Published in the Daily Hampshire Gazette on Feb. 14, 2015
BOSTON — A week after continuing one championship streak handily, the Amherst Regional boys indoor track team had to fight through the relays to continue another.
With a one-point lead going into the final event, the Hurricanes took second in the 4×400-meter relay to secure their second straight Division 3 state title at the Reggie Lewis Track Center on Friday. Amherst won with 55 points. Concord-Carlisle was second with 46 points.
“I think these schools out East have recognized that we can run,” Amherst coach David Thompson said. “I’m happy with that. My kids come out here every week and do their job. I can’t ask for more.”
The Hurricanes competed without defending 55-meter dash campion Taj-Amir Torres. Thompson declined to say why the senior sprinter was scratched, but said Torres would be back for All-States next weekend. On Friday, Torres was the top seed in the 55 dash, the 300 and a key member of the top-seeded 4×400 relay. Senior Kelzy Rodrigues stepped up and filled the void, sliding into the anchor role of the 4×400 after having already lead the 4×800 to a meet record.
“We executed,” Rodrigues said. “Teams were doubting us because we didn’t have Taj, but that just shows how deep we are and can compete with anyone when we are put to the challenge.”
Entering the 4×800, the second to last event, Amherst trailed Concord-Carlisle 38-37. Allen Vance set an early pace that Aiden Foucault-Etheridge and Connor Evans held. Rodrigues felt pressure on his third lap from Concord-Carlisle’s Thomas Ratcliffe, but held him off to set a meet record of 8 minutes, 5.01 seconds.
“I was thinking, ‘don’t loose the lead, don’t loose the lead,’” Rodrigues said. “I turned my head and he was pretty close and then I just gave it all I got and said to myself, ‘he’s not catching me.’”
The time took down a 4-year-old record of 8:08.97 and reversed the one-point deficit in Amherst’s favor, 47-46, going into the final event.
Unbeknownst to the Hurricanes or the crowd, Concord-Carlisle scratched its fifth-seeded 4×400 team. Amherst needed to place eighth for a tie, or seventh for the win.
Vance, again, set the pace in the final event. JJ Sylla, who replaced Torres, ran the second leg and Joseph Tavares held Amherst’s lead.
Rodrigues took the baton and fought down the back straightaway to stay ahead. On the final curve, Bishop Feehan’s Anthony Delasanta caught him and edged ahead going over the finish line. The Shamrocks won in 3:31.01 to the Hurricanes’ 3:31.06.
“That’s OK, next week we’ll come back and beat them,” Rodrigues said.
Earlier in the meet, Vance picked up Amherst’s first win with a meet record (1:21.84) in the 600. Vance went out strong and never trailed, keeping a 15-meter gap between him and the pack to take down the 17-year-old record of 1:22.03 by Milton’s Kobie Fuller. Rodrigues followed him for second place as the Hurricanes picked up 18 points.
“I was seeded third and I didn’t run a good race at (sectionals) so my coach just told me to stick with the pack and last leg just kick,” Rodrigues said.
In the mile, Connor Evans comfortably led the pack, but was passed on the final lap and took third in 4:25.51. The event was won by Ratcliffe, who was seeded two seconds under the meet record (4:17.09) and cruised to the win in 4:18.80.
Ratcliffe was again the top seed in the 2-mile, but was a late scratch. Amherst’s Owen Wright finished fourth in 10:04.11 thanks to a late push on the final curve.
Rounding out the Hurricanes’ podium placements were the 4×200 team (JJ Sylla, Terence Hector, Xavia Perkins and Tavares), which took fifth in 1:36.08 despite being the event’s top seed, and Adawehei Robinson, who placed seventh in the shot put (42 feet, 91/2 inches).
Amherst finished with six points in the girls championship. Juliana Brissette took sixth in the mile in 5:22.47, Frances Duncan took seventh in the 1,000 (3:08.26) and the 4×800 (Duncan, Jessemie Rietkerk, Fernanda Brena, Brissette) took eighth in 10:06.92.