Giuliana Ligor takes gold at Meet of Champions and Pentathlon

GIULIANA LIGOR recently stood atop the podium in both the state Pentathlon (pictured) and the Meet of Champions. (Courtesy Photo)

Ligor and Abigail Lilley qualify for National Championship

BOSTON — The NRHS girls’ indoor track and field team had five individual competitors at the Meet of Champions on Feb. 24 at the Reggie Lewis Center. To qualify for this meet, athletes need to be ranked in the top 24 in their event across all five divisions in the state.

Hayden MacLellan (55 Meter Hurdles), Callie MacLellan (High Jump) and Georgia Robarts (Long Jump) capped off impressive seasons by qualifying for the event.

However, it was Abigail Lilley and Giuliana Ligor that stole the show.

Lilley, fresh off of her victory at the Weight Throw State Championships just days before on Wednesday where she went 47’ 2.5” had an impressive 3rd place finish in the event, going 42’ 4” which was the first time the event was contested at the Meet of Champions. She has qualified for the National Championship in the Weight Throw which will be contested on March 10 at the Track at New Balance. She is currently ranked 24th in the nation and is hoping to improve on her previous best.

Ligor capped off an undefeated season in state competition winning the 600 Meters yet again with another personal best, lowering her school record to 1:34.88. It was an impressive race in which she moved up from 3rd to 1st during the second lap and never looked back, running splits of 30, 32, 32 in a well-timed, even race. Ligor’s victory marked only the second time in school history that a NRHS Hornet won a Meet of Champions victory during the indoor season. Billy Lord won the 55 Meter Hurdle title in 2020. Ligor’s time ranks 24th in the nation and 31st all-time in Massachusetts history.

THE HORNETS won the team championship at the state Pentathlon. Pictured from left to right is Georgia Robarts, Giuliana Ligor and Callie MacLellan. (Courtesy Photo)

Four days later, Ligor returned to the Reggie Lewis Center along with Callie MacLellan and Robarts to compete in the MSTCA Pentathlon. The event had over 140 athletes competing in the grueling 5-event competition that includes the 55 Meter Hurdles, High Jump, Shot Put, Long Jump and 800 Meters. Each athlete competes in these five events across a 4-5 hour time span. Performing well at the event requires athletes to stay focused and prepared from one event to the next while hydrating and refueling appropriately throughout the course of the evening.

The Hornets were victorious, scoring the most points as the team bested the 2022 and 2023 team champions, Billerica, and previous runners-up from the last year, Franklin. The team victory marked a first in NRHS history.

Robarts scored 2,468 points, taking 29th place. She went 9.62 in the 55 Meter Hurdles, 1.42 in the High Jump, 6.70m in the Shot Put, 4.90m in the Long Jump and 2:53.68 in the 800 Meters.

Callie MacLellan scored 2593 points and took 17th place. She went 10.00 in the 55 Meter Hurdles, 1.52m in the High Jump, 7.79m in the Shot Put, 4.25m in the Long Jump and 2:36.68 in the 800 Meters.

Ligor opened her day with a massive personal best in the 55 Meter Hurdles (8.58) followed by a solid High Jump (1.57m) another personal best in the Shot Put (8.23m) a new school record in the Long Jump (5.49m) and an impressive 800 Meters (2:27.05) scoring a whopping 3,432 points which crushed her own school record by over 200 points and is the 4^th-highest score ever by a Massachusetts athlete. Her victory bested last year’s winner Nyrah Joseph from Billerica and Sarah Dumas from Franklin who is an All American from last year’s national championship. Ligor is currently ranked 4th in the nation going into the National Championship which she will compete in the Pentathlon this Saturday, March 9 at the Reggie Lewis Center.