By Nate Leveille
All D1 teams return to action at Plymouth State University on Sunday, February 8th, for the conclusion of the state meet, which began a week earlier at UNH with the completion of the High Jump and the 4×800.
Team Competition
In the preseason preview, I noted that this is one of the most dominant Pinkerton Boys teams in recent memory. Their performances this winter have solidified that belief. While anything can happen at a state meet, a significant number of things would need to go wrong for them to miss out on the banner. Projected to score over 100 points, they sit more than 50 points ahead of the competition. They boast depth in every discipline: jumps, hurdles, throws, sprints, mid-distance, and distance. In fact, they are projected to score in every scheduled event and could hit double digits in eight of them.
However, their dominance creates a thrilling battle for the runner-up. Nashua North holds a slim advantage for second place, with the majority of its projected 40+ points coming from the relays and the shot put. Winnacunnet is projected to score roughly the same amount, though their points will likely come from relays and distances ranging from 55m to 600m. Winnacunnet has some major scorers and could easily improve on their projections. Bishop Guertin (BG) could also jump into the picture behind their distance star and a sprinkle of points in other events. Finally, Alvirne is a dangerous team. On paper, they have the stars to score big in their entered events. However, they will need to outperform their seeds to break into the 40s, which is likely the threshold required to take second place. I anticipate the runner-up spot won’t be decided until the final relay, which will make for an exciting finish.
Sprints & Hurdles
Defending 55-meter champion Ceasar Flahn of Manchester Central just missed the D1 and state record last year, running a 6.40. Is this the year he breaks it? Maybe, but he will have company; Winston George of Pinkerton comes in with an identical seed time of 6.51. Following those two is Travis Cavallo of Pinkerton, who might be the fastest of the three out of the blocks. Rounding out the top seeds in the dash are Owen Janetos of Winnacunnet, Jordan Zaninni of Salem, and Tyler Parshay of BG.
The 300m is going to be special. Janetos of Winnacunnet, the outdoor 400m state record holder, is the top seed, yet he is seeded below the current D1 and state record. Flahn is the two-seed, and George is the three-seed. Everyone has been waiting for this battle. Despite the flat track, all three could go under the current record. Trailing those three are Michael Duarte of Pinkerton, Aaron Geldart of Spaulding, and Ewa Edokpolo of Manchester Memorial.
The 55m Hurdles should be another highly competitive race, with six boys seeded under 8 seconds. John Child of Pinkerton is the top seed, followed by Ryan Jamison of Winnacunnet, Joey Marcotte of Alvirne, Oliver Gould of Pinkerton, and Wayne Crowell of Keene.
Mid-Distance
Joe Gustavson of Pinkerton is the top seed in the 600m, boasting a blistering 1:23.37 run in Boston last month. Jamison of Winnacunnet is the two-seed at 1:23.77, Will Hart of Portsmouth is the three-seed at 1:24.51, and defending 600m champ Shane Plumley of Alvirne is the four-seed. Rounding out the fast heat are Sam Prescott and Liam Ireland, both of BG. There are plenty of points up for grabs here for teams looking for a podium finish.
The top seeds in the 1000m opted for other events, clearing the way for Josh Twomey of Londonderry and Melo Berdecia of Dover. Melo recorded the fastest split of the day last week in the 4×800. Both athletes finished second in their events at states last year, so they will be hunting for their first indoor state titles. Rounding out the top six seeds are Bunhour Chea of Nashua North, Will Moores of BG, Austin Cipriano of Pinkerton, and Sean Hayes of Pinkerton.
Distance
Despite the 300m being absolutely loaded, I view the 3000-meter run as the potential race of the meet on the boys’ side. The D1 record is 8:42.52, and with this quality field, that time is in serious jeopardy. Ethan Fischer of BG is the top seed (8:39.59), followed by Jason Robie of Pinkerton (8:42.31). Fischer will want to press the pace to shake Robie and neutralize his lethal kick. Don’t count out Lucas Gomez of Salem, Trainor Mailloux of Pinkerton, or Josiah Conley of Concord, who are all under 9 minutes and can hang on to a fast pace. The 1500m features many of the same faces. Fischer, Conley, and Robie are the top three seeds, followed by Carson Fitzgerald of Londonderry, Mailloux of Pinkerton, and Cole Burns of Nashua North.
Long Jump & Shot Put
Marcotte of Alvirne is the top seed in the long jump (22’ 2.5”), followed by Flahn of Manchester Central (22’ 2”). Rounding out the top six are Leighton Freytag of Pinkerton, Oliver Gould of Pinkerton, Colton Ray of Exeter, and Elijah Torres of Manchester Memorial.
In the shot put, Thomas Blazka of Pinkerton is the top seed and the only thrower over 50 feet (52’ 0.5”). Following him are Raymond Karuru of Nashua South, Jose Marcano of Nashua North, Dominick Coffie of Nashua North, Charles Barrett of Alvirne, and Thomas Connolly of Pinkerton. Nashua North needs big points in this event to have a shot at second place.
Relays
The 4×400 relay should be a classic, as the top four teams are separated by just three seconds. Top-seeded Nashua North looks to secure important points, followed by Winnacunnet, Pinkerton, and Manchester Central. This event could decide the runner-up position. Looking to round out the scoring are Nashua South, Alvirne, BG, and Portsmouth.
In the 4×200, Pinkerton is the top seed. If they nail their handoffs, we could be on D1 and State Record watch. Following them are two-seed Alvirne, three-seed Nashua North, and four-seed Winnacunnet. Merrimack, BG, Nashua South, and Manchester Central will look to close out the scoring.
