By Stephen Mazzone – Bay State Running
The Arcadia Invitational, the Penn Relays Carnival and Track Night NYC.
In every high-level race she has been on point. In every high-level race no one else has finished in front of her.
Westford Academy’s Abby Hennessy is once again onto something special in her final high school season, her farewell tour before she takes her undeniable talent to the University of Washington in the fall.
The next challenge for Hennessy comes Friday at the annual BSR Elite Scholastic Meet at the UMass-Lowell.
The WA standout is entered in the elite 800-meter run where she holds the top seed with her best of 2:07.18 from her victory at the Division I Championships. Based on what she’s already accomplished this season – including some of the nation’s top times in the mile (No. 2, 4:35.84) and 3,200m (No. 5, 9:50.84) – look for Hennessy to significantly improve on her 800m best Friday night.
The current Massachusetts state record is 2:04.54, set by former Cambridge Rindge & Latin standout Darlene Beckford back in 1980. With the competition she’ll be facing on Friday night, the 46-year-old mark appears well within reach of Hennessy.
Friday night’s field may provide exactly what she needs to take down one of the Bay State’s oldest records.
Who are some of the top challengers in a race loaded with gifted runners? There are several.
The No. 2 seed is Mikita Berry of Bedford (NH). In an event she has raced sparingly, Berry owns a personal best of 2:09.27 from last June’s New Balance Nationals. The Bulldogs senior also possesses impressive range with sub-57 second speed in the 400m and a mile best of 4:51.72.
Sarah Roberts of Mercy (CT), runner-up at the 2025 CIAC State Open in a personal-best 2:09.58, holds the No. 3 seed. Massachusetts standouts Emily Frawley of Newton South (2:10.68) and Lexington’s Amelia Whorton (2:11.20) round out the next two spots and both appear capable of dipping under 2:10 if everything comes together Friday night.
The field also includes the Bay State’s Hayden Robinson of Seekonk (2:13.22), Penny Blumenthal of Newton North, and Madison Roach of Needham (2:13.80) as well as New Hampshire’s Isabella Bremer of Exeter (2:14.81). Blumenthal, the indoor 600m winner at the Meet of Champions, has not competed in the 800m. But the Tigers senior certainly has the credentials to excel in the two-lapper with bests of 1:32.33 for the 600m and 58.10 for the 400m.
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BOYS’ 800m
With the field assembled for Friday night’s race, we’re expecting a winning time somewhere in the 1:51-1:52 range – perhaps even faster.
It’s that good.
All eight runners in the field own seeds of 1:55 or faster.
Leading the way is defending champion Eamon O’Brien of La Salle Academy (RI). O’Brien captured the inaugural 800m title at last year’s meet with his current best of 1:52.81. Like several others in the field, O’Brien has raced sparingly this spring while preparing for the championship portion of the season. In his lone 800m race of the outdoor campaign on April 10, he clocked a solid 1:54.57 against a mostly collegiate field at the Friar Invitational.
New Hampshire’s Joe Gustavson of Pinkerton (1:52.31) and Brookline’s Harry Flint (1:52.80) also bring sub-1:53 credentials into Friday night’s competition and are always up for the challenge in races like this. Flint may possess the greatest raw speed in the field with PRs of 22.9 for 200m and 49.34 for 400m, potentially giving him an edge if the race comes down to a sprint finish.
Still, this is a take-your-pick kind of race.
Expect a tightly packed field throughout with very little separation among the leaders as they charge down the home stretch.
And the depth doesn’t stop there.
Arlington’s Nico Puerkert certainly can’t be counted out. Puerkert captured the 600m title at the Meet of Champions this winter with a PR and state-leading 1:21.49. He also owns an 800m best of 1:53.05 from his victory at last year’s Division I Championships. So far this spring, he has clocked a season-best 1:56.61 in a league meet where he finished nearly four seconds ahead of the next competitor.
Another athlete to watch is Williston Northampton’s Brody Richardson, who raced to a best of 1:54.04 while placing ninth at Track Night NYC on May 1.
The remaining entrants include New Hampshire standouts Will Hart of Portsmouth (1:55.73) and Melo Berdecia of Dover (1:55.75), along with Xaverian Brothers’ Jack Wintraub (1:56.06).
