David Taranto

The Video's and photo's are coming in from New Balance Nationals !

Kris Horn went through his practice jumps in the long and triple jumps on Friday, taking particular not exactly where his marks were for both events. Satisfied that he had narrowed them down to within inches of his steps, the Pembroke talent went home and prayed for a hot, sticky Saturday on his home track. Horn’s prayers were answered and he took full advantage. The versatile Titan broke the Div. 3 meet record in the long jump with a leap of 23 feet, 11-¼ inches and took the triple jump with a 46-0 effort, defeating Saugus’ terrific jumper, Olisa Obiefuna, in the process.  

While most of the Massachusetts Track and Field Athletes competed at the MSTCA State Coaches Meet and the Andover Boosters Meet. A handful of the best made an appearance at the New Balance Twilight open meet at Bentley College. It looks as if Mansfield Senior Josh Lampron is making a very serious threat to break the 4:00 minute mile barrier. Lampron ran a 3:45.74 for 1500 Meters, which lands him as our National leader for that distance. His time converts to 4:03.73 for the mile run. Pembroke’s Wesley Gallagher also ran an impressive 1500 Meter race clocking at 3:55.62 (4:12.94)

The New Balance Indoor National Championships start Friday morning at the Armory in New York.  MileSplit New England will follow the accomplishments of all the athletes from the region and post updates as they become available. 

Every event in a state championship provides excitement and drama, but this year the relays may decide the team title. But don't expect to see the same line-ups from last week. Some additional fresh legs --courtesy of athletes that did not qualify in an individual event-- may help the common man become the hero. We watched it happen on Sunday at the Division 1 Championships, and those same teams remain in the hunt this week.

What happens when you combine a cross country team with a future decathlete during an indoor championship?  You get a division title. Pembroke took the versatility of Kris HornKri  and combined it with the foot speed of their middle distance stable to rack-up big points.  Horn finished third in the 55m hurdles, second in the long jump, and ran 50.4 anchor leg to help win the 4x400m.  The Hingham girls walked away with the team title and most of their damage was done on the track. The difference maker for Hingham was the relays, where they won the 4x200m, finished second in the 4x400m, and fifth in the 4x800m. 

It was a high profile week in New England, with New Balance sponsoring two elite events geared towards assembling some of the fastest fields on the East Coast.  Thankfully for track fans, both events delivered as promised.

A stacked field has been assembled for both mile races, and the addition of the boys 4x800m and girls 4x400m has given high school track fans even more to cheer for.  The Reggie Lewis Center track is considered a relatively fast surface, and if athletes get after it early, we may see some jaw dropping times.

New  York NY - The mile is a classic distance.  About 8 meters longer than the now standard 1600m, the mile recently has seen a movement encouraging its' return.  There is even a website dedicated to this very thing, petitioning high school sports to return to the classic distance.  And if there ever was any indication that the mile was still alive, the fields for the mile at the upcoming US Open, New Balance Grand Prix, and Millrose would be it.  See if your favorite made the cut.

Meet directors of the New Balance Grand Prix announced the high school fields on Wednesday afternoon, with the boys and girls mile races highlighting the prep action.  In years past, the race has focused on athletes from New England and the New York Metro area, but this year’s field has expanded to include athletes from as far away as North Carolina. 

THE HERALD TEAM Nathaniel Adams Jr. Lexington Chris Allen Sr. King Philip David Allen Sr. Sandwich Drew Beck Sr. Oliver Ames Nicholas Christensen Sr. Peabody Wesley Gallagher Sr. Pembroke Ben Groleau Sr. Framingham Peter Hale Jr. Swampscott Matthew Herzig Jr. Weston Joel... (via Boston Herald)

The indoor track season is upon us and it’s time to take a look at the top returners from each event.

As expected, the unexpected happened on the course.  Most teams rested the majority of their top runners in preparation for next week’s division championships, but a few marquee names laced it up and raced hard.  Team scores were not recorded; so many teams used the opportunity to challenge their young athletes in a varsity race with the hope of finding a 6th or 7th runner that could withstand the rigors of the post season.  Several delivered, even with the large gaps that were created early on by some of the state’s elite.

Becky Stoyle of Pembroke set a new meet record in the triple jump, but it was not enough to overcome Bishop Feehan for the team title.

Impressive marks should be inevitable as the state prepares for the post season.

Several meet records are in jeopardy as we watch some very impressive athletes try to win multiple events.

  Division 3 has some high powered teams, elite distance runners, and amazing field event depth.