By Patrick O’Brien
It is always exciting to be back at the Bobcat Invitational, one of the last big meets before championship season. With lots of great competition across the board, every event is worth your attention, but these are a few that stand out.
Girls 400
We should see an epic battle in the 400 between 3 very different athletes, all of whom boast a lifetime best of 57.x. Bedford’s Mikita Barry is the top seed as one of the best Mid-D/Distance runners in the state. Central’s Angela Cenesca has been one of the top 400 and 300h in the state for the last couple of years. Portsmouth’s Leiana Cory often swings down to the shorter sprints, but can absolutely mix it up in the 400 too. Three completely different racing styles, one finish line.
Boys LJ
Boys Long Jump has both depth, and top end talent. The event has 2 of the top 3 jumpers in the state thus far in Pelham’s Osinachi Nwabueze, and freshman phenom Caleb Plante of Spaulding. They have marks of 22’ 5” and 21’ 9” respectively. While these 2 may go back and forth at the top, there are also 5 more guys who have surpassed 20 feet this season, led by Micah Gedney of Oyster River.
Girls Shot
Some of these events are highlighted because they are expected to be very close. This is not one of them. Instead, this event gives you a chance to see the top Shot Put thrower in the state by a significant margin in Georgia Kondi of Mascoma Valley. She comes in with a season best throw of 42’ 2”, almost 8 feet ahead of the next closest in the meet. There are 7 other girls who have thrown over 30 feet, a very respectable mark, but all eyes will be on Kondi. How far can she go?
Boys 3200
The Boys 3200 may be the distance event to watch at the meet this year, with 6 guys who have run under 10 minutes. D2 is well represented, as 5 of them come from Coe-Brown and Oyster River in CBNA’s Patrick Youngs, Sam Youngs and Broden Cox, as well as OR’s Levi Clapp and Garrett Sellers. The other one is Jack Mortimer of Bedford, who is definitely a contender as well as a seasoned distance runner. Patrick Youngs may be the favorite, but expect a large lead pack deep into the race before it finally breaks open.
Girls 100h
This race could be the D2 States preview, as the 4 top seeds will all be competing. They are also the top 4 in the entire state in this event! Oyster River’s Avery Baumgardt has the fastest time thus far at 15.06, and will be challenged closely by Kingswood’s Norah Pelletier, Coe-Brown’s Bristol Shirland, and Hollis Brookline’s Grace Dow, who have all run under 15.4. Get your popcorn ready!
Boys Disc
Similar to the Girls Shot, this one may not be all that close, and again it is due to a star Mascoma Valley thrower. This time it is Barnaby Diehn, who has a monster mark of 183’ 11” this season. At this point, Diehn is on State Record watch every time he competes, given that his mark already surpasses the record. The necessary equipment to validate such a record will be present on Saturday, so we could see some new history written. Keep an eye on Barnaby!
Girls 200
Many of the sprint events look strong, and the girls 200 is no exception. Bedford’s freshman star Alaina Beck enters as the top seed at 25.87. She will face stiff competition from multi-time State Champion Macy Sawyer of Gilford. I wouldn’t sleep on Coe-Brown’s Lila Fitzpatrick or Central’s Angela Cenesca either, as this is shaping up to be a four-way battle down the straight.
Boys 400
With 7 entries under 52 seconds, the 400 is certainly a boys sprint event to watch. Mid-D star Will Hart of Portsmouth enters as the favorite. Coe-Brown’s Jackson Doran has also broken 51, while Winnacunnet’s Dexter Mariotti is the latest great long sprinter out of Winnacunnet. PCA’s Israel Stanley, Spaulding’s Quincee Lewis, and Coe-Brown’s Anthony Szatko are all also real threats to podium in this very competitive event.
Girls Jav
This is quite the competitive field, as the top 4 seeds are all over 109 feet, with just over 2 feet of separation between them. Central’s Josie Lefebvre is the top seed at 111’ 6”, but will be challenged by Raymond’s Madelyn Donahue, Coe-Brown’s Elizabeth Joy, and Oyster River’s Mollie Sexton. It is truly up for grabs!
Boys HJ
Boys High Jump is an event where at least 7 guys have legitimate chances to win the event. High Jump can already be a little unpredictable to begin with, and there are 5 guys tied atop the field who have cleared 6 feet this season. Throw in 2 more at 5’ 10”, and this becomes a can’t miss event. Central’s Charles Holmes, Hopkinton’s Kristoff Cauley, Portsmouth’s Brendan Kumph and Ben Bloom, and Somersworth’s Orlando Wondal are the co-favorites at 6 feet.
