Girls Recap from New England Championships

Photos by Chuck Martin

When it comes to the middle-distance events in her home state, New Hampshire’s Maegan Doody often plays second fiddle to Coe-Brown junior Hannah Parker.

Saturday afternoon at the New England Championships, the sophomore from Oyster River had the spotlight all to herself.

With Parker down in North Carolina competing at the New Balance Nationals, Doody took full advantage of the defending champion’s absence by winning the 800-meter run with a personal best of 2 minutes, 10.80 seconds at Bridgewater State University.

“I was hoping for around 2:08 but I got boxed in very badly at the beginning of the race,” she said. “I think it was on the second lap over there I had to go to lane 4 just to go around everybody.  That definitely set me back a little bit, but overall I’m happy.”

Doody, who was a runner-up to Parker at the divisionals and state meet the past two weeks, learned of her rival’s decision to head south last week. She gives credit to the Coe-Brown star for her improvement as a runner, especially this past spring.

“I’ve been lucky enough to race against Hannah Parker the whole season,” she said. “She’s not here today but she has definitely helped me to get where I am now.”

Doody finished ahead fast-charging sophomore Danae Rivers of Wilbur Cross (Conn) who was second overall in 2:12.77. Just an hour earlier. Rivers defended her crown in the 1,600m where she was timed in 4:53.46.

The gifted tenth-grader took the pace out hard for the metric mile, passing the halfway mark in 2:20. She beat a field that had the top six runner’s crack five minutes.

“I wanted the record (4:47.3) but I took it out too fast,” said Rivers, who ran a best of 4:47.45 to defeat Staples’ All-American Hannah DeBalsi at Monday’s CIAC Open Championship. “It still was a nice way to end the season.”

In the 3,200m, Simsbury (Conn.) senior Sarah Mattison took sole possession of the lead at just past the mile mark and held it to the finish, crossing the line with a PB of 10:32.47. Top seed Autumn Eastman of Champlain Valley (Vt.) took second at 10:36.16.

“My plan was to take off with 800 to go but (Eastman) was slowing down a little bit so I figured I had to take it now because I felt good,” Mattison said. “I felt good going into it. I ran the 4x800 in the morning. I ran that, took a long nap and had just been jogging around. I felt ready for it. At the end, I was a little tired but I was trying really hard to keep my pace.  I really wanted to break 10:40 so I was very happy with the time.”

Hope (R.I.) sprinter Quashira McIntosh was the only multiple winner in the meet, held under hot and often humid conditions. The speedy junior captured the 100m dash with a time of 11.84 and the 200m in 24.55. She also ran the anchor on the Blue Wave’s victorious 4x100m relay (48.77) and third-place 4x400m squad (3:59.07).

“It feels good. It feels really, really good,” said McIntosh, after her 100m win. “I came in seeded first and came out first. That’s all that really matters.”

The Hope runner, a multiple state champion and record-holder, looked smooth and relaxed in her 200m win.  Finishing second and also dipping under 25 seconds was People Academy (Vt.) senior Hannah Merrian, who was timed in 24.94.

“(My start) was kind of slow but the rest of the race felt really great,” McIntosh said. “I felt like I was really pushing myself. It was really close coming around the turn so I had to really push myself. I am really, really hoping to break the state record (24.21) next year. That’s my goal for now on.”

“It was great (today),” she continued. “I ran back-to-back-to-back so I am really tired. My team did great. We really did great today so I’m excited.”

Rhode Island also fared well in the 4x800 with the team of Alicia DeCastro, Caroline Falvey, Sheridan Wilbur and Eliza Rego combining for a meet record time of 9:05.30. New Milford (Conn.) was a distance second at 9:16.14.

“We came in looking to win and to break the meet record,” Wilbur said.

To no one’s surprise, Hingham (Mass.) junior Sierra Irvin copped the 400m title with a time of 55.14. Finishing second was sophomore Ashley Lewis of Latin Academy (Mass.) with a 56.73 clocking.

Irvin was hoping to break the longstanding record of 54.6, set by Boston Technical’s Tasha Downing in 1986.

“I didn’t think it was my best race,” she said. “I didn’t feel good going into it. I was a little exhausted, just a lot of running (lately).  It’s been a long season.  I could sense (it would be tough) warming up. I was exhausted.”

Marshfield (Mass.) senior Ellen DiPietro, a multiple state high-jump champion and winner of the NBNI meet this past March, took her specialty with a leap of 5 feet, 7 inches. There was a four-way tie for second at 5-5.

Megan Perrin, a senior from Watertown (Conn.), made it to the top of the podium in the javelin was a distance of 133-6. Hopkinton (Mass.) senior Autumn Kramer was second at 129-11.

“It’s not my PR. My PR is 136-10. But it was still a great throw,” Perrin said. “It feels pretty good. Last year I got third and I was seeded second. Just winning it feels great.  I knew my best throw was ranked No. 1 in New England. I haven’t been throwing my best lately. I have really been saving it for this day. I did pretty well with it.”

The pole vault crown belonged to Westford Academy (Mass.) senior Ashely Craig, who went over the bar at 11-6. Bay Staters’ Madison Arndt of Central Catholic and Megan Reese of Concord tied for second at 11-3.

In an exciting race, Maloney (Conn.) senior Brianna Burt went from third place to first on the final hurdle of the 110m event to win with a time of 14.57.Chenoa Sebastian, a senior Ledyard, was second at 14.61. North Kingstown (R.I.) was third in 14.81.

“The only thing I have been working for this meet is a strong, strong finish,” she said.  “Boy did I do it.”

Freshman Corinne Kennedy of Lebanon (N.H.) broke the tape in the 300m hurdles with a time of 44.04.

Coe-Brown (N.H.) junior Ariel Clacher took the long jump with a leap of 18-5.5. Dana Bramble of East Hartford (Conn) was second at 17-9. Bramble didn’t go home without a plaque. She took the triple jump with a distance of 37-10.5.

Oxford (Ct.) senior Taylor Drayton was busy inside the circle. She won the discus with a heave of 133-6. Autumn Kramer of Hopkinton (Mass.) was second at 129-11. Drayton also finished second in the shot out with a distance of 42-2. Maya Umoren, a senior from North Quincy, won with a throw of 42-10.

With Irvin as its anchor, Hingham took the 4x400m relay with a time of 3:52.65.