Yeah, we know this is difficult to do and what you will see below contains a number of hypotheticals based on available information (Battlenotes, program trends), BUT it is fun to try to predict who has the best shot at bringing home the team titles Super Bowl Sunday! No, we are not referring to the Patriots bringing home their 5th Super Bowl, but the 2017 NHIAA Indoor Track and Field Championships. Please understand, we did not simply score battlenotes. Some athletes have qualified in more than the allowable events, which is one of the reasons this is an inaccurate measure. Like most coaches, we have made some predictions regarding which events athletes will participate in and may change as we approach February 5th. Feel free to comment below! As always, keep it positive!
D1 Girls
- Bedford – 93
- Pinkerton – 71
- Bishop Guertin – 56
- Merrimack – 50
- Manchester Central – 41
The Division 1 girls meet features two very different, but somehow at the same time similar, teams in Bedford and Pinkerton. While Bedford can count on a solid performance from several field event athletes to supplement their track events, Pinkerton is featuring a nearly track-only-team this winter. Will Pinkerton be able to ride the “Sanborn Strategy” (nearly half of the total events are mid-distance oriented) to the win? Or will Bedford’s mid-D prevail and secure their win?
D1 Boys
- Pinkerton – 117
- Nashua North – 86
- Winnacunnet – 44
- Merrimack – 32
- Alvirne – 26
- Nashua South – 26
The strategy seems to be pretty simple, get multiple athletes qualified in every single event and make the contest about the size of your team. The bigger the team, the better you will do. It’s hard to argue against that strategy in the Division with the state’s largest schools. And it’s no surprise that perennial powerhouse, Pinkerton, is coming out on top. They have the luxury of sitting athletes out of some events to make their relay teams equally as strong as their individual events. Nashua North will keep it competitive in many of the events, but will have their work cut out for them to challenge for the title.
D2 Girls
- Souhegan – 81
- Portsmouth – 55
- Oyster River – 51
- Merrimack Valley – 42
- Lebanon – 39
D2 Boys
- Trinity – 65
- Windham – 52
- Lebanon – 47
- Portsmouth – 44
- Merrimack Valley 38
The Division 2 girls and boys rankings are starkly contrasting examples of how to build a championship team. On the girls side, Souhegan and Portsmouth bring a full-squad, multi-event approach where individual event winners are not as important as scoring lots of points in many different events. On the boys side, Trinity and Windham highlight only a few stellar athletes, who can be counted on to score near the top, or win, nearly all events they are contesting. It’s a great example of how different teams can approach a team philosophy, and showcases how unique track & field really is where a relatively small school, like Trinity, can hold their own against even the largest schools in the state. Obviously, looking at the scores, this promises to be quite the competitive affair. Do not be surprised if Lebanon returns to the top of the podium either and never rule out Portsmouth.
