Concord Academy's Sam Welsh and Acton-Boxborough's Samantha Friborg were announced recently as the male and female recipients for the Gatorade MA Track & Field Athlete of the Year.
The Harvard-bound Welsh had a season for the ages in the discus. He earned his first national title on June 16 when captured the individual title at the New Balance Nationals Outdoor (NBNO) Championships. Competing in only his second year with the discus, Welsh also had the nation's best toss of the season with his PR of 212 feet from the NEPSTA Division 3 Championships last month.
Friborg, who will attend Yale this fall, was dominant this season in the 800-meter run. She captured individual titles at the Division 1 and All State Championships. She clocked her all-time best of 2:06.13 to finish fourth overall at the NBNO meet.