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Boston Globe
a day ago
- Sport
- Boston Globe
Ainsley Cuthbertson took her shot and put Lexington atop the Division 1 girls' track championship for the first time
Natick (65 points) and Westford (57 points) sit in second and third place with 18 of 19 girls' events accounted for — pole vault was pushed to Sunday due to the slippery conditions. Advertisement 'It's pretty new to me to be able to score points for the team at big meets like this,' said Cuthbertson, who had never previously won an event at states. 'Before my last throw, I heard [all my teammates] cheering, and I was like, 'I just have to do it for them.' So it feels amazing.' Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Related : Freshman standout Amelia Whorton placed second in the 800 meter (2:10.16) and third in the mile (4:58.64), and junior Aubrey Deardorf was second in both the 100-meter (12.84) and long jump (19-04.5) for the Minutemen. 'We sort of made a statement in indoor, but we wanted to come back in outdoor and show everybody that while we're a young team, and we're not necessarily everybody's target, we're still here,' said coach Rebecca Trachsel. 'And we're here for a while because we don't have any seniors.' Advertisement Weymouth's Ainsley Weber wins the javelin with a throw of 131 feet, 7 inches. Barry Chin/Globe Staff On the boys' side, Lowell captured the team title with 87 points, narrowly edging Lexington (76) and Brookline (73). The Red Raiders were paced by junior Ethan Thevenin, who surged to victories in the triple jump (46-07.00) and 400 (49.50) before sealing the team victory with a clutch fifth-place effort in the long jump (21-10.25), the meet's final event. 'Ethan just did so much for us today, can't say enough good things about what he did winning those two events and then closing it out for us,' said Lowell coach Nick McArdle. 'It was a grind, but everyone just stepped up. A full team effort.' Brookline's Altamo Aschkenasy led from start to finish to capture the 1-mile at the Division 1 meet. Barry Chin/Globe Staff The Raiders also got boosts from senior Khai Yin, who finished third in both the 110 hurdles (14.49) and 400 hurdles (55.10), and senior Emanuel Trinidad, who was second in discus (158-05) and third in shot put (52-07.50). After missing the bulk of the cross-country and indoor track season due to a lingering illness, Westford star junior Abigail Hennessy made a triumphant return to the Division 1 stage. In one of the meet's most dominant individual efforts, Hennessy claimed the girls' mile by 15 seconds (4:43.72) on Saturday, shattering the meet record by seven seconds. She also claimed the 800 (2:07.18) by three seconds. At the D1 state championship meet, Westford junior Abigail Hennessy destroys the competition in the girls' mile, winning in 4:43.72. She won the race by 15 seconds, and set a 7-second meet record. That's her second victory of the meet. — Matty Wasserman (@Matty_Wasserman) Though Hennessy began separating within the opening lap and never faced much competition, she used the meet record as fuel. 'During the third lap, I just had to keep repeating myself, 'I can do this. I can do this,' ' Hennessy said. 'Especially with the wind in your face that last final stretch, I had to think about the meet record to make sure I'd finish strong.' Advertisement Westford Academy's Abigail Hennessy outran her closest competitors to break the meet record in the girls' mile. Barry Chin/Globe Staff Natick's Emmanuella Edozien (right) gets a hug from a teammate after winning the 100-meter hurdles. Barry Chin/Globe Staff Shrewsbury's Darius Gibbons gives it his all to win the shot put with a throw of 55 feet, 10.25 inches. Barry Chin/Globe Staff Natick's Chloe Elder had plenty of breathing room as she crossed the finish line to win the 400. Barry Chin/Globe Staff Ryan Kyle of Westford Academy leaps for joy after seeing the results of his win in the 110-meter hurdles, which came two days after he set a state record in the 400 hurdles. Barry Chin/Globe Staff Matty Wasserman can be reached at
Boston Globe
3 days ago
- Sport
- Boston Globe
Westford's Ryan Kyle makes quick work of 400-meter hurdles during first day of Division 1 track and field championship
Kyle's effort was among the lone bright spots for Westford (13 points) through the first day of competition at Tufts University, with Brookline (41 points) holding a slight lead over second-place Lexington (35 points) in the boys' team standings. At the MIAA D1 Championship Meet, Westford Academy senior Ryan Kyle obliterates his own state record in the boys' 400m hurdles (52.12) That tops his own record by 0.6 seconds, which he set just last week. He won the event by well over two seconds. — Matty Wasserman (@Matty_Wasserman) 'The state record last week was amazing, but it means slightly less in my book if you're not doing it against the best in the state,' Kyle said. 'So to do it against such a talented field today feels great.' Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up After surging to the Division 1 cross-country state title in the fall and 2-mile crown in the winter, Needham junior Greta Hammer took the outdoor season slowly, running in only four regular-season meets. Advertisement But facing a girls' 2-mile field in which last season's top eight finishers all returned, Hammer took the lead with three laps to go and fended off the pack to finish first (10:36.47). Needham's Sofia Galen races to a win in the 400-meter hurdles. Matthew J. Lee/Globe Staff Hammer's effort led the Rockets (20 points) to a tie for third place in the girls' standings, with Lexington (44) in the lead and Westford (24) in second. 'There was great competition today, so that was some motivation to keep going and keep pushing the pace,' Hammer said. 'I know this week my splits kind of got a little bit slower in the middle, so I'm going to try and pace even next week and hopefully it'll get me a faster time.' Related : Advertisement Following a disappointing seventh-place finish in the boys' 800 last week at the Bay State Championships, Brookline senior Altamo Aschkenasy was unseeded for the event on Thursday. But Aschkenasy was a cut above his competition, claiming his heat by over five seconds (1:52.76), winning the event, and recording the state's fastest time this season. 'We all have bad races. I had a bad race last week, which didn't get me into the seeded heat I wanted,' Aschkenasy said. 'But that didn't really stop me today. So I went out here and did my thing.' The Division 1 meet continues Saturday at Tufts. Newton North's Reese Connors gives it his all to win the 200. Matthew J. Lee/Globe Staff Natick's Chloe Elder stretches to the finish line to win the 200-meter dash. Matthew J. Lee/Globe Staff Acton-Boxborough's Diego Harris attempts to clear the bar at 14 feet, but settled for a win at 13-6. Matthew J. Lee/Globe Staff Westford's Abigail Hennessy runs away from the field to win the 800. Matthew J. Lee/Globe Staff Attleboro's Thomas Zane wins his heat, but later finishes fourth in the 200-meter dash. Matthew J. Lee/Globe Staff Methuen's Lauren Quarm finishes second in the 200-meter dash. Matthew J. Lee/Globe Staff Lexington's Ainsley Cuthbertson wins the discus with a throw of 130 feet, 8 inches. Matthew J. Lee/Globe Staff Matty Wasserman can be reached at
Boston Globe
4 days ago
- Sport
- Boston Globe
MIAA boys' volleyball tournament: Favorites, sleepers, players to watch for Divisions 1-2
Western Mass. powerhouses make up the top pair in Division 2, but will Wayland make a push after last season's finals appearance? Here's a preview of the brackets: Division 1 Favorite : No. 1 Brookline. Sleeper : No. 5 Lexington. Players to watch : outside/setter Branch Barnes (Natick, Sr.), middle Andrew Kurdziel (Needham, Sr.), outside Ale Luciani (Lexington, Sr.), setter Eric Su (Cambridge, Sr.), outside Kris Vaivars (Brookline, Sr.), outside Simon Vardeh (Newton North, Sr.). Best first-round matchup : Thursday, No. 17 Newton South at No. 16 St. John's Prep. Advertisement Longest first-round road trip : Thursday No. 39 Lowell Catholic to No. 26 Barnstable, 98.6 miles. Analysis : While Bay State teams earning the top seeds is was expected, the behemoths of Needham (which was a set away from four-peating last spring) and Newton North (won four of the last five volleyball seasons, girls included) are just the Nos. 3 and 4, respectively. No. 2 Natick has not won since 2007 and top-seeded Brookline is seeking its first title since 1992. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up These four only lost to each other last postseason, and could make up the semifinals by themselves, but some teams sense the door could be open this time around. Middlesex League champion Lexington (5-seed) and No. 7 Cambridge from the Dual County League each took a set against Brookline. Watch out for No. 22 Milford and No. 23 St. John's (Shrewsbury), which are not long removed from semifinal appearances and can be potent if playing their best. Advertisement Division 2 Favorite : No. 1 Agawam. Sleeper : No. 5 Chicopee Comprehensive. Players to watch : outside Aleksandr Bak (West Springfield, Sr.), outside Finn Bell (Wayland, Jr.), libero Tri Duong (Latin Academy, So.), outside Joe Culhane (Agawam, Sr.), outside Zach Kukharchuk (Westfield, Sr.), Noah Johnson (Chicopee Comp., Jr.). Best first-round matchup : Thursday, No. 23 O'Bryant at No. 10 Medfield. Longest first-round road trip : Thursday, No. 37 Lynn Tech to No. 28 Frontier Regional (Deerfield), 108 miles. Analysis : Last season provided fireworks at the end, with reverse sweeps in the semifinals and finals. Of the top three teams, the winner was the one that only had to face one of the other two. It's the same three at the top, but instead of Westfield at No. 1, it's Agawam. Wayland at No. 3 will try to prevent one of the last two champions from doing it again. Chicopee Comp. enters at No. 5 after its sophomore-heavy roster made a stunning run with the 22-seed last postseason. That core returns for its junior year, but with a move up to D1 looming next season. The Colts account for Agawam's only loss on the year. No. 14 Greater Lowell and No. 9 Latin Academy, each which lost to Chicopee Comp last postseason, have strong groups that hope to venture further this time. AJ Traub can be reached at
Boston Globe
5 days ago
- Sport
- Boston Globe
MIAA boys' volleyball tournament: Seedings and pairings, Divisions 1 and 2
