The best from the Granite State made the relatively easy, short drive over the border to Noble High School in N. Berwick, Maine for the 79th New England Championships. Under challenging, relentlessly hot conditions NH had 27 make podium (top 6), collected 5 New England titles, broke 2 state records and shattered 1 New England record.
Fresh off shattering their own state record in the 4×800 relay at the Meet of Champions, the Exeter girls’ 4×800 team of Alexis Paterna, Brianna Paterna, Izzie Bremer, and Madeline Poteet once again made history by breaking the existing New England record by 8 seconds once again running sub 9:00. The Blue Hawks led gun to tape crossing in 8:57.01. The only other time a NH team has broken 9:00 was last century when Manchester Central ran 8:57.49 to win the 1999 Nationals. This was certainly a great tune-up for next week’s New Balance Nationals where Exeter will be in contention for sure. For clarification, state records cannot be set at any postseason meet like NB, Nike, USATF JO Nationals. Pinkerton Academy made it a NH 1-2 finish as Gabrielle Bedard, Kalisan Marzolf, Sarah Rzasa, and Naomi Ebhaleme rolled to an impressive 2nd place crossing in 9:21.36.
NH owned the 800 meters. Bedford’s Mikita Barry proved strong enough to lead from the outset to become the New England Champion running a courageous 2:11.24 over North Kingstown RI’s Abigail O’Neil who crossed in 2:12.63. Pinkerton’s Joe Gustavson decided to join Barry as a New England Champ holding off New Canaan CT’s Ryan Monohan 1:53.36 to 1:53.79. Courtesy of Portsmouth’s Will Hart and Dover’s Melo Berdecia, the Granite State occupied half the podium in this one. Hart placed 3rd in 1:54.55 and Berdecia claimed the final podium spot in 1:56.47.
Beleive it or not, Hopkinton’s Maddy Lane ran a very economical 3200, clicking off 78s and 79s until the final couple laps where she dropped a 76 and then a 72 to extend her lead and defend her New England title in 10:20.45. Also the current New England XC champ, she won by 17 seconds over VT state Champ Zoey McNabb of Champlain Valley.
Our final New England Champion came courtesy of Mascoma Valley’s Georgia Kondi as she claimed the shot put title by 8 inches over Ridgefield CT’s Elizabeth Campbell. Dramatically, Kondi waited until her final throw to launch herself into the lead and eventually the top of the podium! Congrats!
Londonderry’s boys 4×800 team claimed the runner-up position as they crossed in 7:52.46 around 2 seconds behind champ Xavier (CT). Finn McDonald, Jack DiBuono kept it close, 3rd leg Josh Twomey launched them into true contention, but it was Carson Fitzgerald, who made it a dramatic finish courtesy of his eye opening 1:53.54!
Portsmouth’s Leiana Cory placed 5th in a hotly contested 100 meters. She crossed in 12.41 to make the podium outleaning 6th and 7th who posted times of 12.42 and 12.43! NH then placed 2 on the podium in a crowded boys 1600 meters as the top placed were separated by only 2.61 seconds! Bishop Hendricken’s Colby Flynn won in the very final moments crossing in 4:12.30 over a diving Alexander Medina of Hamden CT, but it was Monadnock’s Peyton Joslyn hurdling over Medina to place 3rd in 4:13.40, only .07 and .13 ahead of 4th and 5th. Pinkerton’s Jason Robie fought his way onto the podium as well crossing in 4:14.91 to place 6th.
The next state record to go down happened in the 400. Memorial’s Ewa Edokpolo employed a more ‘relaxed’ first half strategy to close faster and crossed in a new state record of 47.41 to place 3rd! The record was 47.67 set last week by Con Val’s Ross Stephens – what a week of quarter miler history. We appreciate the fact these are the 2 best ever to do it in NH history and Edokpolo is a junior. Moments before this, Gilford junior Macy Sawyer made a little history of her own claiming All New England honors with a 4th place finish crossing in an impressive personal record of 56.81!
Pinkerton’s Gavin Edgecomb made the podium in the 300 meter Hurdles in perhaps those closest of margins for the day. He placed 6th finishing in 39.20, but so did Cumberland’s Matt Fontaine. Timers had to go to the thousandths to decide this one – 39.195 to 39.200!
Exeter girls focused on the relays for this week and it paid off. Martelle McBride joined Poteet, Alexis Paterna, Bremer to place 5th in 3:56.94 impressively breaking their school record. They did this out of the 2nd fastest heat.
The girls high jump saw 2 Granite Staters on the podium. Timberlane’s Danielle Bates and Bow’s Camden Wilson tied for 4th both clearing 5-05. They were part of a 4 way tie. Yep this is New Englands. In the other vertical jump, Nashua South’s Emma Millette cleared 11’3″ to claim the 4th place on the podium!
The boys long jump saw the future arrive as NH had 2 FRESHMEN make podium. Memorial’s Joel Elliott launched himself 22’3″ into the pit to place 3rd, just 3.5″ out of 2nd. Spaulding’s Caleb Plante achieved a mark of 22’1.5″ to place 6th by only 1.5″! Concord’s super sophomore Thomas Saysaw placed an impressive 3rd in the Triple Jump achieving a mark 45’11.5″. Saysaw broke the NH state record last week! NH future is bright in the horizontals.
Per all season Division 3 has been the best division in the throws and was well represented on the podium Saturday. In addition to Kondi’s title, Laconia’s own super soph Morgan Trefrey made podium as she placed 5th in the javelin with a mark of 127’0″. Newport’s junior Ayden Hodge threw a bomb of javelin to claim runner up honors with a toss of 193’2″! South’s Sawyer Penny made it 2 on the podium in this one, unleashing a 179’11” mark to place 4th. NH state record holder in the discus, Mascoma Valley’s Barnaby Diehn placed 5th in this event with a throw of 165’3″.
Congrats to all! Good luck to all moving on the NH Decathlon/Heptathlon as well as New Balance or Nike Nationals!
