The Division 1 State Meet HAS FINALLY ARRIVED!
Sunday, 10:00 am, Dartmouth College
Schedule of Events Courtesy of LancerTiming
For the first time in NHIAA Indoor Track and Field History, NHTF.com will be there! Look for pics, athlete interviews, and LIVESTREAM!!!! (link coming soon!!!)
Come by the NHTF/Runner’s Alley Tent for pics and impromptu interviews! New Hampshire Track and Field Community! This is your day!
Girls D1 Preview 
The team race on the girl’s side looks like powerhouse Bedford High School’s to lose. Bedford is stacked in the field events, loaded in the relays, and has individual stars in Leya Salis and Olivia Coco to pick up points in the running events. Pinkerton would appear to be the top challenger for the Bulldogs, if they were to have an off day.
The distance events on the girl’s side should be a lot of fun to watch. As a state, we have become accustomed to featuring several girls that could compete on the national level and this year may be taking it up a notch!
The 1500 meter race alone has 6 girls all capable of breaking 5 minutes in the 1500!
Fresh off her New Balance Grand Prix win, Cross Country All-American Jacqueline Gaughan (Exeter) will look to defend her 1500 meter (currently ranked #9 in the country) and 3000 meter (nationally ranked 4th in 2 mile) titles. She should be challenged by 9th grade sensation Caroline Fischer (Bishop Guertin) who is ranked #7 nationally in the 2 mile in the 3k. If these two decide against making it a sit and kick affair, Amy Ruston’s (Nashua – 1999) state record of 9:59.34 could fall to the victor.
Ranked #10 in the country with her 2:53.25, Salis has a shot at Rachel Umberger’s 2002 D1 Record of 2:54.16. If she should falter look to Brittany Johnson of Pinkerton to give her a run (pun intended).
All four of those girls will double back in what should be the race of the day in the 1500. Although doubling, maybe tripling back, Shannon Murdock’s (Exeter – 2014) state record of 436.79 could be in jeopardy.
Few additional individuals to watch:
Bedford’s Shanna Scribner will look to continue her dominance as she goes for a repeat in the shot put.
With a PR of 5′ 6.5″, how high will Sydney Lewis (Nashua South) go in the high jump?
Londonderry’s Gretchen McGrath will look to become a 3-time state champ as she tries to defend her crown in the 600-meter race.
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Boy’s D1 Preview
The team race should be an exciting battle between Pinkerton Academy and Nashua North. Pinkerton looked like the early season run away to win yet another state title, but late season performances by Nashua North have put them in the conversation.
Individuals to watch for include David Vorbach of Nashua North and Calvin Graves of Pinkerton who will wage battles in the 3000 meters and 1500 meters.
Alvirne’s Noah Bellomo will look to defend his title in the 1000 meters and could make a run at the Francis Hernandez’s (BG-2010) state record of 2:31.35.
Jacob Marden does it all for Merrimack. He will be in the Hurdles, is the top seed in the 300 meters and will be on their always-solid relays.
Winnacunnet’s Billy Powers already possesses the new state record of 7.40 and is currently the 5th fastest time in the country in the 55 meter High Hurdles. Can he repeat that performance at the state meet and establish a new record?
Powers’s teammate, Phillip Antonio will look to outdistance one of the strongest long jump fields in a while (13 boys over 20ft), but defending champ Jordan Buckmire (Nashua North) is still in the field.
The state record of 1:31.80 set by Londonderry back in 1998 might be out of reach but the 4×200 should be very fast and may determine the meet. The top three seeds Pinkerton, Winnacunnet, and North are all separated by less than half a second.
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