Girls New England Event Spotlight
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Sprints/Hurdles
55m Hurdles
Everyone will be chasing Mass state champion junior Vanessa Clerveaux (Brockton, MA), who clocked 8.14 to win the MIAA All-state meet, she has a season best of 8.13 (US #13). Clerveaux is the only returning scorer in the field, she was 3rd in 2010. Don’t count a new meet record, the existing record is 8.07. NH state champion Hillary Holmes (Exeter, NH) is the 2nd seed, her winning time was 8.44. Fellow NH hurdlers Betsy Garnick (Bishop Guertin , NH) & Ginny Lavallee (Sanborn Regional, NH) are the next fastest at 8.50. Lavalle clocked a seasonal best 8.41 in hurdle prelims at the NH state meet.
55m Dash
We’ll have to see if the long time off between meets has any effect on the top seed Mollie Gribbin (South Burlington, HS), Gribbin won the VT state meet in record breaking time (7.15 US #33) three weeks ago. Last winter Mollie finished 6th. There is plenty of experience in the field, 2010 #4 finisher Briana Tabin (South Hadley, MA) is the 6th seed after placing 4th in the MIAA all-state meet. Also returning is #5 finisher Royal Cheatham (Hope, RI) who enters as the #3 seed 7.23 after winning the RI state meet title. Watch for MIAA All-state champion Rebecca Robinson (Arlington, MA) she is the #2 seed (7.22), she has clocked a seasonal best of 7.19 on the season. CT state open champion Shellyann Lindo (Brien McMahon, CT) & Maine Class A state champion Alexis Dickinson (Brunswick,ME) are others to watch.
Girls 300m
Meet record alert! Rebecca Robinson (Arlington, MA) clocked 39.39 last weekend to win the MIAA All-State meet, so the meet record is 39.45 set in 1998 by Alison Culley (Foxboro, MA) is in danger. Earlier this season Robinson clocked 38.90 (US #5) over the 300m distance. CT champion Rayanna Relerford (Bloomfield, CT) is the #4 seed 40.85 behind MA #3 finisher (US #29) Eve Bishop (Andover, MA) & Becky Stoyle (Pembroke, MA) (US #50). Watch out for Maine Class A 200m champion Nicole Kirk (Scarborough, ME) she clocked 26.13 to win the title by almost a second. Royal Cheatham (Hope, RI) the RI state champion is threat to nab a podium spot; she is ranked (US #37).
600m
This should be one of the most competitive races of the evening with the top 9 seeds within 2 seconds of eachother. RI state champion Erica Johnson (Bay View, RI) has the top seed 1:34.88 (US #11). The top returner from 2010 is #8 seed Paris Taft (Career, CT), who was the runner-up last year; she won the CT state meet in 1:36.55 (US #37). MA runner-up & 2010 6th place finisher Alex Stanton (Medfield, MA) clocked 1:35.39 (US #19) & MA #3 Mia Toffoli (Northhampton, MA) clocked 1:35.94 (US #25) in the MIAA All-State meet. Also watch for NH State Champion Maggie Donovan (Manchester Central, NH) she clocked US #21 1:35.48 in winning the title a month ago.
Distance
Girls Mile
Only Newton South senior Kathy O’Keefe comes in with a sub 5 seed time, O’Keefe clocked 4:55.24 (US #14) to win the MIAA All-State meet last weekend. O’Keefe placed 3rd in 2010, and is the top returner. The field behind O’Keefe includes MA runner-up Catarina Roche (Peabody, MA) is the #2 seed 5:00.32 (US #33) & CT state open champion Mara Lieberman (Hamden, CT). CT has several girls who could earn a spot on the podium as they have seeds #3-#6, in fact of the top 10 seeds there are 5 from MA & 5 from CT.
