NHIAA State Division Championship Meet Hub
Running Events Program – Courtesy of Lancer Timing
Field Events Program
TICKETS!
By Patrick O’Brien
Girls
Teams
As predicted, Oyster River has emerged as the favorite to take the title. They are a well-rounded team, with potential scorers in every event group. Look for them to score big points in the distance races, hurdles, jumps and relays. There are some strong teams looking to challenge them, starting with last year’s champions, Coe-Brown. The Black Bears are anchored by a dominant throws group that could score 50+ points on its own. Hanover will also look to contend for the podium, led by their distance group and their relays. Other teams of note that could be in the mix are Hollis-Brookline, Bow, and Kennett.
Sprints and Hurdles
Kennett’s Aida Wheat returns as a sizeable favorite in both the 100 and 200. She has won both of those events the past two years, and will look to run it back one last time. Milford’s Keely Giordano will look to push Wheat as the second seed in both.
After taking the 600m crown during indoor, Bow’s Hannah Pawlowski enters as the top seed in the 400. It won’t come easy though, as Kingswood’s Kylie Rapoza is the 2 seed and the defending champ, and Kennett’s Piper Lopashanski will also be a factor in the race.
In the hurdles, Oyster River’s Erin Carty is the favorite in both the 100h and 300h. She is the 2-time defending champ in the 300h, and has the fastest time in the 100h as well. Hollis Brookline’s Grace Dow, the defending champ in the 100h, should provide a strong challenge in both races.
Middle Distance/Distance
Oyster River and Hanover make up many of the top seeds in the distance events, and they are also two of the teams vying for some hardware. Oyster River’s Haley Kavanagh is the defending champ and top seed in the 800 and 1600. Hanover’s Lea Perreard and Souhegan’s Samantha Swanbon will be giving chase in both. Watch out for Goffstown’s Kara Tschida in the 800 as well.
The 3200 features Oyster River’s Mackenzie Cook as the 2023 winner, and top seed by a large margin. Oyster River and Hanover make up all of the next 6 entries, with Perreard tripling back as the 2 seed.
Jumps
We see another defending champion in High Jump with Goffstown’s Penelope Annis. She has a commanding lead at 5’4, with Oyster River’s Amalie Trump as the only other girl over 5 feet. The Pole Vault is pretty wide-open this year. Bow’s Julia Hou and Hollis Brookline’s Addison Fyfe enter as the top seeds at 9’ 1 and 9’ 0 respectively. There are two more girls at 8’ 6, and really any of these 4 girls could take the win on their day.
In Long Jump, we see Manchester West’s Eshaya Lauder (defending champ) come in with a 3.5 inch advantage over Oyster River’s Avery Baumgardt. Baumgardt returns as the favorite to win Triple Jump, boasting a 1.5 foot advantage over Hanover’s Isabel Beckman.
Throws
We mentioned that Coe-Brown is anchored by their throws group, and they have the top seed in each of the three throws. Isabelle Grenier comes in as the favorite in both Shot Put and Discus. Her closest competitor in the Shot is STA’s Maddie Karsonovich, while in the Discus it is Goffstown’s Shannon O’Brien. In Javelin, Coe-Brown’s Duo of Emma Zeblisky and Annika Gunderson are the top two entries.
Relays
Unsurprisingly, a lot of the top teams have a lot of the top relay teams. These aren’t always the easiest to predict though, as there are different strategies about which athletes run on the relays, and it usually is not the same group that ran the seed time.
Kennett has a gap on the field in the 4×100 at 50.88, and it would be a surprise if they didn’t load it up. Hollis/Brookline, Coe-Brown and Oyster River are all under 53 seconds, and will look to grab some points for their teams.
In the 4×4, Oyster River has the top time coming in at 4:15.6. Hanover, Hollis Brookline and Kennett are lurking around 4-5 seconds back, and that gap can be made up quickly.
In the 4×8, distance powerhouses Oyster River and Hanover come in as the top 2 seeds. It feels likely that these will be the top 2 teams on Friday, but the order will come down to who actually runs.
