ConVal hosted the Last Chance track and field meet on Saturday morning, giving Cougar athletes and visitors one more shot at qualifying for this weekend’s divisional championships.
Conant and Wilton-Lyndeborough, along with a half-dozen other teams from just outside the region, joined the Cougars at the meet, avoiding the day’s scorching temperatures with a 9 a.m. start time. Nonetheless, there was plenty of heat on the track, as local speedsters brought home several event wins or podium finishes.
For the ConVal girls, sophomore Aida Davis won the 400m dash and took second in the 200m. Sophomore Elise Robbins won the pole vault. Senior Ella Phillips took third in the 800m. Sophomore Tasha MacNeil won the javelin toss, took second in shot put and was third in the 100m dash. Freshman Eliza Bull was third in the 200m. Senior Allison Bull was second in the 3,200m run. ConVal’s girls’ 4x100m and 4x400m relay teams both finished second. Senior Kendall Larson was third in triple jump.
For the ConVal boys, freshman Kendrick Edwards won the 100m and 200m dashes and was third in long jump. The boys’ 4x100m relay team took second. Sophomore Jack Harris was second in pole vault.
Conant got top-three finishes from senior Austin Poikonen, who won the 110m hurdles, and sophomore Jon Ciglar, who was third in the boys’ 400m dash. While Conant and WLC didn’t claim too many top spots at Saturday’s Division II-heavy meet, they’re ready for action at Saturday’s Division III championship at Pelham, as entrants were set Sunday night.
Conant’s DIII boys’ entrants include Poikonen and Kaden Colby in hurdles, Ethan Vitello in the 200m, triple jump and long jump, Jacob Sawyer and John Oakes in the 800m, John Mormando in the 800m and 1,600m, Ciglar in the 400m, Garrett Somero in shot put and discus, Jordan Nagle in high jump and triple jump, Ben Sawyer in long jump and high jump, and 4x400m and 4×800 relay teams. Somero is the defending shot put champion and is seeded first by 10 inches; Vitello is the top seed in the 200m with a qualifying time of 22.75 second, 0.15 seconds ahead of Mascoma Valley’s Logan Gilmore; the 4×4 team is seeded No. 1 by over four seconds ahead of Campbell, and Ben Sawyer is the highest-ranked high jumper with his mark of 6’1”.
The girls will field Kylie Aho in the 800m and 1,600m runs, Neve Mormando in the 800m, Amber Gnoza, Ellie Cassady and Bella Nero in the 3,200m run, Adrienne Kennedy in the 800m, Heather Gonyea in long jump and 4x400m and 4x800m relay teams.
Wilton-Lyndeborough senior Samantha Boette is the defending 100m and 200m champion, and she’s qualifed as the top seed in the 200m and second in the 100m, behind Belmont’s Emma Winslow by 0.01 seconds.
Mascenic had several qualifiers on the boys’ side, including Jethro Somero (1,600m), Connor Traffie (1,600m), Ryan O’Shea (1,600m), Drew Traffie (3,200m), Jimmy Crawford (shot put, discus) and the No. 1-seeded 4x800m relay team.
The Viking girls have Emma Schaumloffel (1,600m), Brielle Shippee (3,200m), Mackenzie Vaillancourt (high jump) and the 4x800m relay team.
The Division II seedings were not available as of press time Monday; ConVal is also at Pelham Saturday for the DII meet.