When it comes to competing in track & field, not much stands in the way of Jordan Samuels.
Not even a broken hurdle.
Locked in a tight battle with Newton North’s Nick Fofano at Saturday’s Weston Twilight Invitational, the Boston College High senior emerged the winner of the 110-meter hurdles with quick time of 14.80 seconds.
Samuels was able to run a sub 15-second effort despite slamming through the final hurdle with such force it actually broke the top wood piece in half.
“Going over the third to last hurdle I could hear my dad, ‘He’s coming after you, he’s coming after you!’ That’s when I realized I had to keep pushing. I think that’s what kind of led me to break that last hurdle,” he said. “I wanted to try and run a smooth race, but obviously it wasn’t after hitting that last hurdle. But that comes when you get aggressive.”
Samuels, the recent state and New England indoor champion in the 55m hurdles, was comfortably ahead of Fofano by the finish, who was second with a time of 15.19.
“This was the first big meet of the season. I knew there wasn’t going to be all the best hurdlers in the state. I knew Nick was going to be here, a great athlete on the track,” he said. “I just really wanted to come and run a good time; just let everyone know that I am coming and ready for the title in outdoor.”
Samuels also snagged gold in the triple jump with a leap of 46-feet even. He is the defending state and New England titlist in that event.
“I jumped 47-10 last week so staying up there would have been nice,” said Samuels, who owns a best of 48-0.5. “But getting the win isn’t bad either and breaking the meet record.”
The 400m hurdles produced another close affair with defending state champion Ben Colello of Lincoln-Sudbury involved in a head-to-head showdown with New Bedford senior Irvin Johnson. Colello got the advantage on the final hurdle when Johnson nicked the top and fell to the track, never making it back up to finish.
Colello crossed the line in a season-best time of 55.73. He never forgot his competition, particularly Johnson.
“I remember last year at states he was in fifth or sixth on the final turn and he kicked it so hard and came in second,” said the Lincoln-Sudbury senior. “I knew that he was going to be closing. It’s too bad that he fell. He definitely pushed me through the race.”
Colello has high expectations this season. He would like to dip under his current PB of 53.65 or possibly even faster.
“I definitely would like to break the state record. My goal coming into this year is to break 52 (seconds),” he said. “I got hurt in indoor and that lasted all the way until about a week ago. I just started training. Hopefully we can get back down there”
Amherst-Pelham Regional junior Taj-amir Torres edged Janah Chapman of Malden in the 100m dash, breaking the tape in 11.14. Chapman, a junior, was timed in 11.19.
Torres was slow getting out of the blocks but made up for it with his quick acceleration the last half of the race.
“(Chapman) really pushed me,” he said. “That’s probably the fastest I ran all year. I really appreciate that.”
Torres, who won last year’s All State Meet, knows he’s not completely flawless in the dash but he does like his progression from last year, both physically and mentally.
“I am feeling stronger,” he said. “Last year I would have lost that race. I wasn’t that strong. There is a lot of stuff to work on obviously because I stood up a lot faster than I should have (today). But I felt good.”
Framingham senior Eric Mellusi surprised the competition (and himself) with a meet record of 170-04 in the discus. Mellusi improved on his best by 40 feet!
“I just started doing the discus five weeks ago,” he said. “I played baseball before this but I did do indoor track last year. (Baseball) has a similar hip motion.”
Mellusi, who was also seventh in the shot put with a heave of 47-9.25, felt he had a good one in him prior to the competition. But a 40-foot PR? That’s another question.
“I just had been doing 150, 160 (feet),” he said. “This was like a 10-foot best of what I ever done in practice. I don’t know how it happened. I do practice like four hours a day.”
Sophomore Thomas Ratcliffe of Concord-Carlisle won the mile in 4:17.82. Ratcliffe took the patient approach. He nestled behind the top pack until taking the lead for good with about 200 meters left.
“I was just trying to relax behind the top guys,” he said. “I felt pretty good. My ankle was bothering me before the race, but it was fine when I got out there.”
Ratcliffe improved on his best time by about three seconds.
“This is a pretty big PR for me,” he said. “This is actually a pretty big surprise. I have been running the 800 and the two mile. Coach just wanted to spread me out a little bit. This is my first mile run in a while.”
Minnechaug senior Russell Wells pulled off a mild upset in the 800m, out-kicking pre-race favorite Everest Crawford of Gloucester the last 100 meters to win with a PB of 1:55.86. Crawford was second at 1:56.49. Fourteen runners in the field broke two minutes.
Wells was well aware of Crawford’s talent. During the winter, the senior upset Newton North’s multiple all-stater Gabe Montague by winning the 1,000m with his best of 2:26.11.
“When someone beats Gabe Montague, that’s a big deal,” Wells said. “That’s how I know Everest.”
A strong pack went through the opening 400m in the 56-second range. Wells bided his time until overtaking Crawford on the final straightaway.
“The extra strength comes from practice. There’s no doubt about it. We have a sophomore 400 runner who pushes my butt every single day,” said Wells, making reference to teammate Nicholas Santos, a sixth-place finisher in the 400m at Twilight (51.47). “There’s no better practice. We are fighting every single day. That’s what led me to win.
Wakefield Memorial senior Aaron Lucci won the two mile with a nine-second best of 9:21.24. Peabody senior Drew Fossa was second at 9:22.99.
Lucci nestled himself comfortably with the front runners and didn’t take the lead until hitting the final straightaway
“I was in the fourth position in the pack and just rode them the whole race,” he said. “That was kind of my plan, to sit in the back… A little past 200, I started to go and took the lead right around the 100 (meter) mark. I started going around the 200 and after the 100 I just gave it everything I have.”
The race featured Newburyport Nick Carleo, a runner with 4:14 mile speed. Carleo was battling for the lead position for the first mile but a twinge in his right leg forced him to drop out with three laps remaining.
“I felt bad for him,” Lucci said. “It looked like his right quad. I have been in that position before. It sucks. It definitely made my race a little easier.”