By Nate Leveille
Indoor track is back! Unlike the past few years, we’re starting with a snow-covered track and cold temperatures, adding to the inherent difficulty of our sport in New Hampshire. USM, UNH, PEA, and Plymouth will host our regular-season league meets. The state meet will be held at Plymouth State, with a twist: the High Jump and 4x800m Relay will take place at UNH the week before (more on this later).
Girls Preview
Team Race
The co-favorites entering the indoor season, based on returning athletes, are Exeter and Pinkerton. Exeter is built on its middle-distance and distance depth, capable of scoring heavily in the 600m through 3000m events. Pinkerton has similar depth in the middle distances and is coming off a Cross Country state title. Both teams can sprinkle in points across sprints and field events. This could be a race to 85 points for the championship win.
Portsmouth returns its entire team from a year ago and, with dominant relays, sprints, hurdles, and jumps, looks to be the third-best team on paper. Bedford is the returning indoor champion; while they graduated several key athletes, they still boast solid point scorers, strong relays, and multiple-time individual champion Mikita Barry. Concord finished runner-up last year and returns some big-time point scorers. If they can put together solid relays and find replacements for their graduating seniors, they could easily mix it up for a top-five finish.
Sprints / Hurdles
The conversation must start with Grace Saysaw (Concord) after her ridiculous spring season in the 100m, 200m, and 4x400m relay legs. She has to be the favorite in both the 55m and 300m. However, the defending 55m champion, Leanny Ortiz-Blanco (Salem), also returns. Add in top returners like Nora Brayall (Pinkerton), Angela Cenesca (Central), and Natalie Thomas (Nashua South), and it could be one of the best fields in state history.
In the hurdles, Molly Flynn (Portsmouth) is the top returner, followed by Sydney Macvicar (Exeter) and Lola Grote (Winnacunnet). Also, watch out for Mollie Wheale (Pinkerton).
Middle Distance
Mikita Barry (Bedford) has dominated the middle distances since her freshman year and has the range to run anything from 300m to 1500m. Sarah Rzsas (Pinkerton) is the defending 600m champion in an event that returns the top nine from last season!
Watch for strong performances in the 600m and 1000m from a combination of athletes, including Danica Caron (Exeter), Outdoor 800m champion Rosalie Neveau (Nashua North), Isabelle Bremer (Exeter), Eli Cross (Exeter), Ginger Vinciguerra (Portsmouth), Madie Poteet (Exeter), Anna Ray (Bedford), and newcomer Naomi Ebhaleme (Pinkerton). Middle distance is truly loaded in Division 1.
Distance
Coming off a dominant cross-country season, the distance events run through defending 3000m champion Alexis Paterna (Exeter). Twin sister Brianna Paterna also had a strong season and looks to move up in distance on the track. Also factoring into the mix in the 3000m and 1500m are Pinkerton standouts Sookie Folsom, Gabby Bedard, and Parker Knowlton. Barry (Bedford) could also contend in these events as she is the defending 1500m champion.
Throws
There is only one throwing event indoors: the Shot Put. Shot Put was one of the deepest events last season, and this year should be similar. The top returner in the event is defending champion Brynn Johnston (Windham). Consuelo Borico (Concord) had the longest throw for most of last indoor season. Carolyn Kemp (Bedford) and Lucille Beem (Exeter) cannot be counted out.
Jumps
2024 All-American Danielle Bates (Timberlane) is the top returner in the High Jump, and the only real question is whether she can make a run at the state record of 5’10”. Eres Delorey (Londonderry) is the other returner over 5 feet. In the Long Jump, Angela Cenesca (Central) and Martelle Mcbride (Exeter) are the top returners, both having jumped in the mid-17s last year.
Relays
I usually don’t include relays in the preview because it’s difficult to predict which athletes teams will use. However, with the new wrinkle of having the 4x800m Relay the week before the other events, you’re going to witness the fastest collection of 4x800m times ever, despite the small 160m oval at UNH. Exeter returns its entire All-American team from a year ago. Let’s not forget about Bedford, who ran 9:45 in the spring (without Barry), and Pinkerton, who is loaded in the middle distances. You could see three teams destroy the current state record.
