As with Division 2, the Division 1 State Indoor Championships simply produced way too many historical performances to have just 1 or 2 HOKA Athletes of the Week! We cannot overlook state records when considering whether or not to have a repeat Hoka AOW during season. We typically attempt to spread the wealth because there are so many incredible athletes and performances. So beginning girls!
Bedford’s Anika Scott crushed the existing indoor state record in the long jump by nearly 2 feet leaping to 20’3.25″! Prior to this no female had eclipsed the 19 foot barrier, let alone 20 feet! Scott also went on to win the High Hurdles in a jaw dropping D1 record of 8.07, only .06 from another state record. For good measure she placed 3rd in the 300 and was a leg on Bedford’s 4th place 4×200 relay. All totaled, Scott scored 27 points for the state champs!
Central’s Harriet Barber broke one of the more impressive indoor state records with the 300 meters. Unchallenged the entire season, she crept closer and closer to it prior to Sunday. She broke through to blaze 39.59 to break Anna Cioffredi’s from 2007! She did this after placing an impressive third in the shortest of sprints, the 55 meter dash, in 7.30. The D1 record entering the meet was 7.29 (congrats to Alexis Best the new 55m Dash record holder)!
Winnacunnet’s Oliver Duffy won Hoka AOW earlier this season, but then he long jumped 23’5.5″. A Division 1 record by a foot. And he also won the D1 title in the High Jump. Finally he anchored the D1 Champion 4×200 m Relay. Combine these with his 6th place in the High Hurdles and Duffy scored 23.5 of Winnacunnet’s 45 points!
NH sprinting has been at an apex this season. Any given weekend, one of several would step up to be the majordomo of the sprints. This past weekend, there was one who stood out winning both the Dash and the 300 meters, an impressive feat in its own right. Windham’s Kevin Brooks entered the Division 1 meet with the top time in the Dash and backed it up crossing in 6.45. He then backed that performance up with perhaps a more impressive time as he won the 300 in 35.27!! In the process, he scored 20 of Windham’s 25 points.
Congratulations to Scott, Barber, Duffy and Brooks! This week’s HOKA D1 Athletes of the Week!