Boys
Teams
There are many competitive teams this year, but two have emerged as the favorites. Coe-Brown and Hanover are set up for a very close battle this year, less than 5 points on paper. They have similar strengths, as they both look toward the distance races, throws, and relays for a majority of their points. This makes all of those events especially exciting to watch, with big implications for the team race. Of note, CBNA will being going for their 5th consecutive team title. While these two teams are favored, look for Oyster River, John Stark, and Souhegan to challenge for a podium spot. John Stark showed indoor that they are not to be slept on, and that even with fewer projected points, these types of teams can surprise and challenge for the win.
Sprints and Hurdles
Throughout the season, Hollis/Brookline’s Samuel Bruneau improved, and cemented himself as the favorite in both the 100 and 200. Con-Val’s Kendrick Edwards will be a tough competitor in both events, and do not sleep on Oyster River’s Talon Oulette, who surprised everyone and won both events last year.
The 400 should be a tight one, as Hanover’s Aidan Bradley and John Stark’s Logan Montgomery are both under 51, and separated by less than .2 seconds.
In the 110h, we see Souhegan’s Cole Henderson as the heavy favorite at 15.51. Oyster River’s Micah Bessette and Lebanon’s Oscar Gulledge will try to round out the top 3. Henderson is back in the 300h, in a race where 3 guys could win. Merrimack Valley’s Mychal Reynolds is the top seed and the only guy under 42 seconds. He is followed closely by Henderson and Hanover’s Aidan Powell, the defending champion.
Distance
The distance races feature two guys that are taking on big workloads to help their teams try to win the meet. Coe-Brown’s Jamie Lano and Hanover’s Lucian Gleiser are both doing all three events, and they are the top 2 seeds in both the 800 and 1600. Lano has an edge in both, but don’t expect Gleiser to back down from the challenge. Watch out for Bow’s Alden Betterly in the 800 and Con-Val’s William Simard in the 1600 too.
In the 3200, Lano is again the top seed, followed by Simard, and Owen Stine of Souhegan. Gleiser is also capable of running near the front, but he will be on his 3rd event. Lano will too, and almost no one in the field will be fresh, so this race feels like it will come down to whoever has enough left to win.
Jumps
Oyster River’s Tommy Fogg is the top High Jumper coming in, at 6’ 3”. We know this event can be unpredictable though, and there are 6 other guys who have cleared 6 feet this season. Expect this one to be entertaining. Bow’s Ben McDowell is going to be tough to beat in Pole Vault, entering at 13’ 6”. Lebanon’s Nicholas Petrucci and Souhegan’s Owen Pisinski look to battle for second, both at 12’.
Long Jump looks like another fun one, with 6.25 inches separating first from third. Merrimack Valley’s Nicolas Ogelsby is top seed at 21’ 1.25”, followed by John Stark’s Rio Calle and Fogg of Oyster River. Merrimack Valley also has the top seed in Triple Jump with Aidan Paquette at 42’. Kennett’s Nash Harrigan and John Stark’s Joel Douzanis could certainly also contend for the title.
Throws
As mentioned in the season preview, the throws are going to be important in the team title as both Coe-Brown and Hanover have a big-time thrower.
Elias Warner of Coe-Brown is the top seed in Shot Put by about an inch. John Stark’s Douzanis is the second seed, and he has a championship pedigree after becoming the surprise winner in this event at indoor states.
Warner is also the top seed in Discus, this time a lot more comfortably with almost 20 feet on his teammate, Thomas Small. Hanover’s James Chafouleas is the third seed, so this will be an event to keep an eye on.
After winning last year, Chafouleas comes in with a huge 27+ foot advantage on the field this year. Plymouth’s Gabriel Kean and Lebanon’s Marco Getchell are the two closest challengers here.
Relays
The 4×100 looks exciting, with lots of quality teams close together near the top. Con-Val is the top seed at 43.97, and Oyster River and Milford are close behind in the low 44s.
On paper, Hanover has a sizable advantage in the 4×400 at 3:26.76. Coe-Brown and Milford round out the top three seeds as the only other teams under 3:33.
Once again, Hanover has the top seed and looks to be in control of the 4×800, at 8:02.48. But once again, it all comes down to who they run. Milford will be competitive, as the indoor champs and a team that seems to take a lot of pride in their relays. Coe-Brown and Souhegan also could challenge for the win, as two of the premier distance programs in the state.
Good luck to all!
