FITCHBURG — How close was it? Well, one point separated the top three teams in Sunday's Central Mass. Division 1 Boys' Indoor Track Championships at Fichburg High's Grutchfield Field House. And a half-point separated the winner from the runners-up.
The magic number for the champions, Wachusett Regional, was 60.
With 60 points, only a half-point more than runner-up Algonquin and a point more than third-place Shrewsbury, the Mountaineers took the trophy back to Holden.
Down by three points to Shrewsbury entering the final race of the meet, the 4x440 relay, the Mountaineers, with senior John Mazur, sophomore Drew DiPilla, junior Tyler Fitzgerald and senior Eric Iacaboni, placed fourth and won the crown. Shrewsbury placed ninth in the race, which was won by Algonquin.
“Anything less than fourth in that last relay race and we would have lost,” Wachusett coach Kevin Briggs said as his team huddled quietly at first and then cheered loudly when the final scores were announced. “All three teams, us, Algonquin and Shrewsbury, all had a great day. I always tell the kids that every time we race it comes down to every single point. Whether it's stealing sixth place for a point or whatever, is still a big point to get. We win as a team, so you have to scrap for all the points you can get.”
The Mountaineers, who won here in 2011, and were runners-up last year, captured their sixth Central Mass. indoor crown since 1979 and second since 2001.
“We came out and competed against everyone around us and try our best no matter what the circumstance was,” Iacaboni said.
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