Record Setting Day at D2 Sectional Track Meet

FITCHBURG, Mass. -- Monument Mountain senior Weyessa "Ace" Mcalister won the 2-mile run and placed fourth in the mile to lead the Spartans to  a team championship at the Central/Western Massachusetts Division 2 Championships on Saturday at Fitchburg State University.

 

McAlister's 9 minute, 34.03 time in the 2-mile set a meet record and edged Lenox's Tucker McNinch (9:38.18) in an event that also saw Hoosac Valley's Travis Ciempa, Mount Greylock's Tommy Kirby and Drury freshman Connor Meehan reach the podium in fourth, fifth and eighth place, respectively.

 

In the mile, McAlister's 4:30.17 was a little less than six seconds behind Wahconah junior Eric Klem, who eclipsed the previous meet record by 4.5 seconds in winning with a time of 4:24.36.

 

Wahconah's Marcus Duncan set a meet record in the 400 with a time of 49.70, and Wahconah set yet another meet record n the 4-by-800 relay on the way to finishing third in the team standings.

 

Monument ran away with the team title, earning 75 points to easily outdistance second-place Douglas (56 points).

McAlister was backed up by classmate Jason Laramee, who tied a meet record in the high jump, clearling 6 feet, 4 inches.

Connor Storti was a major contributor in the win. He finished second in the long jump (20-8.0) and fifth in the 200 dash (23.26 seconds).

 

Monument also won the boys 4-by-100 relay.

 

In the girls meet, Mount Greylock senior Emily Kaegi finished second in the mile with a time of 5:12.53, behind Tyngsborough's Kerri Keohane (5:10.86).

 

Kaegi's Mounties teammate and classmate Jenna Phelps finished second in the girls' pentathlon. Phelps was a runner-up in three of the five events -- the 100 hurdles, the shot put and the 800 -- and compiled 2,402 points to finish behind Lunenburg's Sophia Holman (2,560).

 

Mount Greylock's girls were the highest finishing team from Berkshire County, placing 16th out of a 44-team field with 22 points. The team title was won by Notre Dame Academy-Worcester with 63 points.

 

Hoosac Valley senior Meg Rodowicz finished fourth in the 800 with a time of 2:20.96. That would have been a meet record if not for the three girls in front of her who also beat the old mark of 2:21.19. Oakmont freshman Kaylen Ciesluk set the new standard with a time of 2:17.53.

 

Other highlights on the girls side included Monument senior Heather Hassett, who finished fourth in the high jump (5-00) and sixth in the 800 (2:25.10).

 

Lenox freshman Shannon Meisberger finished third in the 400 hurdles. Her time of 1:07.14 trailed a pair of seniors, led by Whitinsville's Abby Epplett (1:04.20).

 

Division 1

In the Division 1 meet on Saturday at Westfield State, Taconic senior Dom Nda made it to the podium in two events.

Nda finished fifth in the 100 with a time of 11.31. Amherst-Pelham's Taj-Amir Torres sped to a 10.86 to win the event. Nda also finished eighth in the long jump with a mark of 19-11.5.

 

His Taconic teammate, Evan Kalinowsky, finished third in the javelin with a throw of 158-10; Pittsfield's Aaron Weeks was sixth in that event with a mark of 147-3.

 

On the girls side at Westfield State, Pittsfield senior Courtney Luscier finished second in the 100 meters (12.82) behind Nashoba's Sarah Militano (12.53).

 

Taconic junior Hannah Barbarotta finished eighth in the javelin with a throw of 104-0, and her classmate and teammate Alyssa Doerle was eighth in the discus (93-8).

 

Pittsfield junior Rebecca Williams was seventh in the high jump, clearing 4-10.