Division 1 state track: Acton-Boxboro boys, Central Catholic girls rule the day
ROXBURY – Acton-Boxboro senior Ajay Raina knew right before the 4×800 relay team took the track during Thursday night’s MIAA Div. 1 indoor boys track and field state championship that it needed a signature performance for the whole team to have a shot at winning it all.
What he didn’t realize in the moments after was that closing about a 40-meter gap on the last leg of the race to win the event also sealed the state title for the Revolution.
Between that relay, Raina’s repeat crown in the 600-meter run (1:20.85), Leonid Burlak’s win in the 55-meter dash (6.45 seconds), and four other top-five finishes, the Revolution scored 51 points to secure head coach DJ Brock’s first indoor state championship at the Reggie Lewis Center.
Lexington came in second with 39 points, Brockton took third with 38.33 and Brookline finished fourth (37).
“I saw (the leading runner) fading a bit, I just took advantage,” Raina said. “We knew we were close with (the top teams), a win would be giant.”
Burlak added to his individual win by placing fourth in the 300-meter run (35.39) and Christoph Osselmann Chai placed fifth in the 55-meter hurdles (7.75). Both helped the 4×200 relay team take second (1:31.56), setting the stage for the 4×800 team to deliver the final points it needed with a season-best 8:07.36 time.
“It’s special,” Brock said. “I just remember when (former coach Brian Crossman) told me he retired, I wanted to go get a trophy for him. I wanted him to see we could do this. … (The team’s performance) was just amazing.”
Lexington collected five top-three finishes. Joseph Ryan led the way, taking second in the two-mile run (9:19.05), third in the one-mile run (4:23.14), and contributed to the 4×800 team’s third-place mark (8:12.73).
Lucas Andrade starred for Brockton, winning the 55-meter hurdles (7.52) while placing second in the high jump (6-06.00) and third in the 55-meter dash (6.49).
As the Framingham girls dazzled with several first-place finishes early on, Central Catholic knew it was within striking distance in the second half. Once Veralie Perrier took second in the long jump (17-07.00) and the 4×200 relay team ran a season-best 1:46.78 to win the event, the Raiders were on their way to their first indoor state championship in almost two decades.
Macy Daigle’s first-place finish in the high jump (5-04.00) was critical within seven total top-three placements en route to 64 points. Framingham placed second with 48 points, Franklin took third with 44 and fourth-place Newton North had 39.
“Div. 1 is loaded, we know that. We’ve had a great year,” said Central Catholic head coach Shawn Dumas. “Coming into this meet, we had a lot of confidence, but we still had to execute. … These girls went to the next level. They knew what they wanted, they know they belong here. And it takes that extra effort to be a champion.”
Other second-place finishes came from Madeline Courtemanche in the two-mile run (11:03.90) and Laura Fennessy in the 600-meter run (1:37.46) for the Raiders. Anya Neira came in third in the 300-meter run (40.55), as did the 4×400 relay team (4:02.22).
Framingham’s Abby Desmarais was the meet’s only individual double-winner, setting personal records in the 55-meter dash (7.03) and the 300-meter dash (39.61) to lead the Flyers to a meet-best four event victories. Sasha Lamakina took the 600-meter run (1:36.43) and Emily Richardson won the shot put (39-00.50).
“Super, super exciting (to win two events),” Desmarais said. “Two big (personal records), I’m super happy about it.”
Sarah Dumas repeated her title in the 55-meter hurdles (8:44) for Franklin. Lily DeForge led the Panthers’ productive day in field events as well, taking second in the shot put (38-05.25) as part of three top-five finishes.
Newton South’s Alex Friedman won the second heat in the boys mile run during the MIAA Division 1 Indoor Track meet at the Reggie Lewis Center. (Libby O’Neill/Boston Herald)