The two frontrunners in D1 are a team that last won a championship in 1992 (Brookline) and another that has not won it all since 2007 (Natick). Brookline (18-1) held the top spot in the Globe rankings all season and earned the top tournament seed, but Natick (16-2) can arguably call itself the hottest team in the state after winning its last 16. The shock of losing three match points and the final two sets in Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Newton North, which won that semifinal and then the final in five sets each, is trending down due to injuries. When healthy, the fourth-seeded Tigers (13-7) took Natick and Brookline to five sets. No. 3 Needham (17-5) and No. 5 Lexington (18-2) are both strong contenders who can not be counted out either. Advertisement Division 2 is led by the same three top contenders (No. 1 Agawam, No. 2 Westfield, No. 3 Wayland) as last season. Only four teams have ever made the D2 finals: these three and North Quincy, which has since been moved to D1. Advertisement This trio made for quite the spectacle last season when Wayland reverse-swept Agawam in Now Agawam (19-1) is on the opposite side of the bracket — Westfield (17-4) and Wayland (12-8) on a possible semifinal collision course — but could meet the team that accounts for its only loss in the regular season, No. 5 Chicopee Comprehensive, in a semifinal. For Agawam, Chicopee Comp. (13-7), and No. 4 West Springfield (15-5), this is the best chance in the near future to claim a title. Each is slated to move up to Division 1 for the 2026 season. Who will seize the opportunity? AJ Traub can be reached at
Boston Globe
6 days ago
- Sport
- Boston Globe
Middlesex's Lachlan McCaghren completes rally to win Individual Boys' Tennis crown
After clawing his way back from the brink, McCaghren seized control and never let go. In a roller coaster match at Babson College, second-seeded McCaghren rallied to defeat top-seeded Vargas, 1-6, 7-6 (7-4), 6-1, to claim the state title. Advertisement The victory capped off three days of statewide, single-elimination competition, which brought together 68 singles players from public, private, and prep schools, and was organized for the second year by the United States Tennis Association. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up 'That first set, he was killing me,' McCaghren said. 'But I believed I could hang with him. Mentally, I knew I could do it.' Duxbury senior Tim Vargas was in control for most of the boys' singles final Monday at Babson, but he was left frustrated in the end against Middlesex's Lachlan McCaghren. Matthew J. Lee/Globe Staff The individual title had been a goal for McCaghren since last year, when he lost a heartbreaking three-set Round of 16 match to Milton senior John Dickens, who went on to reach the semifinals. But McCaghren leveled up his game over the past year, growing both in physical stature and confidence. He went 14-2 at first singles for Middlesex this season, and entered the tournament feeling prepared for a deep run. Advertisement Earlier on Monday, McCaghren claimed a semifinal victory (6-3, 6-3) over Cambridge sophomore Alonso Berry, and Vargas defeated Lexington freshman Joshua Chen, 6-2, 6-4, in the other semifinal. But despite the smooth semifinal, McCaghren stumbled early in the final. Vargas used his steady backhand to move McCaghren around the court and set up forehand winners, which he executed with pace. But once McCaghren wrestled back momentum late in the second set, he dominated the rest of the match. In the third set, McCaghren wore Vargas down with a sharp first serve and consistent baseline play, breaking at 1-1 and 3-1 to put the final nail in his triumph. 'I definitely wanted some revenge from last year,' McCaghren said. 'Being the Massachusetts state tournament [winner], it's a lot of fun and a big deal. I've always wanted to win this one.' Brookline senior twins Ravin (left) and Kiran Bhatia show off the hardware after winning the USTA Massachusetts doubles title at Babson. Matty Wasserman Brookline twins storm to doubles title With no USTA tournament experience prior to this weekend, Brookline seniors Kiran and Ravin Bhatia knew five matches in three days would test their mental and physical stamina. But the senior twins never let up, cruising to a 6-1, 6-2 win over Concord-Carlisle seniors TJ Fahey and Dan Lynch in the doubles final. 'Coming here, these three days, it really gave us a lot of confidence in the way that we were playing,' said Ravin Bhatia. 'I'd say we really rediscovered our level. And I just couldn't be happier right now.' The Bhatia twins were 11-0 at first doubles during the regular season, and hold a 53-2 together over the past three seasons. They had previous topped Fahey and Lynch on April 29 in a straight-set win during Brookline's 4-1 team victory. Advertisement Still, both brothers knew the level of consistency required to get through the entire tournament would be heightened — and the pair persisted without ever dropping a set. With the MIAA postseason now on the horizon and Brookline entering as the No. 3 seed in Division 1, the twins are hopeful that their triumph on Monday can serve as additional momentum. 'No match was a cake walk. Every match was a challenge. And so we had to adjust. We had to adapt. And I think that really helps us coming into the postseason,' Ravin Bhatia said. Matty Wasserman can be reached at
