2022 MOC Recap, Results, Replay, Interviews!

Results Courtesy of Lancer Timing

Girls

Boys

Congratulations to all who participated in the 2022 NHIAA Meet of Champions yesterday at Sanborn High School.  As with last year, Sanborn proved to be gracious and proficient hosts allowing for the performances to come forth!  And unlike last year, the top 6 in each event qualified to compete at next weekend’s New England Track and Field Championships in New Britain, CT.  We will be there of course livestreaming, snapping pics and interviewing the best of the 603!

Replay of our livestream is below the recap.  Interviews and pics will be posted soon.

Sprints and Hurdles

In one of the ‘showdowns’ of the day it was D2 Plymouth senior Katherine Luehrs winning the High Hurdles in with a late charge to out lean D1 champ Pinkerton’s Jordan Wheaton 15.26 to 15.29.  Salem’s Emily Plante placed 3rd in 15.58.  Nashua South’s Soraya Ross cemented her claim as the “Queen” of NH sprinting as she swept the 100 (12.46) and 200 (25.50)!  Merrimack’s Alexis Best placed 2nd in the 100 in 12.60 out leaning D2 champ Kennett’s Aida Wheat (12.62).  Wheat turned the tables on Best in the 200 as she claimed the title in 25.63 over Best’s 26.05.

On the boys’ side, Memorial’s Bryce Foster won the High Hurdles in 15.13 as Salem’s David Jacques crossed next in 15.13 and Bedford super sophomore Christopher Chong placed 3rd in 15.39.  If Soraya Ross is the newly crowned queen, MV’s Seth Baylus is the undisputed King of NH Sprinting and proved it once again as he swept both the 100 and 200, both in a slight headwind.  Baylus won the 100 in 10.85 with Leb’s Nyeoti Punni placing 2nd in 11.13 to Portsmouth’s Ahmed Nada who placed 3rd in 11.20.  Baylus (21.82) and Punni (22.40) repeated this placing in the 200 with Nada’s teammate and D1 champ Nate Fletcher placing 3rd in 22.72.

Fletcher was coming off the 300 Hurdle title which he won in 39.47 after a late charge to catch Nashua South’s Rory Olsen who cross in 39.79 in front of Bedford’s Chong in 40.94.  Exeter’s Sydney Lavelle had an easier time as she won the 300 Hurdles going away in 45.11.  Second was Merrimack’s Kailey Dillon (47.62) and third was Oyster River’s Erin Carty (48.30).

Mid D and Distance

The girls 400 was won by Central sophomore Harriet Barber, who had a step on D3 champ Monadnock’s Liliana Chirichella 59.01 to 59.41.  Chirichella was the event’s lone senior as the rest of the top 6 finishers were freshmen and sophomores with North’s Jhanelle Thomas placing 3rd in 60.32.  The 400 on the boys side was won by Londonderry’s Sean Clegg in 49.77 with D2’s Ty Dorow (Oyster River) placing 2nd also sub 50 in 49.84.  Inter-Lakes Owen Carney was 3rd in 50.48.

Turning to the 800, Portsmouth Christian’s Brianna Malone continued to dominate the event winning in 2:15.24 with D1 Champ Bedford’s Fiona Lee placing 2nd in 2:16.59 and BG’s Fiona Doherty crossing in 3rd in 2:17.85.  On the boys side, Hanover’s Pierce Siegne won the 800 with his patented last lap push breaking the proverbial tape in 1:55.17 to Monadnock’s Mitchell Hill’s 1:56.73 and Dover’s Jeremiah Payeur’s 1:56.95.

What made Seigne’s 800 more impressive was he was coming off his dramatic win in the 1600 as he dropped the strongest last lap to claim the title in 4:17.40.  Placing 2nd was Concord senior Sam Hilts in 4:18.29 and John Murphy 4:20.82.  While on the girls side, Merrimack Valley’s Sophia Reynolds returned to the top of the podium with a tremendous kick to win in 5:13.05.  Oyster River’s Haley Kavanagh finished next in 5:14.32 out leaning Dover’s Isabel McIntyre’s 5:14.41.

Also returning to the top of the podium, Souhegan’s Chloe Trudel absolutely pushed the pace from the gun in the 3200 and won in 11:00.72.  We are sure Trudel is thankful to Bow’s Susanna Zahn and Maya Brochu who accompanied her over the 8 laps also putting on their own moves to pitch in.  Zahn would place 2nd in 11:04.39 and Brochu third in 11:14.73.

