Fast Times at Weymouth High

A fast track at a new facility. A pleasant spring evening with little wind. A well-run meet with an enthusiastic crowd. A terrific opponent. I think this is what every runner, jumper, and thrower dreams about, and it was all on display at Weymouth High yesterday as Newton faced its toughest competition of the season. Both meets were close, but Newton came out on top, as the boys won 78 to 58 and the girls won with an almost identical score of 79 to 57

Girls Meet Highlights

As the winning runner crossed the line in the 4x400 relay, the crowd was going crazy and wild celebrations were breaking out on the infield. Indeed, anyone would have thought that Weymouth had won the meet, and in a way they had: all evening long they had stepped up to the challenge of the Newton North team and improved on their personal bests. Some of the races went to North by agonizingly close margins (200, 400), and others went to Weymouth (800, 4x100). In the final event, the Wildcat grils ran 10 seconds (!) faster than they had three days ago at the State Relays to win the race and set a school record of 4:09. Boy, it doesn't get much better.

If Newton hadn't also stepped up its game, the Tigers would have been in trouble, but they got outstanding performances from Michelle Kaufman (winning the 100, 300H, and LJ), Lily Brown (winning the SP in 32-10 and the 200), along with wins from Sarah Berkland (HJ), Morgan Faer (100H), Carolyn Ranti (1M), Jess Barton (2M), and a photo-finish win from Emma Kornetsky in the 400. The Tigers also swept the discus, which was huge, and picked up numerous seconds and thirds in close battles. That depth enabled Newton to overcome losing both relays (rare!)

I'm sure I'm forgetting some other outstanding performers, but it just seemed that every event was hotly contested, and every athlete was performing at a different level.

Boys Meet Highlights

This Newton North team is explosive, with perhaps its best sprint crew ever and certainly one of the best group of throwers. The Tigers built up a big lead in the sprints, shot put, and discus, and withstood Weymouth's depth in the middle distances and the efforts of James Endres to win its second big meet in as many weeks.

Newton North won the first six events on the track, as Gordon Forbes won the 110 hurdles (15.8) to start the meet, and then Cailean Robinson won the 100 (11.1), Seb Putzys the mile (4:34.0), and Avery Mitchell the 400 (50.0!). The Tigers won the 4x400 relay, and then Sam Arsenault used his trademark finishing kick to come from behind in the 300 hurdles. Weymouth took 1-2 in the 800, and then Mitchell and Robinson responded by going 1-2 in the 200. Dan Hamilton ran a PR 10:26 in the 2M for second place.

In the field events, Sam Arsenault won the HJ (6'2") and the throwers, led by David Smith swept the shot and discus.