The faces may switch out every year, but the results remain the same: Plain and simple, the Newburyport girls 4×400 relay team is elite.
Every year, without fail.
For the third indoor season in a row, the Clippers girls 4×400 relay squad is your Division 4 State Champion in the event. On Sunday, the unit of Reese Bromby, Blake Parker, Morgan Felts and Devin Stroope raced to first yet again at the Division 4 State Championship Meet, crossing the finish line in 4:13.34 to defend their state crown and complete the three-peat. In fact, we say that the faces may change, but in actuality, Stroope has been a member of all three state champions. Parker joined her on the winning team two years ago, and last year, Felts was on the victorious unit.
But all three years, Stroope has been the dominant anchor.
And behind the 4×4’s winning performance, the Newburyport girls, as a team, were able to take third at Sunday’s Division 4 State Meet. The Clippers finished with 34 points, which trailed only Holliston (69) and Pembroke (48). On the boy’s side, Newburyport tied for fourth — with Ludlow — with 26 points, behind the trio of Wakefield (64), Pembroke (41) and Holliston (31).
Let’s stick with the girls first, though.
Stroope, a perennial Daily News All-Star both in Indoor and Outdoor season, had herself another day in the biggest meet of the year. The sensational junior not only competed in the winning relay, but also won the 600 in a personal-record time (1:37.26), and ran on the 6th-place 4×200 team alongside Lucy Buchmayr, Felts and Bromby. So another two-time state champion sounds just about right for Stroope.
Felts herself also place third in the 600 in personal-record time (1:38.23), and Buchmayr was fifth in the 55-hurdles (9.30). Elsewhere, Julia Schena ran a 9.47 to qualify for the hurdles finals — where she would place eighth — and also finished 15th in the long jump (14-11.75). Lastly, the 4×800 relay team of Maya LaRosa, Abby Kelly, Ciara Geraghty and Ava Lasson took ninth (10:51.03).
Moving over to the boys, there were of course plenty of highlights to speak of.
Top among them being talented junior Jalen Wise, who placed second in the 600 (1:24.41), and also ran on the 4th-place 4×800 relay alongside Michael Mohoric, Alex Lisauskas and Aimon Fadil (8:40.10). Mohoric himself was fifth in the Mile in personal-best time (4:30.00), and Lisauskas had a busy day also finishing eighth in the 1000 (2:43.39) and 13th in the hurdles (8.47). You then had Matteo Colombo continue his excellent winter season in the long jump and place second (21-1.00), while Cade Pessolano tossed a 40-6.75 to finish 12th in the shot put and Alex Rully was 10th in the 300 (37.38).
Division 4 State Championship (Boys)
Meet Results (32 teams scored): 1. Wakefield 64; 2. Pembroke 41; 3. Holliston 31; 4. Newburyport 26
Top Newburyport finishers:
300: 10. Alex Rully 37.38; 600: 2. Jalen Wise 1:24.41; 1,000: 8. Alex Lisauskas 2:43.39; Mile: 5. Michael Mohoric 4:30.00; 55 hurdles: 13. Kyle Lisauskas 8.47; 4×400: 11. Matteo Colombo, William Downs, Kyle Lisauskas, David Walker (3:44.10); 4×800: 4. Michael Mohoric, Jalen Wise, Alex Lisauskas, Aimon Fadil (8:40.10); LJ: 2. Matteo Colombo 21-1.00; SP: 12. Cade Pessolano 40-6.75
Division 4 State Championship (Girls)
Meet Results (36 teams scored): 1. Holliston 69; 2. Pembroke 48; 3. Newburyport 34; 4. Norton 31; 5. Whitinsville Christian 29
Top Newburyport finishers:
300: 13. Reese Bromby 44.09; 600: 1. Devin Stroope 1:37.26, 3. Morgan Felts 1:38.23; 1,000: 15. Ciara Geraghty 3:12.32, 16. Blake Parker 3:12.38 ; Mile: 11. Morgan Boddy 5:49.40, 13. Ava Lasson 5:54.59; 2-Mile: 15. Devon Davis 13:27.29; 55 hurdles: 5. Lucy Buchmayr 9.30, 8. Julia Schena 9.47; 4×200: 6. Lucy Buchmayr, Reese Bromby, Morgan Felts, Devin Stroope (1:51.55); 4×400: 1. Reese Bromby, Blake Parker, Morgan Felts, Devin Stroope (4:13.34); 4×800: 9. Maya LaRosa, Ciara Geraghty, Abby Kelly, Ava Lasson (10:51.03) LJ: 15. Julia Schena 14-11.75