Having one of the more impressive days has to be Sam Hilts as he ran the smartest of 3200s coming off of his 1600.  While the early leaders exchanged leads back and forth over the early laps, Hilts ran nice and even to win in 9:15.60.  Keene’s Jonathan Hills placed 2nd in 9:22.19 and Dover’s Tyler Sheedy placed 3rd in 9:25.56.

Jumps

Exeter’s Lavelle began her day with Long Jump redemption as she won by almost a foot leaping to a 16’7.5″ mark.  Concord’s Ayva Mullen and Portsmouth’s Mariam Nada both jumped 15’10.5″ for second and third.   Mullen came back to place a close 2nd in the Triple Jump, less than 3 inches behind Hopkinton’s Grace Hall as both hopped, skipped and jumped over 36′.  Concord freshman Ella Goulas placed 3rd.

On the boys side, unfortunately state record holder Shane Wang was unable to compete, but the competition was still tight in the Triple Jump.  On his second attempt, Conant’s Ethan Vitello set the mark of 43’3″ which would not be eclipsed for the title.  North’s Jack Sullivan placed second with a mark of 42’7.5″ and Hollis/Brookline’s John Kotelly placed 3rd by 1 inch with a mark of 41’7.25″.  Sullivan turned the tables on Vitello as they went 1-2 respectively in the Long Jump 21’0.5″ to 20’9.5″. Coe-Brown’s Anders Larson placed 3rd with a mark of 20’2.25″.

In the verticals, Alvirne’s Molly O’Donnell cleared 5’2″ for the win as Portsmouth’s Zoe Arakelian and South’s Mia Cruz both cleared 5’0″ to place 2nd and 3rd respectively.  Coe-Brown’s Makena Lee continued her break out season as she cleared 11’0″ to claim the state title.  Concord’s Kendall Burton was second clearing 9’6″ and Bow’s Sarah Guerrette placed 3rd clearing 9’0″

Londonderry junior Andrew Kullman won the Boys’ High Jump clearing 6’4″.  Placing 2nd and 3rd were fellow juniors Hanover’s Ian Solberg and South’s Sami Witta who both cleared 6’2″.  The pole vaulters held somewhat true to the seeds as Merrimack’s Samuel Epstein cleared 13’0 for the win with Coe-Brown’s Anders Larson clearing 12’6″ for 2nd.  Pelham’s Joshua Parent cleared 12’0″ for third.

Throws

Pinkerton’s Briana Davis won the Discus with a mark of 124’9″, almost a 9′ win.  D3 champ Mascoma’s Opak Shinnlinger and D2 Champ CBNA’s Natalie Riley placed 2nd and 3rd respectively.  Danis and Shinnlinger would placed 2nd and 3rd respectively in the Shot Put, with Danis only 1″ short of Paulina Huckins’ (Newfound) state championship toss of 37’8″.  North’s Madelyn Novak won the Javelin with a mark of 118’4″ with Portsmouth’s Margaret Montplaisir 2nd (115’0″) and Exeter’s Rachel Poulin 3rd (112’8″).

On the boy’s side, the Discus held true to form with Goffstown Peyton Strickland winning with a mark of 160’3″.  Milford’s Caden Zalenski was second (151’10”) and North’s Jack Washem was 3rd. (141’8″).  Zalenski had a great day as he won the Shot Put with a mark of 48’8.75″. Conant’s Garrett Somero was 2nd (46’9″) and Goffstown’s Antonio Kapos was 3rd (46’6.5″).   The Javelin saw Souhegan’s Will Jaques take the state title with a mark of 166’7″.  A pair of D3 studs took 2nd and 3rd with Hopkinton’s Max Bishop (162’1″) and Campbell’s Justin Edmonds (161’5″).

Relays

Winnacunnet girls 4×800 kicked off the meet by claiming the state title in their school record time of 9:43.17.  D3 Newmarket pulled off the runner up in 9:51.57 half a step ahead of Concord.  Londonderry won the boys in 8:09 followed by Exeter and Oyster River.

Nashua South girls claimed the top spot in the 4×100 clocking 48.35 to Pinkerton’s 49.35 and Merrimack’s 50.14. Londonderry boys also claimed the 4×100 in 43.54 ahead of Concord’s 43.80 and Windham’s 44.08.

To conclude the meet, Pinkerton girls held off Exeter and Bedford respectively in one of the more exciting races of the day with all 3 clocking 4:08 and change.  On the boys side, Portsmouth was more of a clear winner over Keene and Coe-Brown clocking 3:24.15.