On Sunday, Merrimack College hosted the second leg of the Division IV outdoor track and field championships.
On the girls side, Amherst secured their first ever state title with 87.5 points. For the boys, Wakefield took home the crown with 74.
Here’s how those two teams pulled off state championships, and some other notable performances from the final day.
Amherst wins first crown in program history
On Sunday, the Hurricanes did something never before accomplished in school history, win a girls track and field state title.
“It’s a new experience for us and we had a whole host of contributors which made it that much more exciting,” Amherst coach Christopher Gould said. “To visualize it is one thing and to actually see it turn into reality is another. They really performed in many ways. They gave it a little extra effort so we scored in a couple of places that I wasn’t really expecting.”
Gould noted that his team made some late adjustments to his relays to squeeze a few extra points out. In the end, that’s where his girls dominated, winning the 4×400, taking second in the 4×800 and placing fourth in the 4×100.
In the relays, Amherst needed its players to dig deep to close out the day.
“Moriah Luetjen ran the open four today then she had to come back in the next event in the 4×8,” Gould said. “Then she really heroically, in the lat 200 meters, caught two more teams that got us second.
“Skylar Fox also ran the 4×8 for us and then had to turn around and come back and run the 4×4, which we won. She was very hesitant about what kind of juice she’d have in a second effort like that but she had it. She ran a 59 second 400 in the 4×4 relay, then Ololara Baptiste anchored and ran away with it.”
Others helping in the relays were Ella and Ruby Austin, Ella Jamate, Nina Holden, and Brooke Nedeau, and Juliana Albo.
Albo was a late add to the 4×100 team for the Hurricanes but the relay made it work.
“She doesn’t usually do that but we picked up fourth in the 4×1,” Gould said of Albo. “She picked up an eighth in the long jump, with a high PR of 17′ 6 1/2″. she also high jumped and matcher her PR of five and a half feet and picked up seventh place there.
“So those were definitely not things that I would have expected to happen, so I was really, really proud of her and excited for her success today.”
Elsewhere, Elizabeth Sawicki won the pole vault for Amherst while also grabbing top five finished in the pentathlon and 400 hurdles.
Now, with the weekend over, the Hurricanes can celebrate their state title.
“It’s been. long day, a long couple of days,” Gould said. “But, I’m really happy for them that they’re able to walk around and be state champions for the rest of their lives.”
Wakefield edges out Pembroke
On the boys side, Wakefield used strong relays and superb performances in field events to beat out Pembroke, 74 to 66.
Wakefield came in second in the 4×400, and placed first in the 4×400 for 18 combined points in the two events.
The champions also earned points in every single field event except for the discus. Wakefield earned six points each at high jump and javelin, and eight points thanks to a second place finish for Jamari Belmer at the long jump.
The real damage for Wakefield was done at the pole vault where they netted 15 points. Henry Brown claimed second in the event, and Ryan Hogan came in third.
Also securing valuable points was Broderick Wyatt who came in third in the 400 meter hurdles.
Miles Jeffries just stays ahead at the 400
In the 400 meter race, Miles Jeffries set a new PR at 49.71 and claimed first for Amherst who finished fifth overall on Sunday with 45 points.
Jeffries just edged out Pembroke’s Gabe Lamar who PR’d at 49.79 to grab second place.
In total, seven of the top eight runners in the event set personal best’s on Sunday.
Brooks takes the javelin by an inch
The judge’s couldn’t have asked for a better challenge in Sunday’s javelin toss.
Burlington’s Ryan Brooks tossed his projectile a PR 172 feet and two inches, barely beating out Emmanuel Guzman’s own personal best of 172 feet and one inch.
Unfortunately for Melrose’s Guzman, he had to settle for second place. Both throwers were well ahead of Jacob Hollingsworth in third who tossed his javelin 160 feet and one inch.
Gloucester’s Spencer leaps beyond her competitors
Aili Spencer left very little doubt at Merrimack on Sunday. The Gloucester jumper landed at 19 feet and a quarter of an inch, the fourth best mark int he state this year.
The feat was good enough to give her first in the long jump, and beat out Wayland’s Sazie Wrentmore but nearly six inches.
Wrentmore landed at 18-06.75, and Holliston’s Kaitlyn Quealy was right on her heels with a jump of 18-05.25.
Lee-Bowens flies for Middleboro
Mia Lee-Bowens had perhaps the best all around day of the entire meet. the Middleboro athlete gave her team 26 of its 30 overall points.
At the 100, Lee-Bowens ran a 12.11 to finish in second after qualifying with a personal best of 12.01.
In the 100 meter hurdles, she made sure to take first with a time of 14.41.
Finally, Lee-Bowens also showed off her leaping ability, finishing in second at the high jump with 5-02.00.
