It’s one of the more popular events of the winter track season.
Over the weekend, hundreds of young athletes from across the state traveled to Boston to compete in the annual MSTCA Freshmen-Sophomore meet. It’s an event where both the present and the future are on display at the same time, and over the years, has acted as our first introduction to the stars of tomorrow.
This weekend was no different.
Athletes from our area made the trip down, and certainly provided highlights for the years to come.
Starting with Newburyport, it was quite the showing for all of its relay teams. On the girls’ side, the 4×400 quartet of Phoebe Li Eyink, McKenna Felts, Penelope Fuentes and Emily Homer took second out of 26 competing teams with a time of 4:28.97. The 4×200 team of Blaire Fox, Cameron Todd, Lea Neville and Audrey Roebuck took eighth (1:57.46), while the boys 4×400 squad of Baylor Yim, William Downs, Noah Tarkan and Aaron Pilz was fifth (3:48.85).
Speaking of Downs, the sophomore had quite the day.
Besides his work in the relay, he also earned another top-10 with a seventh in the 600 (1:30.17). The boys Mile saw cross country standouts John DeJordy (12th, 10:49.14) and Finn Deveney (13th, 11:06.87) finish back-to-back, while Judah Pilz was 21st in the long jump (17-6.50) and Hayden Scott was 24th in the shot put (33-0.75).
The Clipper girls, meanwhile, put together more top finishes overall.
After their respective work with the 4×400 relay, Li Eyink went on to place seventh in the 55-hurdles (9.97), while Fuentes was ninth in the 600 (1:49.62). The team’s best event, though, was arguably the Mile, where it had four finishers inside of the top-25. Out in front was Morgan Boddy in 15th (5:51.98), while teammate Isla Trail was 19th (6:02.07), Riley Boddy was 20th (6:02.70) and Lydia Boddy was 24th (6:04.84).
But the Clippers weren’t done there.
In the 300, the trio of Audrey Roebuck (15th, 45.75), Felts (21st, 46.64) and Todd (23rd, 46.82) all placed inside of the top-25 as well. Ellebe Foster was 17th in the long jump (14-7), and Lauren LaRosa was 23rd in both the high jump (4-4) and the 600 (1:55.29).
AMESBURY: Scialdone takes 2nd in the HJ
If you’re looking for the best individual local finisher of the day, you have to go to Amesbury.
Connor Scialdone, fresh off a breakout football season this fall, is starting to turn some heads in track, too. The sophomore competed in the high jump this weekend, and placed an impressive second out of 34 competitors after clearing 5-foot-10. He then partnered up with Joe Puleo, Landon Mitchell and Andrew Parsons to add another top-10 with a ninth in the 4×200 (1:42.08).
“Connor is emerging as one of the better young high jumpers in the state, and I could not be happier for him,” said Amesbury coach Ernie Bissaillon.
Elsewhere, the Redhawks saw Daily News Cross Country All-Star Josiah Fugate take ninth in the Mile (4:48.63). Jack Harrington added a 14th in the shot put (35-8.75), and Collin Cate was 32nd in the long jump (16-9.75) to round out the day.
PENTUCKET: Choma makes the podium
The boys high jump was filled with local athletes near the top.
For Pentucket, it was sophomore Holden Choma putting together one of the best performances of his young career, clearing 5-8 to reach the podium and take fourth. The Panther boys also saw Grayden Wright stand out in the 600, taking 18th out of 90 runners in 1:33.90.
Then of course, the Pentucket girls had their highlights.
Top among them was Addie Roach setting two new personal bests, placing 24th in the 300 (46.86) and 30th in the long jump (13-9.50). Finally, Sophia Marquis also set a new personal record in the 600 to finish 16th out of 68 competitors (1:54.09).
TRITON: Distance runners deliver again
No matter the level, both Triton track teams will be competitive in the distance events this winter.
Cassidy McBee, now already a two-time Daily News Cross Country All-Star, placed 10th in the 2-Mile in 10:36.31. The Vikings then saw Mia Jaworski take 13th in the Mile (5:49.97), and teammates Emelia Shkurti (3:30.08) and Jersey Giordano (3:34.19) go 13th-19th in the 1000.
Finally, Nate Ducott was 22nd in the long jump (17-6.50).