On one side was a brand new champion, seeing life from the top of the mountain for the first time.
On the other was a program that scaled the summit for a 16th consecutive season and still never takes the feeling of victory for granted.
Masconomet’s girls won the Northeastern Conference outdoor track championship meet for the first time ever to highlight a spirited morning of competition Saturday at Danvers High’s Dr. Deering Stadium. Peabody’s boys, meanwhile, remained the league’s kingpin by topping the standings just as they have each year since 2008.
“The goal is always to be competitive in the NEC meet. It’s the first true assessment of how our athletes have progressed during the season into the state meets,” said Peabody head coach Fernando Braz. “The consistency and results are certainly a source of pride over the years; no senior class wants to be the one that doesn’t maintain that streak.”
On the girls side, the Chieftains had 160 points to hold off runner-up Marblehead (118) as well as Peabody (100). Beverly High ranked fourth (39) followed by Swampscott (38), Gloucester (33) and the host Falcons (23).
Masconomet picked up some huge points in the middle distance, relays and jumps. Senior Ellie Green won the league title in the 800 in a fast 2:26 and junior Amanda Schneider took gold in the 400 (60.53) with teammate Jenna Lindsay second (62.12). In the high jump, Caroline Losee was second with Mara Siewko third and Siewko (a freshman) then came back to win the long jump with a leap of 17-1.
Senior Lauren Boughner placed second in both the long and triple jumps for Masconomet. In the javelin, Remmi Cote was second (95-7) and Sophia Doumas medaled in all three throwing events by claiming fourth in the javelin, third in the shot put, and earning silver in the discus.
The Chieftains also grabbed thirds from Madison Gibeau-Schmitt (2-mile, 12:14), Savannah Stevens (800, 2:28).
In the relays, Masco won the 4×100 title (Piper Testa, Boughner, Brooke Applestein and Losee) and also the 4×400 gold (Schneider, Lilly Podgurski, Samia Lalikos and Lindsay). The 4×800 squad was third.
“This is an outstanding group. They always put team first and are so supportive of each other,” Masconomet head coach David Mitchell said. “We got great performances from everyone.”
Marblehead distance superstar Mari O’Connell won the 2-mile in 11:59 and also took gold in the mile in 5:18, completing an eye-popping double dip. She then won another in the 4×800 relay.
The Magicians went 1-2 in the high hurdles with Paige Treadwell winning (16.16) and Elise Burchfield second (17.22). Treadwell won a second NEC title in the high jump (5 feet).
Kate Twomey finished second in the 800 (2:27) and Rachael Albert was third in the discus as well as fourth in the shot put.
Sadie Halpern grabbed a silver for the Magicians in the 200 (27.29) and was also second overall in the 100 (13.08).
For Peabody, Alessandra Forgione dominated the throwing events by winning the javelin (114-8) as well as the discus (115-3). Nicole Ofurie won the league shot put title for the Tanners with a heave of 33 feet 2 1/2 inches, and Madison Holleran came in fifth.
Twins Leah and Ava Buckley both placed in the 2-mile (2nd and 4th, respectively). Kyra Buckley clocked third in the mile (5:32), Kayley Bunn was third in the high hurdles. The Tanners’ 4×800 relay placed third and the 4×100 and 4×400 both placed second.
Beverly junior Grace Galbreath took the NEC title in the low hurdles (69.88) and teammate Vanessa Wiederhold was runner-up in 1:11.76. Allison Prasse finished fourth in the mile, the 4×400 relay came in third, and Galbreath picked up third in the long jump (16-11 3/4).
Swampscott’s Aniyah Ross-Everett took home two gold medals: in the 200 thanks to a run of 26.89 seconds and in the 100 at 13.00. Also for the Big Blue, Jamilla Oriakhi placed in both the shot put (second) and discus (fourth).
Host Danvers got a solid mile run from Bobbi Serino (2nd, 5:31). The Falcons’ 4×100 relay came in third place (Tess Ryan, Kendall Murphy, DeAnna Figueiredo and Sabina Sturgeon).
Records fall in boys championships
All-American junior thrower Alex Jackson broke NEC meet records in both the shot put (57-8) and discus (170-4) to help the Tanners rack up 166 total team points. Peabody teammate Evan Bedard also set a new meet record in winning the long jump with a leap of 22-feet-1-inch.
Bedard won two gold medals by also capturing the triple jump (43-3), an event in which Peabody had the top four finishers (Riley Michaud, Brian Stevens and Omar Mishal). In all, the Tanners scored 50 points in the jumps and 54 in the throws.
“That long jump performance was truly impressive,” said Braz. “It clinched the meet for us.”
Peabody took three of the top four spots in the shot, with Areno Saint Victor second (46 feet) and Jackson O’Brien fourth (44-5 1/2). Saint Victor was also silver medalist in the discus (139 feet). In the javelin, Aneudy Medrano was second (154-1) and Jackson third.
Declan Smith brought another gold to Tannertown in the high jump (6 feet). The foursome of Bedard, Eli Batista, Kobe Avery and Henry Sawyer won the 4×100 relay (44.31).
The Tanners were also second in the 4×400 relay and fourth in the 4×800. Other point-earners included Peyton Smith (hurdles), Declan Smith (mile), Batista (4th, 200), Owen Brennan (3rd, 800), Stevens (2nd, low hurdles)
Marblehead wound up second in the team point standings with 82, followed by Beverly (65.33), Danvers (58.33), Masconomet (56.33) and Gloucester (46).
The Magicians had a handful of league champions. Sprinter Thomas Carlson won the gold medal in the 100 (11.11), Will Cerrutti was first in the mile (4:26), Isaac gross won the 2-mile (9:26), and Alex Hersey won the NEC title in the high hurdles (14.93).
Marblehead’s 4×100 finished second and their 4×800 was second as well. Carlson added a third in the 200, and Nathanial Assa was second in the 2-mile (9:30).
The Falcons’ distance men of Sean Moore, Will Conklin, Charlie Garlin and JJ Rooney broke an 11-year-old meet record in the 4×800 and in doing so won the NEC crown in 8:16. Rooney added a second in the mile (4:28), Conklin was third in the 2-mile (9:23), and Moore was second in the 800 (1:58).
Danvers’ Zach Cotter placed third in the high jump (6 feet) and Noah Wade was third in the discus (130-10).
For Beverly, Ray Kwiatek brought home gold in the 400 by tying the meet record in 49.98 seconds and also earned silver in the 200 (22.82). Harry Silva placed third in the long jump (21-6 1/2). The 4×100 relay also placed third, while Leo Sherriff was second in the high hurdles and also made the podium in the high jump. Riley McGoldrick (9:53) and Jason Provost (9:57) also ran well in the 2-mile.
Swampscott’s Nakeylan Davis was second in the high jump (6 feet) and the Big Blue’s 4×800 placed third.
In relays, Masco’s 4×400 was third while Kenny Pyburn came in second in the 400 (50.39) and Adam Staffier was third in the low hurdles.