The NH State Championships return to Plymouth State for the second year this weekend. After a regular and qualifying season seeing relatively small amounts of snow, yielding strong performances, the state meets this Saturday (yep the D2 meet is moved up a day to Saturday and a 4:15 start) are sandwiched between 2 snow events. Fields events are featured for the first as the long jump, shot put and high jump take center stage for the first 90 minutes and yes we will also have separate livestreams for each one for those who cannot make the trip to Plymouth! For those in attendance, Speed Sport Timing will have large screens at each event. Also new this year, the all-state presentation will be at the end of the meet with all state champs making the team with the remainder of the team being voted on by coaches by the culmination of the meet. As always, NH Track and Field will be there providing the livestreams, instagram coverage with athlete interviews, and snapping pics! In the meantime enjoy the preview below and check out our meet hub for everything!
Boys
Teams
In 2023 the Coe-Brown boys team won by scoring over 100 points. Last year, they won again, but it was by a scant 2 points over a gutsy John Stark team. With matriculation over the last couple years, the common thought was they would not be contending, but as we look at the meet now on paper, Coe-Brown is one of several teams with a shot to claim the state championships. They are a few points behind both Milford and Oyster River who are separated by only 1 point based on seeds. Matter of fact, that gutsy John Stark team is back and sitting within 10 points of the favorites while Con-Val is sitting within 15 points. So yeah, that’s 5 teams with legitimate reasons to “go for it” come Sunday. And with this parity, this may be one of the lowest scoring team affairs ever, as the champ will likely have a total score in the 40s. What this means is excitement throughout the meet which may come down to the relays which will cap the drama!
Sprints/Hurdles
The High Hurdles will kick things off on the straight with Pelham’s Colby Crear as the favorite on paper at 7.62. Don’t count out Monadnock’s Gavin Lombara as he is a veteran with state championships on his resume as well. He has a tendency to rise to the occasion in the championship season so he is not just going cede the title to Crear. Team implications here as Coe-Brown has 2 seeds in scoring position with Cameron Lee at 3rd and Brogan Grzybowski 5th.
Different from last year which saw the Dash with a handful of favorites, HB’s Samuel Bruneau has to be considered the slight favorite as he has had incredible season and comes in with a seed time almost a tenth better than the field. However the next 4 seeds are in a dead heat if you will. With Milford’s Avery Wilson, Oyster River’s Talon Ouellette, Con-Val’s Kendrick Edwards as well as Trinity’s Anthony DiGiantommaso, the Dash will have an impact on early team scores.
The 300 seems to have a heavier favorite as Oyster River’s Ouellette dropped that 35.0 in Boston earlier in the season to give him a 1.4 second cushion on paper. He then followed that with a sub 50 in the 400 this past weekend. However, he will have company as Con-Val’s Ross Stephens, the 2nd seed at 36.40 also went under 50 last weekend with a 49.35! Don’t sleep on Bow’s Kody McCranie as the 3rd seed with a 36.49 either. Throw in other impressive names like Milford’s Wilson and Pelham’s Crear and we will have a barnstormer with major team implications.
Middle Distance/ Distance
Also different from last year are the distance events. Who can forget Coe-Brown’s Jamie Lano scoring 28 points winning both the 3k and 1500 while placing the closest of 2nds in the 1k under the then existing D2 record. While we don’t have that one dominant athlete, we do have Con-Val’s William Simard and Hanover’s Andrew Valentino, who are the top 2 seeds in the 3k and 1500. Simard is the heavy favorite in the 3k with an 8:32.22 seed to Valentino’s 8:49.89. With the next seed almost 30 seconds back expect these two to break away early. Pay attention to the chase pack however as it will have team implications as well.
Valentino and Simard both clock in with a 4:10 and change in the 1500. As they are doubling back, a fresh Kearsarge’s Daniel Dalbec will certainly take shot at crashing the party.
The 1k would be an incredible race with Milford’s Logan Korthals and Monadnock’s Peyton Joslyn as both come in with 2:39 clockings. Korthals could be coming off the 4×800, so perhaps give Joslyn the edge here. Don’t rule out Oyster River’s Mitchell Keesee either as well as Inter-Lakes Isaac Nudd-Homeyer. The 600 could be the race of the meet with Milford’s Will Whitley and defending champ MV’s Mychal Reynolds as their seed times are separated by .14. CBNA’s Luc Kerouac and HB’s Jacob Hoesch both at 1:28, will certainly put pressure on the top 2.
Field Events
The High Jump sees defending John Stark’s Rio Calle as the top seed clearing 6’3″ this season. His teammate Sam Kinsey-Turner has cleared 6’2″ as the 2nd seed. With the potential to score 18 points, John Stark is certainly looking at this as a pivotal event. Don’t overlook Merrimack Valley’s Owen Turner and Nicolas Oglesby as they have also cleared 6′ this season. Calle is also the top seed in the Long Jump with his giant leap of 22’0″ this season. Watch for Inter-Lakes David Walker, returning champ Trinity’s Rere Edokpolo as well as MV’s Oglesby to have a say about that as well!
