Charles TRI-umphant At Division 3 States!

MIAA Division 3 Championships
Joe Reardon

COMPLETE RESULTS

Smith Charles pulled triple duty on Sunday and came up with gold.

The incomparable Milton star was at his absolute best as he pulled off the rare 55, high jump and long jump triple win at the Div. 3 Championships. Charles demolished the field in the 55 with a 6.52 on the Reggie Lewis Center infield then captured the long jump with a meet-record leap of 23-4-1/2. Charles capped off his gold medal day by clearing 6-4 in the high jump

The triple win was a huge stepping stone for Charles. "It's been the goal since sophomore year," he said. "It's really emotional because I worked really hard for it."

The long jump was his best showing of the day. "The long jump felt the best," he said. "I got the jump and it felt really good, but then I went over and concentrated on the high jump."

Tewksbury's Rachel Sessa looked to have the 1000 well in control at the gun lap with a five-yard lead over Milton's Elise O'Leary, but the Redmen speedster had no idea O'Leary had yet to show her final and most explosive hand.

O'Leary, who captured the 600 last winter, surged past Sessa on the backstretch and instantly had a five-meter lead. O'Leary showed she had plenty left as she held off the mile winner down the final straightaway in a meet-record 2:55.39. Sessa was also under the previous mark of 2:56.90 set in 2014 by Dracut's Karina Shepard with her 2:55.52.

O'Leary approached the race like she would an 800 after taking the lead at the gun. "I always feel like I have something left at the end," said O'Leary. "I wanted to use as less energy as possible by passing her on the straightaway because I knew she'd come back on me. I wanted her to know I had the kick I needed."

Sessa won the mile 30 minutes earlier on the Reggie Lewis Center track as she waited to unleash a 33.5 final 200 for a 5:05.97.

Pint-sized Tewksbury freshman Makayla Paige looks like the next middle distance star in Massachusetts as she tore through the final lap in 31.5 for a quick 1:33.93 victory. That time moved Paige to 12th fastest ever in the state. It also currently ranks her No. 8 in the nation and No. 1 among all ninth-graders. 

"I was just hoping to have a good race but my coaches said to go for the win," said Paige.

Milton's girls pulled out the win in the team competition (60 points), edging second-place runner-ups Tewksbury and Sharon (59 points). On the boys' side,

Winchester's Augusta Burhans set a personal best in her preliminary heat and then broke it in the final as she overcame a rough start to capture the 55 in 7.29. Sharon's Angela Wallace clocked a 7.38 for second.

"Hopefully at All-States I can get a better start at the gun," Burhans said. "I was behind early (in the preliminaries) and saw everyone in front of me."

North Attleboro's Jonathan Shultz didn't get the start he wanted in the preliminary round of the 55 hurdles, but was confident his race was good enough to qualify for the final. After placing sixth last year, Shultz tore away from the field and lost his balance slightly over the final hurdle on the way to a 7.79 win.

"I came off the fifth hurdle and I was a little off balance," said Shultz. "It's (hurdles) so quick that you don't even think."

Alex Wengryn looked at how close the field was in the mile and expected a close race up front for the win. The Pembroke runner led the whole way and held off a charging Liam Monahan of North Attleboro. Wengryn was clocked in 4:31.26 and Monahan was a step back with his 4:31.32.

"It's everything," Wengryn said of copping the gold medal after finishing fifth last year in the 1000. "The field was very athletic. I was lucky enough to hold them off. I heard him coming up on my shoulder and I thoughtt this is going to be a last 50 meter sprint."

Hopkinton's Nathan Pucci sliced nearly three seconds off his personal best in the 600, destroying the field with a 1:23.72. "I wanted to get top three," he said. "I wasn't expecting to go sub 1:24. I'm more of a 400 guy generally. I knew it would be a good race to place in the top three."

Zoe Dainton was a repeat winner in the high jump and took a big step towards defending her All-State title. The Dartmouth-bound Hingham starlet cleared 5-6 for the win and was enormously pleased with the win. "I definitely put pressure on myself because I won last year and wanted to prove I could do it again," Dainton said.


Girls Highlights