Oh what a weekend! New Balance Nationals once again attracted the very best in scholastic track and field from all over our country. With it being the only national championship within a short drive from NH, the end of the indoor season is our annual opportunity to witness the pinnacle of high school track and field with All Americans being recognized, national champions being crowned and national records broken. This is a rare opportunity a select few get a chance to take advantage of this level of competition because it is simply tough to qualify. We did have a strong NH contingent do just that and having a presence. Congrats to all the athletes who participated and exceled!
Hard to find a team who took more advantage of the opportunity than the Exeter girls. They began their weekend by placing 5th in the 4×800 Relay in 9:07 and change. That is right, the state record holders Brianna Paterna, Izzie Bremer, Eli Cross and Lexi Paterna battled (and it was a battle) with the best in the nation to nab another All-American. They followed that with the Sprint Medley the very next day on Friday where Bremer and Lexi Paterna joined Avery Carrigan and Martelle McBride to place 9th in the nation with a 4:03.83. This is a relay has legs 200-200-400-800 – Carrigan (26.8) to McBride (24.9) to Bremer (59) to Paterna (2:12).
Lexi Paterna returned in one of the marquee events, the mile on Sunday. Her 4:44 from earlier this season proved fast enough to make the heater heat, and this year’s fastest section promised to be one of the best in meet history. The national record watch was on as Katy Zang strode away to claim first in 4:35.02 while Abigail Hennessy of Mass made it exciting closing in and crossing in 4:36.74. While this drama was unfolding, Paterna simply did what Paterna does…battle and race. She battled through the field, all the way across the finish line to place 7th in 4:42.33. This is the fastest mile ever recorded by a NH female athlete indoors or outdoors. The fastest prior was posted by Maegan Doody in 4:42.86 at the 2016 Outdoor Nationals.
For good measure, the Blue Hawk Track Club topped their weekend off with a blazing 4×400 time of 3:58.27. This time it was Emma Roeder to Madeline Poteet, to McBride to Bremer. All split 59 and change essentially. What is significant is this time is the 2nd fastest in state history! Only 2013 Bishop Guertin squad is faster with a 3:57.67.
NH was not all about Exeter as the Granite State is loaded with talent. In addition to the Blue Hawks we also have a couple athletes who are largely contributing this era of great female distance running as both Hopkinton’s Maddy Lane and Bedford’s Mikita Barry had great weekends of their own. Lane doubled with the 2 mile on Friday and 1 mile on Sunday. On Friday she placed 22nd overall with a 10:26.99. Only Jackie Gaughan (10:09.20) and Lexi Paterna (10:26.54) have been faster in state history. And while the 2 mile may be a stronger distance, Lane returned Sunday to continue to drop her mile time, now down to 4:58.07.
Mikita Barry also had herself a weekend which began on Friday night with the Distance Medley Championship where she split a 4:58 to anchor her team (Grace Boll, Libby Foxx, Anna Ray) to 23rd overall in the nation in 12:33.13. She then went to what may be her strongest event placing 36th in the 800 with a 2:13.37. For great measure, on Sunday she raced patiently by latching on and rolling with the pack to a 4:55.08.
Pinkerton, Parker Knowlton, Sarah Rzasa, Nicole Blake and Gabrielle Bedard, was also in this one crossing in 12:44.31 for 40th overall. And demonstrating the depth of NH distance, Oyster River was within 10 seconds as Maddy Cook, Elizabeth Carty, Haley Bezanson, and Olivia Kavanagh crossed in 12:52.34. For a small state, it is not too shabby to have 3 quality teams in 1 championship relay event.
Shout out to Bishop Guertin’s super soph Ethan Fischer as he had himself beginning with a crazy impressive 14:43 in the 5000 meters. This is the 2nd fastest all time behind Aidan Cox’s 14:21.98 in 2023. For further perspective, his former teammate Matt Giardina ran 14:50 last year as a senior. For good measure, he came back to PR in the mile on Sunday running a tactically sound 4:20.11. In that same event Pinkerton’s Jason Robie unleashed a blistering kick to cross in 4:17.33.
Huge shout out to Pinkerton’s Joseph Gustavson as he simply keeps getting faster! He lowered his personal record once again to a 1:52.53 placing an incredible 14th in the nation!
Additional Shout Outs!
- In the 400, Con Val’s Ross Stephens posted a 48.75 (this is one of the fastest ever for NH), Timberlane’s Charlotte Beaudoin 58.68, and Macy Sawyer 58.91!!!
- In the High Jump Timberlane’s Danielle Bates placed 16th (5’5″).
- Oyster River girls came back to place 44th in the 4xmile as Cook, Bezanson and Kavanagh combined with Jahrie Houle.
- Mascoma Valley’s Georgia Kondi took 25th in the Shot Put with a toss of 38’5″.
- NH’s Joel Elliott placed 2nd in the freshmen Long Jump soaring over 21′