Two 50+ foot shot putters sit atop the field in the lone throwing event. Mascoma Valley’s Barnaby Diehn and Prospect Mountain’s Parker Wood will be attempting to dethrone the defending champ Joel Douzanis of John Stark.
Relays
The 4×800 will certainly set the tone for the team battle as Milford, Coe-Brown, Oyster River are three of the top seeds. Milford is the defending champ with the top seed so has to be considered the heavy favorite here, but expect a battle between route 4 rivals CBNA and OR. Don’t over look Souhegan either as they are the 3rd seed and always seem to put something together for this event. Speaking of Souhegan, they are the top seed in the 4×400, expect them to load up for this relay as well. Pelham is the 2nd seed with CBNA 3rd and Inter-Lakes 4th. With Oyster River the 5th seed, this relay could have major team title implications. If the meet comes down to the final event, the 4×200 which we are almost guaranteed this year, Oyster River must have the edge as the top seed.
Girls
Teams
While the boys team race for a title is close, close, close, the girls will see a repeat of last year as the Oyster River juggernaut rolls on! They are slated to score over 100 points which is almost 3 times as much as the runner up is expected to tally. The real team competition will be for the runner-up plaque as Sanborn, Hanover, Bow, Hollis/Brookline and Belmont are all within 5 points of one another.
Sprints & Hurdles
Oyster River is not just middle distance and distance! Avery Baumgardt is the top seed in the High Hurdles. Expect her to battle to the line with H/B’s Grace Dow as they are separated by .01 and don’t be surprised if CBNA’s Bristol Shirland is a factor as she has also broken 9 seconds.
Belmont junior Ava Lacasse seems to have the hot hand right now as she sits atop the Dash seeds with a 7.54. Gilford’s Macy Sawyer, Kingswood’s Kylie Rapoza as well as Hanover’s Maeve Bradley have to be considered title contenders as well. Expect Sawyer and Rapoza to do battle again later in the meet in the 300 meters with Sawyer the top seed with a 42.08 and Rapoza a 43.37. Dow is also doubling back to this after the hurdles and is the 3rd seed.
Middle Distance & Distance
This is where Oyster River will do the heavy lifting. In the 3000 meters, expect defending champ Mackenzie Cook of Oyster River to stride through this one as she has over a minute edge on the next best seed. With also being entered in the 1k a short time later, we would be surprised to see her take a shot at the D2 record of 9:58. She did post a 9:57 last weekend after all. Expect Newmarket’s Eilis McKenna and Mascenic’s Erin O’Shea to battle for 2nd.
With the 1k, Cook also enjoys quite the cushion in this event as well with a 17 second gap to 2nd. Mascenic’s Kaitlin O’Shea, Hanover’s Aria Deeb, and HB’s Molly Reardon are seeded within 2 seconds of one another. In the 600, Bow’s Hannah Pawlowski is the defending champ and has simply gotten consistently faster over the course this season to earn the #1 seed with her 1:41.66 best. Sanborn’s Sophie Thurlow is the solid #2 seed at 1:43.18 but don’t sleep on Kennett veteran Piper Lopashanski who is seeded third.
The 1500 was again sees OR’s Haley Kavanagh back to defend her title. Last year she broke the D2 record, expect her to lower it even more. She comes in with a seed of 4:36.53. Her teammate Madelyn Cook is the 2nd seed at 4:54.94. Cook is quietly having a strong indoor campaign, expect her to be faster as well. This will no doubt be another 18 points for the Bobcats.
Relays
With Haley Kavanagh and Madelyn Cook on OR’s 4×800, expect the Bobcats to begin things on the track with a W and a big 10 points. Hanover is a solid 2nd seed with their 10:36 seed. Oyster River is also the strong favorite for the 4×400 towards the end of the meet with a 10 second advantage on the 2 seed Hanover. Look for strong squads from Sanborn, Hollis/Brookline and Belmont as well. To conclude the meet expect a tight battle in the 4×200 between Belmont, HB, Oyster River and Kennett. Belmont has earned the top seed here with their 1:29.81.
Field Events
Bow’s Camden Wilson has cleared 5’0″ this season and it the top seed. Sanborn’s Delilah Bristol and Hanna Tomany have both cleared 4’10” and could prove integral to Sanborn’s chances for the runner up plaque. Defending long jump champ West’s Eshaya Lauder is the top seed with her mark of 17’6.5″. This is more than a foot advantage on 2nd seed Baumgardt of OR. Bishop Brady’s Sarah Allen is the 3rd seed. CBNA’s Isabelle Grenier is the top seed in the Shot Put with her mark of 34’7″. Raymond’s Madelyn Donohue is the 2nd seed and the only other athlete with a mark over 33′. Donohue checks in with a 34’1.5″ seed.
Good luck to all!
