New England Championships - Boys Meet Summary

New England Indoor Championships
Stephen Mazzone

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There’s no shortcuts. There’s no simple solution. If you want to break nine minutes for the two mile as a high-schooler, or at least come close, you’ve got to be willing to put in the work.

That’s the type of mentality that Christian Alvarado knows he’ll need to earn a win in two weeks at the New Balance Nationals. It’s also the mentality that the Fairfield Prep (CT) senior used on Saturday at the New England Championships, his final tune-up before heading to New York City for track & field’s most important indoor meet.

With a powerful kick with just under two laps remaining, Alvarado broke from fellow Connecticut rival Alexander Ostberg of Darien to defend his title at the Reggie Lewis Athletic Center in Boston with a new meet record and a nation best of 9:00.29. In a classic race, Ostberg finished second with the No. 2 time in the country of 9:02.24 and Maine’s Dan Curts of Ellsworth was third with the fourth fastest clocking this year of 9:07.24.

Alvarado broke the five-year-old meet record of 9:02.58 by former Westerly (RI) great Andrew Springer. He also established a new state record.

“I knew the state record for two miles was 9:08 and 9:02 for the meet record. Obviously I wanted to break nine too. I thought I got it at the line, but apparently I didn’t,” Alvarado said. “I am still happy with the time, a U.S. number one right now. It definitely gives me a ton of confidence. It really make me happy to be able to accomplish something like that today.”

Alvarado had familiarity on the line with Ostberg in the field. The two runners battle during the cross-country season and brought their intense rivalry to the indoor surface, too. Two weeks ago at the CIAC Open Championships, Alvarado defeated Ostberg in their 3,200-meter race by less than three seconds with a then-No. 1 of 9:07.63.

In Saturday’s race, the duo were at it again with Curts right behind. The Maine standout certainly belonged there. Just five days earlier, he clocked 8:23.85 (US #1) for the 3K at the USATF New England Championships.

With Ostberg dictating the pace, the trio passed the first mile in 4:33. Alvarado made his move at about 350 meters, utilizing the back straightaway to pull away from his competition. A sub nine-minute effort was certainly on his mind.

“If I wanted to break nine, I felt like I had to push the pace.” he said. “That’s what I am going to have to do at nationals. If I want to go for the win, I am going to have to be bold like that. I have to make a hard move and I have to prepare myself to go for sub-nine.”

Alvarado, who was a second-place finisher in the mile at the Yale Track Classic back in January, felt his fresh legs aided in his effort.  

“In a two mile like that it’s just guts and staying there,” he said. “I didn’t race last week so I felt like I had a little more today. I was definitely fresh. Also, the week before (at the state meet), I ran the 1,600 before it. It was definitely a great race for me and I felt good all the way through.”

In a mild upset, Gloucester (MA) junior Everest Crawford beat pre-race favorite Gabe Montague of Newton North (MA) to win the 1,000 with a US # 3 of 2:26.11. Montague, a senior, was second at 2:26.38.

Crawford was a little surprised by his win. Just a week earlier at the MIAA All State Meet, he was a runner-up to Montague, who ran a nation No. 1 of 2:25.45.

“My plan after All States, the plan that my coach and I decided, was to not run this week because we had been training to peak last Saturday. But then he said, ‘You know what, let’s just go for it!’” Crawford recalled. “I got a good week of training and then we had two goals. If Gabe wasn’t there, win. If he was there, run a good time, and he was here and I managed to do both. That’s pretty awesome.”

Holding a slight lead, Montague led the pack through a 57-second 400 split and was 1:27 at the 600. Crawford timed his kick right around 700 meters.

“I was like, ‘Oh, my God! I feel great,’” he said. “I felt I could actually hold on. I made sure I got ahead of him before the last 200. That one hurt. But hearing my name being called (on the PA system) as I came down in front that helped.”

Despite having the distinction of being the fastest runners in the country at the 1K distance, Montague knew it wouldn’t be easy to win with Crawford in the race.

“Coming off of All States, he was less than a second behind me,” he said. “I knew that he would be the toughest competitor, and I knew who it was coming around the last lap beside me.”   

The 600 turned into a classic duel with St. John Prep (MA) junior Joe Luongo edging defending titlist Zachery Emrich of North Kingstown (RI) at the line with a time of 1:20.59, his fourth time under 1:21 this season. Emrich was timed in a season-best of 1:20.67 (US #8).

The N.K. senior got the early edge, leading through the first 200 at 25 seconds. Luongo took control just before the 400 mark (52 seconds) and gutted out the final few meters with Emrich never giving up.

“It did not go as I wanted to. He got out in front of me. I had to just kind of stay on his back until the end. I really wanted to lead it,” said Luongo, the Mass. state titlists who ranks No. 2 in the event with his best of 1:20.05. “When I went passed him I thought I had him but he just kept on going. It was going to come to one of us leaning quicker than the other.”

“I was pretty nervous coming into this race but it was good,” he added. “I got it. I was going for the state record (1:19.9 by Andre Rolin of Somerville in 2012), but I still got one more year.”

Emrich, a two-time R.I. 600 champion, was actually hoping to run the type of race that Luongo ended up doing.

“The first 200 was a little too fast,” he said. “I wanted to be behind him the first two laps. It didn’t work out that way. The goal was to kind of just let him do the work and stuff like that, and then take it in the end. That didn’t work out, obviously. I think I was a little too excited coming into the race.”

Andrew Bolze, a senior from Hingham (MA), repeated his performance at the state meet a week earlier by taking the 300 and the long jump. The Harvard-bound Bolze, ranked No. 8 in the 300, came just .08 from the meet record with a winning time of 34.25. Brien McMahon (CT) senior Shnyden Pierre was second at 34.65 (US #9).

“At All States I came up too quickly on my start to really focus on just driving the first 30 meters. I didn’t do that this time,” said Bolze, who owns a PB of 34.19 in his specialty. “I just tried to bring it all the way to the 200 mark and just keep my head down and pump my arms hard to get home first. I am really happy. I have been crazy consistent the last few weeks. My best is still 34.19, but today was awesome.”

In the long jump, Bolze was an inch from matching his best with a winning effort of 23-7. Bishop Hendricken (RI) junior Lee Moses was second at 22-6.

La Salle Academy (RI) sophomore Jack Salisbury came back from seventh place late in the race to capture the mile with a PB of 4:17.50. Matt Chisholm, a senior from Farmington (CT), was second at 4:18.17. Medfield (MA) senior Sean Robertson took third with a 4:18.72 clocking.

“My goal was to just PR, which is 4:18,” Salisbury stated. “I just said I will have to run a 60-second last 400. I maintained for the second to last 400 and the last lap I just gave it all I got.”

The top two teams in the 4x800 relay broke eight minutes. Ridgefield (MA) earned the title with the foursome of junior Ethan Realander, junior Kristian Sogaard, junior Johnathan Keating and senior Graeme Hewett combining for a time of 7:56.12 (US #12). Burlington (MA) was second at 7:56.56.

 

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