Clipper Relay Meet Hub
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Results! Courtesy of Speed Sport Timing
Despite temps not cold, but certainly not warm, the 82nd Clipper Relays still produced blistering times and meet record performances. The two things most athletes look forward to in this meet. The historical T-shirts that are awarded to the participants of the winning teams and the hype around the “field event” relay at the end of the meet, which produced the same energy as the state championships will be later this month.
On the Track!
The 4×800 kicked things off in grand, incredible race fashion as the Exeter and Oyster River girls had an absolute war! Oyster River featured the Cook and Kavanagh sisters while Exeter is coming off an All-American Nike Indoor Nationals finish this past winter. In a classic seesaw battle, Oyster River was the one off to the strong start building a lead behind Madelyn and Mackenzie Cook’s first 2 legs, but it was clear it was the race was not over. Exeter then came back to take the lead on the third leg and also build it to comfortable status when Alexis Paterna and Haley Kavanagh began their anchor legs. Kavanagh did end up catching Paterna, but the Blue Hawk had enough to hold off the Bobcat to cross the line in 9:23.03 to Oyster River’s 9:26.38, both smashing the then existing meet record of 9:36.
And this was a sign of things to come as a number of meet records went down. Later in the meet, Nashua North girls, comprised of Tiana Brown, the Frye sisters, and Jhanelle Thomas, broke the meet record in the 4×200 by blazing across the line in1:44.12. Former record holders, Nashua South ran an incredible 1:47.88 for 2nd. Thomas once again led North to another meet record int he 4×400 winning in 4:01.02! Exeter was 2nd crossing in an also blazing 4:03.11. Matter of fact Thomas had been busy early in the meet posting the fastest time in the High Hurdles, 15.38 leading North to the relay win. Coe-Brown’s Bristol Shirland (2nd-15.55) and North’s Brown (3rd – 15.98) were the other 2 athletes dipping under 16 seconds.
Host school, Portsmouth took the 4×100 meter relay in a close race over Pinkerton 49.62 to 49.95. Newmarket won the Steeple relay crossing in 9:48.41 while Merrimack Valley won the Distance Medley Relay in 13:43.63.
While girls were breaking all these meet records, the boys were not to be outdone! Pinkerton began the ball rolling breaking the meet record in the 4×100 crossing in 42.78! Central was a strong 2nd in 43.47. Don’t feel bad for Central though as they along with Pinkerton broke the meet record in the 4×200 later, but this the record will be Central’s as they won in 1:30.53 to Pinkerton’s 1:31.58!
You think that is impressive, the meet ended with the 4×400 producing 4 teams eclipsing the old record, which was from 2015! Winnacunnet won going away winning in 3:22.95. Exeter won the close battle for 2nd finishing in 3:25.05 to Nashua South’s 3:26.05. Pelham was 4th in 3:26.50! Amazing! Milford continue the record breaking as they took down their own Steeple record running a 7:44.61. Not for nothing but Milford continued their domination of the distance “medley” events winning the DMR in 10:47.17 over Pinkerton’s 10:53.62.
The 4×800 began things on the track with Londonderry overcoming a lead built by South to win in 8:17.03 to South’s 8:23.52. Pelham’s Colby Crear ran an incredible 14.73 to take the Hurdles over Portsmouth’s Josh Kelly (15.30) and Pinkerton’s Jamison Isaac (15.67).
On the Field!
Field event highlights begin with Bedford’s Ruby Kaupp clearing 11’4″ in the girls pole vault, more than 2 feet better than the next best competitor and leading Bedford to the relay win accumulating 26’10”. The high jump was won by host school Portsmouth. Almost a foot better, South’s Sarah Witta won the long jump with a distance of 16’1.75″ leading her squad to the relay win while Pinkerton won the Triple Jump relay. North’s Sarah Frye had the event’s top mark with a 33’7.5″.
Avery Trask had the best toss in the Shot with a 34’11.5″ leading her Pinkerton to the win. Pinkerton also won the Javelin relay behind Sarah Rzasa’s 115’9″ throw. South’s Chloe Cruz and Nora Gautieri had the top 2 marks in the discus to lead South the the win.
On the boys side, Pelham won the pole vault but South’s Preston Bois and Exeter’s Thomas Eastwood both cleared 12′. Led by Rere Edokpolo, Trinity won the High Jump relay. North’s Gavin Sucheki won the event clearing 6′. MV’s Nicholas Oglesby also cleared 6′ but finished 2nd. Edokpolo also led Trinity to the win in the Long Jump, but Pinkerton’s Oliver Gould posted the longest mark with a 20’9″. Behind Aiden Paquette’s 42’4″, Merrimack Valley won the Triple Jump relay. Pelham’s Osinachi Nwabueze was the only competitor to eclipse Paquette with his 42’9″ jump.
North’s Darius Smith had the longest toss in the Shot Put of 51’5″ as North lived up to its favorite status to win the relay. With a discus of 143’4″, Smith also led North to the win in the Discus. And finally, Pinkerton cruised to the win in the javelin as Charles Franks unleashed a 185’7″ bomb of a throw.
