Division 1 track relays: Heavyweights take care of business

FRANKLIN — Most any spring, you will find St. John’s Prep and Newton North near the top of every big-school state track meet.

On Sunday, the Prep and the North girls used their superior depth to each win at the D1 State Relays.

The Prep scored 62 points, ahead of the Newton North boys, who finished with 44 points, and Acton-Boxboro and Xaverian, who tied for third with 36.

On the girls side, Newton North had 53 points, while Central Catholic (46) and Weymouth (42) were next.

“This is a meet where we’re built for this meet,” Prep coach Zach Lankow said. “We have a large roster, and this meet is about teams depth, as well as quality up front. We’re lucky that we have some depth, especially in the field events. Shout-out to all those assistant coaches I have, and all those athletes, because they’re incredible. We’re a program that prides ourselves on our team depth. That’s what this meet really tests, and that’s really the measurement for us. That’s always a goal. This is a starred date on our season every single year.”

Like the Prep, the Newton North girls scored a lot of points in the field events.

“The jumping events have been our saving grace,” Newton North coach Mike Travers said. “We won the high jump, the long jump, and we were second in the triple jump. The jumping events have really saved us this meet.”

The Tigers are always prepared for those events.

“I’ve got a staff of six coaches,” Travers said. “I’ve got a triple jump coach. We’ve got a throws coach. I’ve got a hurdles and high jump coach. I handle the long jumpers and the sprinters myself. I have a good staff of really experienced coaches. The girls really respond to that.”

The Prep won the 1600 sprint medley, as Ahmir Hykel, Dayvian Sullivan, Lincoln Massaro, and Daniel Padley clocked a time of 3:32.08.

One of the best performances of the day came from the Xaverian sprints. The Hawks won the 4×100, 4×200, and 4×400. Xaverian edged out rival Prep in the 4×100, as the Hawks set a meet record in 42.32. That group consisted of Jordan Wilson, Alex Todorov, Mitchell Kisgen, and Henry Hasselbeck,

The 4×200 group of that same four won in 1:28.33, also a meet record. And the 4×400 team of Justin Briggs, Kieran Maguire, Tory Stuckey, and Kisgen, checked in a meet record of 3:20.47.

Hasselbeck was terrific in his races, a dominant anchor leg to close out the wins.

“It feels good to have the trust of my teammates to put me in that last spot,” Hasselbeck said. “They put me in a good position today to finally edge (the Prep) and win.”

Maybe the top performances on the girls side came from the Framingham sprint medley and 4×400 team. Those runners were Catelyn Last, Ava Lombardo, Abby Desmarais, and Sasha Lamakina. They posted a new top time in the state in the 4×400 with a 3:58.54, and a new meet record in the sprint medley in 4:06.53.

“When I was coming down the straightaway (in the 4×400), I heard people yelling at (Central Catholic’s Rayniah Mercedat) to catch me, so I knew she was right there,” Desmarais said. “So I was just trying to give it my all and not let her get in my sight.”

Central had a good day, in its first appearance as a D1 since moving up from D2.

“We kind of proved that point earlier in the indoor season (that they can compete in D1), won the Div. 1 championship there,” Central coach Shawn Dumas said. “I know it’s different when you carry it over to the spring season with a lot more events. But I think that with these two so far successful seasons, who’s going to tell me otherwise that we don’t belong. I think we do. The competition drives these girls. We’ve got what it takes. Yeah, we’re here to party.”