1000m
Another record alert as US #1 Andrea Keklak (Lincoln-Sudbury, MA) comes in seeded (2:47.93) over 4 seconds faster than the existing NE meet record of 2:52.64 set back in 1999 by Manchester Central’s Jill Landreau. How fast Keklak runs may depend on how much effort she puts out in the 4x800, as her team is seeded #1. While the top spot may be spoken for, the rest of the podium spots are wide open expect some intense racing over the 5 lap distance. Look for CT runner-up Sarah Gillespie (Northwest Catholic, CT) she is the #2 seed at 2:55.63; she has run (US #18) time earlier this season. Fellow CT runner Jackie Nicholas (Nonnewaug, CT) has (US #26) 2:56.53 to her credit this winter and was the runner-up in 2010, while Keklak teammate Marika Crowe is ranked (US #30) 2:57.07. The depth of this field continues with (US #31) 2:57.85 Laura Williamson (Wachusett, MA) & (US #33) Cara Dorris (Glastonbury, CT) 2:57.45
2 Mile
Defending champion Lindsey Crevoiserat (Glastonbury, CT) is back looking to make it 2 in a row. Crevoiserat has had a great winter, clocking fast times over a wide range of events from the 1k-2 miles. The question will be whether the jetlag from flying out to Seattle to compete in the PR Brooks Invite where she ran the mile will have a lasting effect. Another contender is MA runner-up Maggie Mullins (Andover HS) clocked 11:02.93 last weekend but has been under 11 on the season, she’s ranked (US #31). The rest of the field is tightly packed but watch out for 2010 3rd place finisher Abigail Jones (Barrington, RI) who is the #11 seed.
Relays
4x200m Relay
US #41 Hope HS, RI leads the 4x200m relay teams with a seed time of 1:45.04. Look for MA champion Brockton (1:45.40 US #46) to push them with the defending champions Danbury, CT (1:45.49 US #49) in the mix as well. Windsor, CT is the only other team seeded under 1:46, with a 1:45.89
4x800m Relay
US #8 Lincoln-Sudbury is the odds on favorite to win the NE title, they clocked 9:20.1 in winning the MA All-State title last weekend, with the 4x800 first on the schedule this week expect a faster time with US #1 1K runner Andrea Keklak on anchor. 6 of the top 7 teams come from MA including Hopkinton (9:31.11 US #25), Wachusett (9:35.29 US#42), Newton South (9:36.33 US #47), Central Catholic Lawrence (9:37.21). Perennial distance power LaSalle Academy (RI) won the RI state meet and is always a threat for a top spot.
4x400m Relay
3 teams come in seeded under 4 with MA All-State runner-up Pembroke holding down the top spot (3:57.12 US#18) with Andover, MA (3:57.63 US#19) & CT champion Bloomfield (3:59.40 US#26) right on their heels. The meet record is 3:57.94 set by Westerly, RI in 2003, if the top teams go after it the record is could fall.
Field Events
High Jump
LaSalle Academy junior Dakota Dailey-Harris is the top seed having cleared a seasonal best of 5-7 (US #15) to win the RI state title, but don’t count of MA 2x champion Kristen McDonagh (Mansfield) who has a seasonal best of 5-8 (US #7 and is no stranger to the podium as McDonagh finished 2nd last year. NH’s Victoria Rozumek (Salem HS) is also a top jumper having cleared a best of 5-5 to win the NH state title. There are a handful of girls at 5-2 & 5-4 with the potential to make a run at the top 6, including Caroline Summa Cheverus (ME) who was 5th in 2010
Long Jump
The meet record of 19-0 could be under pressure as top seed Maya Walton (Danbury, CT) leaped 19-3 (US #6) to win the CT state title, Walton finished 4th last year. Another potential record breaker could be MA champ Carla Forbes (Newton North) who has jumped 19-1 (US #10) this season. Add RI state champ Royal Cheatham (Hope, RI) 18-11 (US #15) into the mix and you have the all the makings for an exciting competition.
Shot Put
CT state champion & US #13 Cherraine Davis (Southington, CT) leads the field by over 2ft. NH champion Cathy Liebowitz (Lebanon HS) is the #2 seed 41-8 ¼ (US #28), she placed 7th last winter. The other 40 footer in the field is Lyssa Winslow (Londonderry, NH) 40-6 (US#43). Also watch out for 2010 4th place finisher and Maine Class A champion Randi London (Mt. Ararat HS), who has a best throw of (39-7 ½)