WESTFIELD — It was an impressive showing from the Frontier girls track team during the pole vault on Saturday in the MIAA Div. 6 Track & Field Championships at Westfield State University.
The Redhawks placed three girls in the top 10 in the event, led by Ayla Starr whose top jump of 10 feet even earned her first place overall.
Starr was one of five athletes to hit 9-6 in the pole vault. She then cleared the 10-foot mark on her final attempt to take sole possession of first place, and the other four competitors were unable to clear the mark.
“I was in my head at first,” Starr said. “I had my CELSIUS [fitness drink] beforehand which helped. These meets help and it was nice out today which helped. Most schools don’t have pole vaulting so it’s great to have three of us here.”
Frontier’s Sophia Leone was one of those competitors who made the 9-6 jump, which earned her fourth place on the day.
Getting to compete against the state’s best brought the best out of the senior.
“This whole season we haven’t really jumped against anyone,” Leone said. “It was nice to have people to jump against. That’s the most competition we’ve had all year.”
Gage Calhoun cleared eight feet in the pole vault to earn seventh in the event. The freshman said she’s hoping to be competing in the state meet for years to come.
“It’s really exciting,” Calhoun said. “I didn’t think I’d do that well. I’m just glad to be here.”
Frontier wasn’t the only team with a local who placed well in the pole vault. Mahar’s Stellina Moore placed fifth overall, clearing 9-6.
The eighth grader was fighting through a sickness during the meet and hopes to put on a better performance at full health next weekend at All-States.
“It wasn’t what I was hoping for,” Moore said. “I was hoping to get 10 feet. I’ve been sick and didn’t have the best competitive mindset today. I still have next weekend and I’m only in eighth grade. I have plenty of time.”
Frontier’s Caroline Crocker had a busy day on Saturday. The senior earned a spot in the 100-meter hurdle finals, where she placed third with a time of 15.1 seconds, besting her previous personal best and lowering her old school record.
Crocker also added a PR in the long jump, where she took fourth with a leap of 16-9.
“We’ve had a lot of cold meets this year but today was really hot,” Crocker said. “Hot days are always nice and I got a pair of PRs. The 100 hurdles felt like my fastest race. It’s great to compete against other girls who I don’t usually go up against.”
Mohawk Trail’s Emmett Johnson continued to shine against the state’s best on Saturday. After a first place finish with a school record time in the 800 on Thursday, the sophomore came out and ran a time of 4:19.77 in the mile, a PR and a mark that was good for second place overall.
“These have been a great couple days,” Johnson said. “Today was a little hotter and dryer than I would have hoped for. I got second and the first place finisher [Uxbridge’s Aidan Ross, 4:17.88] was the best in the state. You can’t really complain.”
Johnson was in third going into the final half lap when he kicked into another gear, passing Littleton’s Timothy Rank to cruise in for the second place finish and achieving the two goals he set out before the race.
“The goal was to PR and get under 4:20,” Johnson said. “Hopefully I could get a higher place than my third place seed and I did both. I feel like I have to represent because I come from a group of pretty small schools. Getting first [Thursday] and second is a big step up.”
Frontier’s Aiden Dredge came into the meet with a chip on his shoulder after being seeded fourth in the javelin.
He made sure to beat the place he started at, with his top toss of 159 feet, four inches good for second place overall. Mahar’s Xander Roberts finished 13th in the event (132-2).
“I felt like the underdog coming in,” Dredge said. “I wasn’t even in the podium ranked fourth going in. To jump two spots felt pretty good.”
The toss was a PR for Dredge, who has managed to better his previous best throw at every meet throughout the season.
“Every week I had a PR, whether it was a couple inches or one PR that was 12 feet,” Dredge said. “I had to get over a little slump after a hip flexor. I was hesitant and slowing myself down. Once I got over that hump it felt pretty good.”
Plenty of other local athletes showed well on Saturday. In the boys’ high jump Frontier’s Erich Brown placed fourth (6-0), Greenfield’s Krish Patel took 11th (5-10) and Mohawk Trail’s Chay Mojallali earned 12th (5-10). Frontier’s Cadince Wells-Robinson was 12th in the shot put (29-11).
Frontier’s Nicole Plasse earned 10th in the girls’ long jump (15-6.5). In the boys’ mile, Vincent Gauthier of Mohawk Trail came in ninth (4:57.25) while Frontier’s Luke Howard placed 20th (4:46.22). Mahar’s Mitchell Krasco took 18th (1:04.04) and Brown finished 20th (1:04.6) in the boys’ 400 meters.
Mahar’s Nevaeh Scribner finished in 11th in the girls’ 400 (1:03.47), Pioneer’s Sahana Heilman came in 17th in the girls’ 100 hurdles (17.64) while Frontier’s Ben Cachiguango (11th, 16.39) and Krasco (17th, 17.13) placed in the top 20 in the boys’ 110 hurdles.
Frontier’s Fernando Saravia was eighth (51.62) in the boys’ 400. Saravia also led off the Redhawks’ sixth-place 4×400 relay squad. He teamed with Ian Burt, Ian Paciorek and Adrien Pazmandy to get across the line in 3:36.9.
The Redhawks girls 4×400 relay team of Claire McFarland, Nicole Passe, Madelyn Antes and Abigail Howard took seventh (4:27.13).
The Mohawk Trail boys took eighth (8:50.53) and the Frontier boys placed 10th (8:51.7) in the 4×800.