Chernet Sisay

Based on the performance list entering the meet, the Newton North boys were projected to score 24 points.  Even further down the list, Mansfield was projected to only score 14 points.  Both should have finished mid-pack if the performance list had any significant impact on the outcome of the championship.  Thankfully for both teams, seed times mean little.

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.

Newton North continues to accomplish what is unimaginable to most teams, and this time they may have outdone themselves.  They scored 20 points in the long jump with four different girls contributing to the total.  Most teams would be thrilled to score 20 points in a meet, or have one athlete in the finals of a major division championship.  The depth was on display as a bevy of athletes assumed their role within the program for the greater good of the team.  The entire situation speaks volumes about the character of the athletes and the trust they have in the coaching staff.

The New Balance Grand Prix was "3 with Z" heaven, and we may have given Coach Z too much material to work with.  Nobody was safe from the infamous three question set, not even innocent spectators like Chernet Sisay from Brookline High School. 

It was a record breaking day as the Newton North girls took home the team title and set three meet records in the process.   The Tigers surpassed the previous best marks in the 4x50 Yard Relay (24.52), the 4x50 Yard Hurdles Relay (29.11), and the Long Jump (49’4.25).  Carla Forbes was a major part of the dash relay and long jump relay; in addition to anchoring the winning 4x400m relay. 

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.

Bishop Feehan and Brookline were locked in a heavyweight fight at the MSTCA Twilight, while St. John's rolled to a relatively easy victory at Wachusett.

There is something about racing at night that causes athletes to lose their feel for pace and forces them to run an abnormally fast first mile.  This scenario will force athletes out of their comfort zone early in the race, and will once again separate those pack running squads that thrive on their ability to work together.  The team that maintain their composure in the first mile, and practice patience until the half-way point, will most likely prevail.   

A number of athletes join a cross-country team to keep in shape. A few run to relieve stress, or to expend extra energy. Chernet Sisay has a far different reason. The Brookline High senior runs because he is happy to be alive, and he’s going to do anything it takes to make a name for himself. (via Boston)

Cheserek sets another meet record and Pembroke wins their third in a row.

Having Edward Cheserek in the field forces some early decisions for the rest of the front pack.  Do they attempt to go with him?  Do they simply let him go and monitor the next major move from within the chase pack?  One thing is certain, you had better be confident in the strategy you choose and commit to it wholeheartedly. 

Brookline’s Chernet Sisay entered yesterday’s Division 1 Bay State Invitational Cross-Country meet riding the momentum of his first-place finish at last weekend’s Amherst Invitational. (via Boston.com)

Whitman-Hanson makes a statement by going 1-2-3 in the Division 2 Varsity Girls race at the Bay State Invitational.

Brookline shows their strength at Amherst and Massachusetts teams travel to Rhode Island to sweep the Ocean State Invitational.

The first weekend of traditional format invitationals is upon us, and the state's best programs are scattered across four states as they search for ideal conditions to foster their development.

Check for the latest scores and highlights each week as we gather information from around the state.

There’s a pack of at least a dozen runners who have legitimate chances to come away with the gold medal when the state meet returns to Eastern Mass and Franklin Park in November. (Photo by Ron Crocker)

Kieran Kinnare heads to Connecticut to try his hand at the steeplechase and ends up smashing his seed time by over 20 seconds. (File photo)

There is no shortage of national caliber talent in the junior class.

  Photo by Don Rich