NORTHAMPTON — Victoria Marin did something for the first time for Greenfield High School at the PVIAC Indoor Track Championships at Smith College in Northampton on Friday night.
With the accomplishment, she can now call herself the fastest hurdler in Western Mass.
Marin ran a personal best in the 55-meter hurdles and collected her first ever PVIAC championship finishing first overall (8.84) for the Wave.
Marin went into the race as the top seed.
“It’s nice,” Marin said. “I just saw there was an opportunity and I needed to my best to show that I am first.”
The junior beat out Maddie Doolittle (9.04) of South Hadley.
Marin finished tied for 10th with teammate Kacia Kinsmith in the high jump (4-7). Marin was in the middle of a field event when her name was called for the hurdles.
Marin was the last competitor to the starting line and did not have much time to get ready before the gun went off to start the race.
“I was doing long jump,” Marin said. “Then I started high jump when I heard my name. It threw me off. But I got my head set when I was running.”
Elsewhere, Grace Dufour of Athol broke a school record in the long jump that dates back to 2001. Dufour placed 12th (15-5) in the event for the Red Raiders.
Caroline Chase of Mahar placed fifth (1:47.15) in the 600. Chase’s run broke a school record for the Senators held by Anna Wetherbee.
Serena Bardwell placed ninth for Mohawk Trail (47.14) in the 300-meter dash.
On the boys’ side, Greenfield had three second-place finishes.
Liviu Mihailicenco was second (8.31) in the 55-hurdles behind Maurice Powe of Longmeadow. Theodor Poposoi (8.51) took fourth in the same event for the Wave.
The time was a personal best for Mihailicenco but he went over the hurdles a little too high.
“Every time I jumped I was six inches above the hurdle,” Mihailicenco said. “If I was lower it would’ve been better and I would have been faster.”
Mihailicenco dealt with likes of Chris Johns of Longmeadow in the high jump. Johns wowed the crowd in Northampton with a jump of 6 feet, 7 inches to take first.
Mihailicenco came in second with a jump of 6 feet, 2 inches.
“I was the only competition he has,” Mihailicenco said of Johns. “I think that helped me. I was stronger. My form was really good.”
Crescens Iavorschi placed second in the 55-meter dash (6.74) behind Jonas Clark of South Hadley (6.42).
Athol’s Anthony Marcucci (2:48.37) placed seventh out of 27 runners in the 1000. Liam O’Donnell of Mahar finished right behind Marcucci in eighth place (2:49.01)
Marcucci’s performance destroyed his personal best time by about 10 seconds.
Mohawk Trail’s Dennis Simmons finished fifth (4:38.99) in the mile. Simmons grabbed another fifth-place finish (10:21.33) in the two-mile.
“I came out a little bit better than I thought in the mile,” Simmons said. “I was running a fresh mile. I was only focusing on two events. It’s Western Mass. there’s a little more motivation. A little bit of hype. No school today. Fresh mental day.”
Cullen Brown impressed for Mohawk Trail in the 300-meter dash, placing fourth overall (37.83) for the Warriors. Brown said he rested up before the race and it helped.
“Hopefully, I can carry what I have now into next week,” Brown said.
Iavorschi was among the leaders in the 300 but some contact with another runner threw him off during the race.
“I am not going to fuss about it,” Iavorschi said. “Just gonna prepare for states.”
South Hadley was the team champion for the girls with 74 points. Greenfield was 14th, Mahar 17th and Mohawk 19th.
For the boys, Greenfield came in sixth overall. Mohawk was 13th, Athol 19th and Mahar tied for 21st.
In the Division 2 standings, Greenfield placed second.
Northampton won the boys team championship with 93 points.
Franklin County athletes now will prepare for the divi sional state meet in Boston next week.
