Photo by John Keklak
Junior Top 10
The class of 2012 is a very impressive group with top-notch athletes in almost every event. Despite the depth, two athletes stand above the rest with tremendous all-around skills. Karla Ganley of Wellesley leads the high jump at 5’5” and the pole vault at 11’0”. In addition, she is second in the 200m at 25.30 and fourth in a very strong 100m hurdles group at 14.97. Ganley’s versatility makes her a tremendous heptathlete and one of the most impactful dual meet athletes in the state. Nicole Genard of Somerville has a stat sheet a mile long, and her versatility was on display at the New Balance Outdoor Nationals where she posted a MA#2 time in the hurdles (14.60) and won the Emerging Elite Javelin (133'5"). In head-to-head competition, Genard got the best of Ganley at the North Heptathlon by 59 points and the rivalry should continue to thrill track fans in 2012.
But Ganley and Genard are not the only multi-event standouts in the group. Vanessa Clerveaux tops the list in the 100m hurdles at 14.25 and the triple jump at 39’1”. Laura Williamson also demonstrated tremendous range; she is third in the triple jump at 36’0.75”, but leads the 800m at 2:12.89. Williamson’s time in the 800m is the top returning time in the state, but she will be challenged next year if Marika Crowe decides to move down from the mile. Crowe is the All-State Champion in the mile at 5:00.43, but posted some amazing 800m relay legs for Lincoln-Sudbury in the post season. In addition, Madison Granger, Jade Paul, and Jocelyn Hubbard all posted times under 2:17.00 in the 800m this season. Granger also ran 5:00.62 in the mile at the New England Championships to finish with a podium spot.
But the distance races are not the only events with female superstars. Jen Esposito recently ran 60.17 in the 400m hurdles at the World Youth Track and Field Trials; Rebecca Robinson ran 55.03 in the 400m at the MIAA Division 2 Championships; and Meghan McHugh finished 5th in the javelin at the New Balance Outdoor Nationals with a throw of 142-4.25”.
The boys 400m has a majority of the state’s top 10 returning in 2012. Nathen Pierre-Louis is the Massachusetts State Champion and leads the list at 48.93. He was challenged all year by Mansfield teammates Nick King and Griffin Robertson who posted times of 48.93 and 49.40 respectively. Jabari Johnson of Phillips Exeter Academy also ran sub 50 seconds (49.28) and is the NEPSTA Division 1 Champion.
Josh Lampron has been the story of the post season and his winning time of 4:05.99 in mile at the New Balance Outdoor Nationals catapulted him into the national scene. But in Massachusetts, Lampron’s impressive times have had a tangible impact on the rest of the state. The junior class now has four athletes under 4:20.00 in the mile, and the entire Top 10 is under 4:24.00. Joel Hubbard (4:16.00), Wes Gallagher (4:19.24), and Jeremy Bennie (4:20.94) all had impressive seasons and were integral parts of their team’s relay success in the post season. In addition, Chris Allen posted a 4:18.40 in the mile and leads the 2 mile at 9:09.14.
In the field events, Khary Bailey-Smith won the All-State Championship in the high jump at 6’10”. He is also ranked 3rd in the long jump at 22’1.5”. Tchuijo Nkamebo is the top returning athlete in the triple jump at 47’3.5”, and Swardic Mayanja leads the shot put at 54’2.25”. Brian Sullivan leads the discus at 167’10”, with Mayanja sitting in second at 160’7”. But the most impressive field event athlete of the group has to be state record holder Brendan Sullivan. The Westford Academy star secured the Massachusetts record with a 15'7" clearance in a dual meet against Lincoln-Sudbury and then backed it up with a 15'3" clearance for second place at the New England Championships.
Below is a look at the top 10 in each event. Please email pbendzick@milesplit.us if you notice an error or a missing mark.
Girls 100m
Girls 200m
Girls 400m
Girls 800m
Girls Mile
Girls 2 Mile
Girls 100m Hurdles
Girls 400m Hurdles
Girls High Jump
Girls Long Jump
Girls Triple Jump
| Rank | Mark | Athlete Name | Team | C/O | Date | Meet | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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1. | 39-1 | Vanessa Clerveaux | MA Brockton High School | 2012 | 05/28/2011 | Massachusetts (MIAA) Eastern Division 1 Outdoor Championships | |
| *** MILESPLIT US FIRST TEAM ELITE 38-06.00 *** | ||||||||
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2. | 36-0.75 | Laura Williamson | MA Wachusett Regional High School | 2012 | 05/25/2011 | Mid Wach Class A Championships | |
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