By Nate Leveille
The biggest and best meet of the season has arrived after a cold and rainy spring. All Division I schools will gather once again at Portsmouth High School to compete for the title of D1 State Champions.
Special thanks to Portsmouth High School for stepping up to host, Lancer Timing Services for their outstanding timing, and NH Track and Field for excellent meet coverage.
Boys
Team Preview
Much like the indoor season, the outdoor title appears to be Pinkerton Academy’s to lose. With a projected 109 points based on seeds, they are nearly 50 points ahead of their closest competitor, Nashua North (55 points). Pinkerton’s strength lies in its balanced scoring, with contributors across nearly every event. Their sprint and hurdle groups are particularly deep and reliable.
Nashua North should rack up big points in the field events and also boasts strong relay squads. They appear to have a solid hold on second place. That said, Londonderry (51 points), Winnacunnet (47 points), Alvirne (43 points), and host Portsmouth (39 points) are all within striking distance for a top-three finish.
Sprints & Hurdles
- 100m: Caesar Flahn (Manchester Central) is the top seed after defeating Travis Cavallo and Winston George (both of Pinkerton) last week. Expect all three to go under 11 seconds in what could be the fastest final in years.
- 200m: Flahn again leads, but he’ll be challenged by Luca Kabel (Merrimack) and Owen Janetos (Winnacunnet).
- 110m Hurdles: John Child (Pinkerton) holds the top seed by just 0.02 over Josh Kelly (Portsmouth), with Oliver Gould (Pinkerton) and Wayne Crowell (Keene) right behind. This one is wide open.
- 300m Hurdles: Ryan Jamison (Winnacunnet) claimed the top spot with a strong run at the Seacoast Championships. He’ll be closely challenged by Joey Marcotte (Alvirne), the top seed for much of the season.
Middle Distance & Distance
- 400m: Owen Janetos (Winnacunnet, 49.33) leads a tight field. Shane Plumley (Alvirne, 50.00) and Theo Beattie (Portsmouth) are right behind. This could be the race of the day.
- 800m: Ryan Zumbach is the top seed and should be fresh after opting out of the 1600m. He leads a deep field with seven boys seeded under 2:00.
- 1600m: Josh Twomey (Londonderry) leads a tightly bunched top three, followed by Carson Fischer (Bishop Guertin) and Carson Fitzgerald (Londonderry).
- 3200m: Matthew Giardina (Bishop Guertin) is the heavy favorite, seeded over 25 seconds ahead of the next closest competitor with a 9:05.30. Jason Robie and Trainor Mailloux (both Pinkerton) round out the top three.
Relays
- 4x100m: Pinkerton leads and could lower the state record. Londonderry and Nashua South, both under 43 seconds, are close behind.
- 4x400m: Winnacunnet holds the state record (3:22.95) and leads Exeter and South in what’s shaping up to be a historically fast final. Eight teams are seeded under 3:30.
- 4x800m: Salem is the clear favorite with potential to break 8:00. Pinkerton and Londonderry follow, though relay lineups could shift.
Throws
- Discus: Shawn Boudreau (Alvirne) has a dominant 174’4” mark, more than 20 feet ahead of Darius Smith (Nashua North) and Sam Pfitzenmayer (Concord).
- Shot Put: Smith (53’3”) is the top seed, followed by Boudreau and Noah Pasterczyk (North).
- Javelin: Charlie Franks (Pinkerton) headlines with a huge 191’5” throw. Penny Sawyer (Nashua South) and Smith (North) round out the top three.
Jumps
- Long Jump: Londonderry’s Luc Gaudet and Chase Burris hold the top two spots, followed by Luke Peters (North).
- Triple Jump: Ninth-grader Thomas Saysaw (Concord) shares the top seed with Alex Dixon (Keene), with Preston Bois (South) close behind.
- High Jump: Oliver Gould (Pinkerton) leads, with Gavin Suchecki (North) and Michael Cyr (Bedford) in pursuit.
- Pole Vault: Colby Nyhan (Concord) may challenge the state record at 15’6”. Preston Bois (South) and Leo Guarracino (Portsmouth) follow.
Girls Team Preview
To win D1, you need superstars—and Concord has two in Grace Saysaw and Ella Goulas. Concord is projected to score 111 points, with 54 coming from jumps alone. Exeter (92 points) is their closest threat, with great depth in distance and middle distance. Nashua North (82 points) also has the mix of elite talent and depth to contend. Pinkerton (69) and Bedford round out the projected top five.
Sprints & Hurdles
- 100m & 200m: Grace Saysaw (Concord) is the top seed in both and set a new state record in the 200 earlier this year. Freshman Leiana Cory (Portsmouth) is second in both events. Leanny Ortiz-Blanco (Salem) and Tiana Brown (North) are third seeds in the 100 and 200 respectively.
- 100m Hurdles: Jhanelle Thomas (North) is the clear favorite, the only one under 15 seconds. Tiana Brown (North) and Molly Flynn (Portsmouth) follow.
- 300m Hurdles: Thomas leads again, with Maitri Clifford (Winnacunnet) and Brown (North) chasing.
Middle Distance & Distance
- 800m: Izzy Bremer (Exeter, 2:18.50) leads teammates Brianna Paterna and Rosalie Neveu (North).
- 1600m & 3200m: Alexis Paterna (Exeter) tops both events, followed by Laura White (North) and Eli Cross (Exeter). All three are doubling.
Relays
- 4x100m: Concord leads and is nearing the state record. Portsmouth, North, and Pinkerton follow.
- 4x400m: Nashua North, the defending champs, lead with 4:01.02. Exeter and Concord round out the top three.
- 4x800m: Exeter (9:23.03) is well ahead of the field. Pinkerton, Bedford, and Concord will battle for second.
Jumps
- Long Jump / Triple Jump / High Jump: Ella Goulas (Concord) is the top seed in all three, with teammate Nabah Yahya second in both the long and triple. Kathleen Lynch (Dover) and Sarah Frye (North) are also contenders.
- High Jump: Linsey Gregoire (Londonderry) and Emma Lander (Portsmouth) are the second and third seeds.
- Pole Vault: Ruby Kaupp (Bedford) is the top seed and defending champion (11’6”). Madeline Muller (Concord) and Delaney Paquin (Pinkerton) follow.
Throws
- Shot Put: Consuelo Borico (Concord) leads with 37’4”, followed by Avery Trask (Pinkerton) and Brynn Johnson (Windham).
- Discus: Trask is the top seed (116’7”), with Chloe Cruz (South) and Carolyn Kemp (Bedford) trailing.
- Javelin: Sarah Rzasa (Pinkerton) tops the field at 115’9”, followed by Kelly Wright (Windham) and Makenna Knapp (Keene).
