It had been at least six years since the Westwood High boys track team had scored a victory over perennial Tri-Valley League power Medfield going into yesterday’s meet at Hopkinton High. Thanks to a balanced effort that saw five different Wolverines post individual wins and 13 athletes score, that drought is over after a 49-37 triumph.
Westwood improves to 3-1 heading into next week’s meet with Ashland
Westwood coach Neal White dubbed Yuanwen Liang the MVP of the meet as the Wolverines sprinter earned a win in the 300 meters in a personal-best 39.9 seconds and taking second in the 45 dash, once again setting a personal mark in 5.4.
Two other Wolverines placed in multiple events individually. Alex Kjellman was second in the 2-mile and had a clutch third place in the mile while Chris Pond also picked up a second and a third in the high jump and the 45 hurdles.
Westwood got individual wins from Stuart Leibson in the high jump in 5-feet, 8-inches, Jamal Hill in the 45 hurdles in 6.2, Chris Adams in the shot put in 41-9 and John McDonald in the 1000 in 2:50.3.
McDonald was also part of the 4x400 relay team that capped the meet with a win as he, John Cuozzo, Ailton Carvalho and Tom Coyle ran 3:56.6.
Coyle and Patrick O’Donnell grabbed second place finishes in the 600 and mile respectively while Peter Radonich (shot put) and Ryan Maguire (1000) collected thirds.
Both Rebel squads posted impressive wins over the Marauders as the boys improved to 2-1 and the girls earned their first win of the year.
The boys won nine of the 10 events, with Bobby Fitzgibbon the lone double-winner individually with firsts in the 55 hurdles and the high jump. Ryan Doherty ran 2:46.38 for a win in the 1000, the third-best time of the night, while Jarrod Goula (mile) Ben Goula (300)m Mike Quintanilla (300), Dave Connors (2-mile) and Alex Lee (dash) also picked up victory.
Dedham’s win came in the shot put where Steve Cawley threw 45 feet. Jeff Arscott added picked up a third in the shot for the Marauders, now 0-3.
The girls win was paced by Erica Hawley, who picked up firsts in both the high jump and the shot put. She nearly collected a third win but was edged by Dedham’s Meredith O’Connor in the closest race of the night.
Dedham’s Melissa St. Preux matched Hawley’s two wins, taking the 300 in the league’s best time of the night, 44.30, and winning the dash. The Rebels took the rest of the events, getting firsts out of Olicia Caron in the mile, Brigette Lawton in the 1000, Diana Wiseman in the 600 and Grace Lynch in the 2-mile.
The Dedham girls fell to 1-2 on the year while the boys are still searching for their first win.
The Mustangs were swept by the Red and Blue as the boys dropped to 1-2 and the girls fell to 0-3.
Phil Kiy led the way for the boys in the shot put with the league’s best throw of the night, 47-3 1/4. Rob Sheehan was the Mustangs’ other winner in the 600 in 1:33.4. John Muller and Dan Cubelli went 2-3 in the 1000 while Steve Curley was second in the mile.
The highlight for the girls was a sweep pf the 55 hurdles. Meghan Underhill took the win with the second-best time of the night, breaking nine seconds in 8.99, followed by Katie Bernazzani and Kaitlyn Gatto,
It was one of two wins for Underhill, who also matched Newton North’s Michelle Kaufman for the best time of the night in the 55 dash in 7.78, with Gatto taking third. Cara Cole and Lauren Higgins went 1-2 in the high jump.
