas Matlock (63-6, US #11). Of the trio, Amy unleashed his best closest to this week’s competition, winning the CIAC Class LL Championships on Feb. 14. Jackson set his current best in the first meet of the season and is hoping to regain his touch on Saturday. He won last weekend’s MOC with a toss of 60-7.75. RI entries Kayden Thomas of Rogers (59-4.75) and Brandon Wolfenden (58-8.25) could also make some noise.
LONG JUMP
This event features five athletes that have leaped further than 23 feet, three of which can call the Nutmeg State their own, CT entries Michael Ahoua of Torrington (23-4.75), Patrick Lynch of Old Lyme (23-2.5) and Oliver Guzy of Xavier (23-2). Also in the 23-Club are ME’s Arnaud Sioho of South Portland (23-3) and MA’s Evan Bedard (23-1.75). This is certainly a must-see event this weekend..
HIGH JUMP
In competitions like this weekend, it often brings out the best in our athletes. With the talent entered in this event, it wouldn’t surprise us if we saw a seven-footer on Saturday, or something close to the milestone. The top seed is MOC victor David Shimmer of Shrewsbury. Shimmer comes in with a best of 6-10m from the Mid-Wach Indoor Championships on Feb, 2. Maine will be well-represented with a trio of gifted leapers that includes Lewiston’s Kosia Katroll,(6-9), Gorham’s Griffin Gammon (6-8), and South Portland’s Tyler Bryant (6-8). CT’s Ethan Rich of Lyman Hall (6-8) is another top entry that has a chance to earn gold. Among others that will make this event ultra-competitive are MA’s Sammuel Madden of Melrose (6-7) and RI’s Caleb Satisfield of Barrington (6-6).
