To say that the Lady Tigers of Newton North are a perennial powerhouse on the Massachusetts track scene would be quite an understatement, as one would have to look as far back as June of 2009 to find another teams name engraved on the MIAA All-State Track & Field Championship trophy. How will the Tigers fare this year without their big name star, Carla Forbes competing in three events? The same as they always have: relying on the support of their entire TEAM. The coaching staff and athletes on the Newton North team will be the first to tell you that their dominance in prior years has never been about just one person, but that of a combination of many coming together to realize their potential and capability to accomplish amazing performances when the pressure is on. They have proven time and time again to get things done when and where they need to and one can be sure that once the gun has fired so too will the Tigers.
Looking to challenge Newton North for the title will be Lowell, Notre Dame Academy-Hingham, Peabody and Hingham. Last week Lowell took Newton North not just down to the final event, but to the final lean at the tape in the 4x400m relay where just .02 seconds decided the championship. Despite the loss, a new format adds a clean slate and Lowell looks good on paper coming into this week’s competition. If Lowell can once again replicate strong performances from teammates Bryanna Allison and Kaley Richards in the mile they might have a great shot as two point scorers in any single event may prove to be a game changer. Another question mark for the Raiders will be senior Sima Suon in the Javelin. Suon is the number two seed in the event, but with a pulled hamstring from the 4x100m relay at the divisional championship Lowell will need to look elsewhere for critical team points. Perhaps the combination of Lowell’s salty wound, always gutsy performances this time of year, and lack of attention (due to their boy’s team attempting a triple crown) will give the Raiders the edge they need to become victorious.
Notre Dame Academy scored a whopping 70 points in the division II championship but the talented team led by sprinting trio of Amanda Reilly, Isabella DiMarre and Shauna Owen may only come together to score 30 points in the deep fields at the All-State meet depending on how each event unfolds. After a very successful winter campaign the Cougars certainly have valued experience in big time pressure situations where they will need to execute their own plan and will certainly be asked to lead by example in scoring important points.
Peabody will once again be led by All-American distance runner Catarina Rocha and their team may only need to score 30 points. After all, a win in the two mile for Rocha, a win in the 800m from Heather Maclean and a win in the 4x800m is not entirely out of the picture for the Tanners, but it will be a necessity if they look to make the podium and take home a trophy.
The Hingham Harbor Women may be the best team to contend with the three-time defending champions Newton North. With each passing year they have become increasingly more powerful. Hingham’s depth may prove to be the greatest contributing factor. They have a multitude of scoring opportunities in a plethora of events and this may be the year Hingham stands alone on top. One would be a fool to count out the Jewitt’s coaching prowess in always finding a way to not just score, but win. To do it they will likely lean on their ace of spades, Julie McConville, who may need to attempt the iron man double: 1-mile / 2-mile. McConville’s “elite” status in both events is far from a sure thing, however, as she challenges two others with just as many accolades, if not more, in Rocha (two-mile) and Allison (1-mile). Helping Hingham will also be Sierra Irvin with the top seed in the 400m, Kate Criscitello in the LJ, and a gritty 4x400m relay team which could contend for the win.
Milesplitmass put together this scorecard based on the Performance list for Saturdays All State meet. We tried our hardest to keep this as accurate as possible, but a huge factor is that the computer had to split all the tied places. For example, the Pole vaulters who were seeded 19th and 20th actually factored into the scoring. This is all in good fun and by no means is a prediction by Milesplitmass.
GIRLS SCORECARD VIA THE PERFORMANCE LIST
Varsity Girls Team Scores (18 Events Scored)
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