Hoosac Blows By Drury in Annual Track Matchup
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| The 'Canes dominated the field and relay events on their home turf.
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Two years ago, Hoosac used its strength in the field to stave off an up-and-coming Blue Devils squad. Last season, Drury, the eventual Western Massachusetts champion, had too much depth for the 'Canes to handle. Both coaches knew Friday's meet would be a close one, meaning every point would be crucial to the outcome.
"We knew before it was going to be close," Hoosac boys' coach Ron Namislo said. "We have a young team with only six seniors, but they're starting to come together as a team. You saw the support for each other. It started last week during the meet and really built because I think Drury helps us do that.
"We did really well in the relays. I put the three best relays I could together and everyone one of those kids came through. Half of those kids ran personal bests today, so how could I not be happy."
The hosts started off with a 12-second win in the 4x800, a big victory considering the Blue Devils sent a 4x800 team to states last year. The team of Mark Poirot, Ethan Harmon, Travis Laveault and Nick Martinelli earned the win with a time 9:24. The Hurricanes came back with a victory in the 4x100 thanks to Simon Winberg, Zach Ziemba, Jose Alverez and Andrew Reilly and closed out the meet with 4x400 win on the strength of the legs of Poirot, Laveault, Tyler Lawson and Mason Crammer.
"That's 15 points from them and a minus 15 for us," Drury boys' coach Jim Buffoni said. "We were hoping to win, but we're missing our top sprinter today and you can’t expect to win when you get killed in the field and don’t win any relays."
Despite the Blue Devils first loss of the season, Buffoni was still impressed with junior Nik Andrews and few other standouts from Friday. Andrews remained undefeated this year by winning both the 100 (11.4) and 200 (23.2) while adding a second-place finish in the triple jump as well. Teammate Brian Simard wasn't far behind, finishing second in both events. Senior Anthony Milazzo also had a good day, winning both the 800 (2:14) and the mile (5:00).
.jpg) Photos by Paul Guillotte
 The Drury girls were ahead here but couldn't beat Hoosac in the field or relay events. |
Overall, Drury took six out of the eight events on the track, while Hoosac captured six out of the seven field events. Devils senior Colton Andrews remained undefeated in the shot put, tossing a winning throw of 37-11, and Pete Dassati threw a personal best to take third in the javelin, but it wasn't enough to get by the Hurricanes, who swept both the high jump and long jump on the day.
Ziemba figured in big in the jumps, winning both the high (5-6) and the long (16-8), while teammate Evan Cwerwinski ended up second in both events. Nick Lefebvre was also a double winner, coming big in both the discus (101-0) and javelin (141-9). Other Hoosac winners included Dana Labbee in the high hurdles, Ethan Harmon in the 2-mile and Reilly, who impressed with a leap of 35-6 in the triple jump.
"He started jumping last year seriously and Reilly's come a long way," Namislo said. "We're hoping we can get a couple more feet out of him by the end of the year and maybe get him into Western Mass."
The girls' meet wasn't nearly as close as the Hurricanes earned their second win of the week by beating Drury 105-36. Just like the boys, the Hoosac girls controlled the field and the relays, taking first in all of those events.
The hosts has four double winners on the day, including Bethany Frye in the 800 and the mile, Emily Rodowicz in the 400 hurdles and the triple jump, Sam LeBeau in high jump and long jump and Johanna Sutliff in the discus and shot put.
"I think Emily surprised herself by winning the triple," Hurricanes girls' coach Greg Lucia said. "Usually its Sara [Sworzen] and then Emily, but this probably her best jump ever at 28-7. Melanie Blanchard also qualified for Western Mass. in the javelin and JoJo Sutliff did in the discus, too."
Blanchard won the javelin with a throw of 89 feet, while Sutliff hit 85-3 to earn first place in the javelin. Sworzen also came up with some points for Hoosac, winning the 100, taking third in the triple jump and teaming with LeBeau, Rodowicz and Hannah Noel to win the 4x100 relay.
Just like Milazzo, Frye earned the brutal 800-mile double victory, even though she only had three events in between to rest. She almost got caught at the end of the 800 but had just enough kick to cross the finish line first."I had an amazing sprint in the 800," Frye said. "I paced my second lap a little slower, so I' have a great finish. I transferred over to cross country in my senior year, and I really love it."
After dropping the first meet of the season to Monument Mountain, the Hurricanes came back with two convincing wins over Wahconah and Drury this week. Frye, a senior, thinks her squad is poised to do very well in the final four meets of the season.
"It will be a big battle with Greylock. It always is," Frye said. "But I'm hoping to get all wins and who knows with Greylock. I think we can go either 6-1 or 5-2."
There were a few bright spots for Blue Devils, which dropped to 0-3 on the year. Senior Miranda Bona earned a first place in the high hurdles (18.8) and a second place in the 400 hurdles (1:16), while sophomore Cassie Lincoln had another monster day at the track. Lincoln remained undefeated in running events this season by winning both the 400 (1:06.3) and the 200 (28.8) and also took second place in both the long and triple jump. Her 16 points nearly accounted for half of her team's scoring on the day.
"Cassie is tough to beat," Lucia said. "She was a double winner today and that was Drury's big gun for sure."
"My goal for this year is to be undefeated in the 400 and the 200 for as long as I can, so I'm going to push it as hard as I possibly can," Lincoln said. "Before ever race, I think about how I want to go undefeated and it drives me to keep on winning."