Boys Preview
Team Race
Pinkerton dominated the state meet a year ago, leading to the question: can anyone compete with or push them this winter? The answer is likely no, but it’s worth noting that this year features an unusual concentration of talented seniors. Scanning last year’s results, it looks like 75% of the state meet qualifiers graduated. The returners, however, are very good.
The key to winning a state meet is depth, and Pinkerton appears to have that, with their strength coming from the distance crew that cruised to a title this fall. Other teams that are interesting on paper are Nashua North (behind their always dominant field events), Nashua South (with their returning sprint crew), and Winnacunnet (with guys who could score big points). Londonderry is another intriguing team, returning the quality point scorers it will take to get into the team picture in what could be a low-scoring state meet, where a bunch of teams might score between 30 and 40 points.
Sprints / Hurdles
The matchup everyone wants to see is between sprint king Ceasar Flahn (Manchester Central) and Owen Jenatos (Winnacunnet). Flahn has the edge in the 55m, but the nod in the 300m must go to 400m outdoor state record holder Jenatos. Each has a real shot at breaking the state record in his respective best event, potentially erasing Dominique Worsley of Central from the indoor record books.
In the hurdles, Wayne Crowell (Keene) is the top returner, but John Child (Pinkerton) and Ryan Jamison (Winnacunnet) should make for an outstanding 1-2-3 finish in some order.
Middle Distance
Last year saw historic 400m races outdoors. While most in this year’s field will try to avoid Jenatos in the 300m and opt for the 600m, it could make for a great race to watch. Shane Plumley (Alvirne) is the returning champion after winning it from the slow heat a year ago, and he enters this year as the clear favorite. Don’t count out Josh Twomey (Londonderry) or Will Hart (Portsmouth); these three could push each other to some of the fastest times in recent memory.
In the 1000m, Melo Berdecia (Dover) is the top returner and the class of the field. Can he make a run at 2:30? He may only be challenged in this event if one of the previously mentioned 600m runners decides to bump up to the 1k.
Distance
Pinkerton put on a clinic this fall, executing a great team race with a small 1–5 spread. Trainor Maillox (Pinkerton) and Lucas Gomez (Salem) are the top returning runners in the 3000m, but my pick for the favorite is Ethan Fischer (BG), who has taken his running to a whole new level. In the 1500m, Jason Robie (Pinkerton) is the class of the field and the top returner, coming off an amazing fall season. Teammate Maillox and Carson Fitzgerald (Londonderry) should be the main challengers, especially outdoor 1600m champion Fitzgerald.
Jumps
Gavin Suchecki (Nashua North) and Gabe Texeira (Bedford) should go back and forth in the High Jump this winter. Both boys cleared over 6 feet last year, with Suchecki winning both the indoor and outdoor titles.
In the Long Jump, the top six returners all graduated, but Oliver Gould (Pinkerton) is the defending outdoor champion and the preseason favorite. Returning behind him are Brendan Carney (Pinkerton) and Flahn (Manchester Central).
Shot Put
Raymond Karuru (Nashua South) is the top returning Shot Putter and the only underclassman who made the field a year ago. This event will likely come down to which coaches were able to recruit some new power athletes to the team.
Relays
With Pinkerton Academy’s depth, the 4x800m Relay being held a week early seems like a big advantage for them this year. They will be able to load up their relay team without worrying about their distance runners doubling back until the following week. The boys’ 4x800m could be a very challenging field to qualify for, requiring fast times during the regular season. I anticipate a Pinkerton squad which could make a run at eight minutes indoors.
The rest of the relays are almost impossible to predict, as nearly all the teams were filled with seniors last year. Pinkerton, however, only had one senior on their record-setting outdoor 4x100m team. If they can find one more leg, look for them to have a dominant 4x200m indoor season, as is usual for the program.
