New England Rankings: 9th Release

Hibernation is over and the best athletes in the region have awoken from their mid-season performance slumber to post some amazing marks in last week’s state championships. Topping the list again is Precious Holmes of Hillhouse High School (CT) who posted a US#1 time of 1:31.23 in the 600m and a US#2 time of 38.56 in the 300m at the Connecticut State Open Championships.  Her performances that day also helped Hillhouse win the team title.

Connecticut wasn’t the only state with a blistering 600m championship, Massachusetts gathered one of the deepest fields we have witnessed this season at the Division 1 Championships and three athletes entered the top ten as a result.  Kendal Knous (Franklin, MA) is now NE#3 at 1:34.15, Laura Williamson (Wachusett, MA) is NE #5 at 1:34.99, and Madison Acton (Lincoln-Sudbury, MA) is NE#6 at 1:35.06.

The top six times in the girls 1000m are new this week, being led once again by Sarah Gillespie of Northwest Catholic (CT).  Gillespie won the Connecticut State Open Championships in 2:53.01, which was just enough to hold off Kellie Davis of Hillhouse (CT) who finished second in 2:55.28.  Davis ran three distance races that day in her team’s pursuit of a team championship and will have a tough decision regarding what event to pick as we move forward.  The Connecticut meet also produced NE #4 with Abby Markowitz running 2:56.74 and NE#5 from Medinah Nabadduka (2:57.36).  Sandwiched between the group from CT is Marika Crowe of Lincoln Sudbury (MA.) who won the Division 1 Championships with a NE#3 time of 2:55.82.

The boys 1000m experienced a similar shake-up, but this time it was the athletes from Massachusetts doing most of the damage.  A very fast race at the Massachusetts Division 2 Championships resulted in three athletes entering the national top ten.  Joel Hubbard (Marshfield, MA) is now US#4 with his winning time of 2:27.43.  He was followed closely by Josh Lampron (Mansfield, MA) in a US #5 time of 2:27.57 and Brendan Robertson (Westborough, MA) in a US#9 time of 2:29.46.  Down in Connecticut, Henry Wynne of Staples High School won the Connecticut State Open Championships with a NE#5 and US#14 time of 2:29.56.

Other notable distance performances were produced by Molly Keating (La Salle Academy, RI) who tops the 3000m list with her 9:59.47 winning time at the Rhode Island State Championships, Bryce Kelley’s (Chariho, RI) 4:02.79 winning 1500m time at the same event, and James Sullivan’s (Acton Boxborough, MA) 4:15.33 mile at the Massachusetts Division 1 Championships. Also making waves in the several variations of the “mile” were Wes Gallagher (Pembroke, MA) who ran a true mile in 4:17.05 to win the MA Divison 3 Championships and Clark Shurtleff (Amity, CT) who ran 4:16.48 for 1600m to win the CT Open Championships.

The girls relay rankings were complete rewritten this past week with the top four times in the 4x200m and the 4x400m being posted at the various championships.  Hope High School (RI) now leads the 4x200m in 1:42.20 and Hillhouse (CT) leads the 4x400m in 3:57.92.

In the field events, Dakota Dailey-Harris (La Salle Academy, RI) moved to US#2 with her 5’10” clearance at the Rhode Island Sate Championships.  She also had three very good attempts at 6 feet and we may see her topple that milestone in the next couple of weeks. 

Carla Forbes of Newton North (MA) set a Division 1 meet record to win the long jump with a US#4 mark of 19’9”.  She was joined atop the podium that day by Newton North teammate Swardic Mayanja who won the boys shot put with a NE#1 mark of 58’11.5.  In that same event, Colin Hoey of Lowell (MA) moved to NE#2 with a very impressive 56’3.5” effort. Also of note, Olisa Obiefuna of Saugus (MA) took over the top spot in the boys long jump with a 23’2.75” winning effort at the same meet.