After a winter of limited competitive opportunities due to a lack of facilities, the high school indoor track and field reaches its apex this week.
A solid contingent of Hampshire County athletes will take their talents across the state to compete in the MIAA Indoor Track & Field Championships, set to be held at the famed Reggie Lewis Center in Boston. The state meets are split into five different divisions, spread out across the week and into the weekend. Locally, things kick off Wednesday with the Div. 3 meet, while Div. 4 follows on Thursday and Div. 5 is scheduled for Friday.
Here’s a closer look at who will be competing this week:
While Amherst is the lone local school in the Div. 3 field, the Hurricanes are set up to perform well.
Setting the tone will be a pair of Amherst runners who are seeded second in their respective events. Senior Ben Buffone is the No. 2 seed in the boys 1,000 meters, as his seed time of 2 minutes, 39.30 seconds has him behind only Burlington’s Luke Llewelyn (2:37.11). Amherst sophomore David Pinero-Jacome also enters with the second-fastest time in the 600 meters (1:25.10), behind only Bradley Diaz of Wakefield (1:23.23).
The Hurricanes’ 4×800 meter relay quartet is also a No. 2 seed in Wednesday’s race, while the 4×400 relay team is listed as the No. 9 seed. Wakefield is the No. 1 seed in both races.
On the girls side, senior Anajisa Robinson qualified for a pair of sprints to pace the ’Canes. Robinson is the No. 7 seed in the 55 meters (7.67 seconds) and is also seeded 16th in the 300 (44.75). Burlington’s Grace Hanafin is the top-seeded runner in both fields.
The Amherst 4×200 relay team also qualified in the girls race, and that quartet is seeded ninth in the field.
Northampton will take to the track on Thursday, and the Blue Devils will be well represented with a pack of athletes qualified for the Div. 4 meet.
Sophomore Theodore King-Pollet leads the way, as he’s the No. 2 seed in the boys 2-mile. King-Pollet is also the No. 17 seed in the 1-mile, while teammate Jude Mourad is No. 9 in the 2-mile and No. 27 in the 1-mile.
Other Northampton qualifiers on the boys side include Rowan Hodgson (No. 22, 55 meters), Alexandar Caldanaro (No. 18, 300), Jackson Greene (No. 25, 600) and Benjamin Correard (No. 32, 1,000). The Blue Devils also have entries in the 4×200, 4×400 and 4×800 relays.
On the girls side, senior Esme Marini-Rapoport is seeded 11th in the 2-mile and 18th in the 1-mile, while classmate Lily Shimpach is 13th in the 2-mile and 34th in the 1-mile.
Kaiah Gregory (No. 13, 55 meters), Kendall Reynolds (22nd, 300), Meena Goswani (31st, 300), Kira French (23rd, 600), Quincy Biddle (24th, 600), Norah Reade (33rd, 1,000), Marina Thayer (25th, high jump) and Camilla Brewer (30th, high jump) are other Blue Devils scheduled to be in action. Northampton also has top 10 teams in the 4×400 and 4×800 relays.
South Hadley’s Jonas Clarke headlines Friday’s Division 5 field, as the speedster and state record holder will look to capture the 55-meter title as the No. 1 seed. Clarke is also the No. 3 seed in the 300 meters on Friday, half a second behind Medway’s Connor Gilmore.
Fellow Tiger Liam Sibley-Welch (31st, 55 hurdles) also qualified, as did the South Hadley 4×200 relay team of Clarke, Sibley-Welch, Matt McDermott and Tyler Evans.
Hampshire Regional’s Josh Denoronha sets the table for his team as the No. 2 seed in the high jump field. Teammates Gavin DaFonte (22nd, 2-mile), Jackson Seney (24th, 1-mile and 18th, 1,000), Nick Brisson (19th, 1,000) and Gulian Marconi (11th, 600) are other individual qualifiers, while the Raiders have a team in the 4×800 relay.
South Hadley’s Emma Sanford is the No. 1 seed in the high jump to pace the local pack on the girls side of things. Sanford is also second in the 55-meter hurdles and 12th in the shot put, in what should be a busy Friday on the track.
Teammate Lauren Marjanski is 15th in the 55 meters and 17th in the long jump, while South Hadley’s Izzy Scott enters as the No. 36 seed in the 1,000. Abigail Gelinas (16th, 55 meters) also qualified for Friday’s meet.
South Hadley’s 4×200 relay team is the No. 2 seed in that event.
Hampshire Regional’s Brie Salomao is primed for a big Friday as well, as the senior is the top-seeded competitor in the long jump in addition to qualifications in the 300 meters (ninth) and 55 meters (28th). Teammate Grace Plumer will join her as the 19th-seeded high jumper.