BOSTON — Weston had eight athletes compete in seven events on Friday at the MIAA Division IV state championships.
The Wildcats needed to give everything they had for a chance at a state title, and that’s what they did.
Powered by a win in the 4×800 meter relay and third and fourth place finishes in the mile, Weston earned its title victory with 49 points. Wayland placed second with 36 points, while Amherst placed third with 33.5.
“We came here with eight girls. We did big things,” said Weston program director Kathy Vinciullo. “Really proud of them, especially our distance girls. Our strength has always been relays. We had a strong hurdler and 300 runner. Ran very well today. Then distance girls were spread out between the mile and the 1,000.”
With so few girls competing in so many events, the program needed its depth to shine, and it did.
The 4×800 team was led by Izzy Wheler, Anne Moser, Jessica Bourne, Leksi Sullivan and Lerong Cheng, while Sullivan and Wheler were two of the team’s top finishers in the mile.
“We had girls that stepped up,” Vinciullo said. “Instead of doubling they tripled. We put them in everything we could, thinking we’d need as many points we could get to win a title. Coming into today with the power rankings now we knew it would be close. We knew for us to win we’d have to bring our ‘A’ game and step up. The girls did that.”
Holyoke’s Yasani Thompson takes top spot in 300 meter dash
Up until three months ago, Yasani Thompson couldn’t even run at full speed.
The senior suffered a leg injury during the spring outdoor season last year, keeping her off the track for multiple months and setting back her training.
There were times when Thompson got discouraged, thinking she wouldn’t get back to her former self. But the medal that hung around her necklace on Friday night was proof that she not only could, she did.
Thompson placed first in the 300 meter dash in a time of 40.94 seconds.
“It feels pretty good,” Thompson said about winning the event for the second year in a row. “I’ve been stuck in the 42s and 41s, so to be back at 40 … it isn’t a PR, but at Meet of Champions I hope to beat that 40 and hit 39.”
The senior also had a solid finish in the 55 meter dash, finishing in second in 7.58.
“It would’ve been nice to be first, but at least I met one of my goals,” Thompson said. “I’m happy about that. When it comes to this I try not to stress myself out or get into my head about things I can’t control. As long as I tried my best.”
Amherst freshman Tansy Warwick takes top spot in high jump
Warwick came into the indoor season expecting it to be good training for the spring season.
When the season started she didn’t think she’d end up a state champion. But she’s happy to see her training is paying off.
Warwick earned the top spot in the high jump with a height of 5 feet, 2 inches.
“I was just really working on what my coach told me recently with helping me improve,” Warwick said. “Just wanted to jump my best. Maybe PR and do better today from my previous meets.”
The points of emphasis for the underclassman coming into Friday was to do her leadup run with a more shallow curve and make sure to hold her feet up when going over the bar.
She expects that Meet of Champions in a week will be difficult, but she’s looking forward to the challenge and being exposed to other great athletes.
“I know it’ll be a lot harder,” Warwick said “It’s definitely gonna be girls coming with much higher heights. Different feeling not being seeded as high. I just want to jump my best and we’ll see what happens.”
Other top WMass finishes
Amhest’s 4×400 meter relay team of Ella Austin, Maeve Fitzgerald, Claire Fortin and Ololara Baptiste placed first in a time of 4:11.21. Baptiste also placed third in the 600 meter run in 1:39.09.
Ludlow’s Faith Keroack tied for second in the high jump with a height of 5-0.
Individual Results
55-Meter Hurdles: Amariah Montaque, Dedham (8.43)
55-Meter Dash: Lauren Bober, Foxboro (7.23)
1-Mile: Lucy Downin, Holliston (4:53.53)
600-Meter Run: Sazie Wrentmore, Wayland (1:37.31)
1,000-Meter Run: Quinn Wilcox, Wakefield (3:00.73)
300-Meter Dash: Yasani Thompson, Holyoke (40.94)
2-Mile: Emily Flagg, Whitinsville Christian (10:38.95)
4×200 Relay: Fitchburg (1:46.36)
4×800 Relay: Weston (8:34.24)
4×400 Relay: Amherst (4:11.21)
Shot Put: Isabel Zukowski, Auburn (40’)
High Jump: Tansy Warwick, Amherst (5’ 2”)
Long Jump: Sazie Wrentmore, Wayland (17’ 5.75”)
