Evie Heffernan

Abu Ceesay lives in a silent world, but it is a very fast and fufilling existence for the Bridgewater-Raynham freshman

  When word got out that Carla Forbes was lost for at least a large part of the indoor season, it would be difficult to blame anyone for imagining that North's demise was coming. Coach Joe Tranchita isn't that kind of guy, though, and he simply went back to the drawing board to assemble one of his most unique and interesting squads. The additions of Shannon Fitzgerald and Christina Galvano helped shore up the sprinting and jumping squads, and while they don't replace a Forbes, they proved this week that the sum can sometimes be greater than the parts if everyone is used correctly.

Four teams arrived at Newton North's now famous $200 million complex on Tuesday undefeated and looking for a league title. Somehow, three of those teams left undefeated, and having won a league title. And for the first time in my coaching career, a local TV news crew from Fox 25 even covered the meet for their 6:00 and 10:00 broadcasts, perhaps a sign that track and field might soon move off of the periphery in this state.

It wasn’t a surprise that the field allowed Framingham’s Ben Groleau to take the early lead in yesterday’s B.A.A. Scholastic Mile. It was a big surprise to Groleau that the deep, 16-runner lineup never challenged him.   The 2010 winner and four-time starter, Groleau went to the front immediately and increased his lead over Newton North’s Justin Keefe from five yards after one lap to 80 yards at the finish with a thoroughly dominating win in 4 minutes, 27.2 seconds.  In the girls race Newton North’s Evie Heffernan used a sit-and-kick approach in capturing the girls scholastic race. Heffernan let Melissa Lodge of Hopkinton take the pace for the first two laps and then put in a big surge onto Newbury St, and out kicked Hopkinton’s Shelby Aarden for the win in 5:23.1. Aarden finished in 5:24 and an exhausted Lodge threw herself across the line in 5:24.8.

Many events are wide-open as the seniors take one last shot at glory.

Andrea Keklak scorches a 2:08.78 to win the 800m, while Moira Cronin leaps to US#3 in the high jump.