By Matt Taylor, Contributing Writer
Region – There were a number of outstanding performances and personal records set by local residents at the MIAA Division 2 High School Indoor Track and Field Championships Feb. 16. Cameron Brilliant, Joseph Breen, Shane Duffy, Annie Sullivan, and Michael Darmiento from Algonquin Regional; Brendan Robertson, Jen Steurer, Brigid Bowser, Julia Heffernan, Kim Bretta and Naloti Palma, of Westborough; and Gala Moreno, Alexa Fearing and Jon Ortiz, of Marlborough, all had top-10 finishes in a showcase of eastern Massachusetts” top track and field athletes.
Brilliant won the Boys High Jump as the only competitor to clear a height of six feet, two inches. Even as he emerged victorious, Brilliant was looking forward to accomplishing loftier goals.
“I's like to clear six feet, six inches,” Brilliant said. “But basically I's looking to improve each meet and be ready for the All-State Meet.”
Robertson added a personal record and a third-place finish in the 1,000-meters to his resume at Westborough. His time of 2:29.46 is good for ninth nationally in the 1,000 meters, despite finishing third in this race. Robertson was battling bronchitis, but persevered for a strong finish.
“I fought as hard as I could,” Robertson said. “I's happy with a personal record, but I's hoping to do even better at the All-State Meet.”
Marlborough's Moreno also stole the show with an unexpected top-10 finish in the Girls 300-Meter Race. She won her heat with a time of 1:42.88, and finished ninth overall.
“I beat my old personal record by four seconds,” Moreno said. “I was so happy to finish where I did because I was seeded 33rd.”
Westborough's Bowser had two top-10 finishes – in the Girls 300-meters and the Girls High Jump. Bowser's teammate Steurer also finished tied for eighth in the Girls High Jump. Both cleared four feet, ten inches to crack the top-10.
“I'se cleared five feet, three inches before, and was hoping to get that today,” Steurer said. “But I's happy with the season I had.”
Marlborough's Roberts also tied a personal best, clearing a height of four feet, ten inches.
Algonquin's strong performances across the board included Breen's second-place finish in the Shot Put with a throw of 50 feet, 9.5 inches. Duffy and McDonald finished sixth and 10th in the Boys Long Jump. Sullivan recorded a ninth-place finish in the Girls Mile Race with a time of 5:26.86. Darmiento's sixth-place finish in the 55-Meter Hurdles also contributed to the Algonquin boys finishing sixth overall in the meet. Davis ran a strong race in the Girls 55-Meter Hurdles, finishing ninth. In addition, the relay teams finished strong for Algonquin. The 4 x 200-Meter team of Zachary Hamilton, Jordan Entwistle, Malik Daly and Davis Kraft finished eighth, and the 4 x 400-Meter team of David McGoven, Shane Duffy, Colin Kraft and Justin Kody finished fifth. The girls team of Alisha Faherty, Emily Brown, Chelsea Thompson, and Hannah Lindgren finished ninth in the 4 x 400-Meter Relay, and the team of Annie Sullivan, Emily Brown, Laurie Finelli and Kyra Shreeve finished ninth in the 4 x 800-Meter Relay.
For Westborough, Heffernan finished seventh in the Girls 600-Meter Race with a time of 1:41.80; Bretta finished eighth in the 55-Meter Hurdles with a time of 9.04 seconds; and Palma finished fifth in the Girls Shot Put with a throw of 36 feet, 9.25 inches.
In addition to Moreno's exceptional performance for Marlborough, Ortiz finished third in the Boys 300-Meter Race with a time of 36.57 seconds. Fearing finished third in the Girls Shot Put with a throw of 36 feet, 11.25 inches.
With so many strong performances from Algonquin, Westborough and Marlborough, some of these contestants are bound to appear at the All-State Meet.
