It’s almost become a requirement in recent years. Want to win an Eagle-Tribune boys outdoor track Athlete of the Year? You better break a record.
The run began in 2022, when Lawrence’s Jordany Volquez broke the area’s 200-meter record (21.18) on his way to MVP honors. A year later, Methuen’s Darwin Jimenez set the area 100-meter record (10.61) on his way to taking top honors.
The last two years, it’s been Pinkerton stars. In 2025, Charlie Franks smashed the modern javelin record (201-5), and this year it was Joe Gustavson breaking the 800-meter record (1:52.23). Both ended up as MVPs.
The lone outlier is 2024 MVP Kevin Brooks, but he set the Windham High boys soccer record for goals in a single season with 23, on his way to Eagle-Tribune MVP honors in that sport as well.
We have produced some national-caliber athletes including former MVPs Sean Furey, a two-time Olympian from Methuen, and Harvard captain Erick Duffy of North Andover.
Mike O’Donnell of Methuen and UConn made a strong run at a sub-4 minute mile with a best of 4:02.03.
Phillips star Alex Fleury of North Andover delivered some monster times in the mile.
It’s not really a list of area greats if a Farnham isn’t on it. Andover’s Patrick Farnham was our MVP in 2011.
We’ve produced some great pole vaulters including MVPs Duffy, Andover’s Mark Vetere and Peter Ellis, and Pinkerton’s Jake Radzevich. Tracksters don’t get the fat scholarships of some other sports but all those vaulters continued to soar in college and beyond. Duffy hit 17-9 while Vetere did 17-3.5 at Navy and Radzevich cleared 17-0 at UConn.
In the late ‘90s, Timberlane had a run of three MVPs in four years with Division 1 scholar-athletes Jason Vanderhoof (Wisconsin), Taylor Smith (Dartmouth) and Kevin Verge (Columbia).