Hornets impress at Freshman-Sophomore Championships

Published January 17, 2019

ROXBURY CROSSING — The NRHS girls’ track and field team sent a group of 9th and 10th grade athletes to the Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center on Saturday, Jan. 5 to compete amongst the state’s best freshman and sophomore athletes at the Red Auerbach Freshman- Sophomore Championships – Small Schools. The event was attended by all small schools in Massachusetts from Division’s 4-5 and part of 3 as Divisions 1-2 and part of 3 competed the following day. Schools with enrollments under 1,100 compete in the small schools division.

At the meet the Hornets took home a gold medal in the 4×400 meter relay and had two individual (Katelyn Gorgenyi and Julia Thorstad) medal winners.

In the 55 meter dash, Lindsay Keller lowered her personal best by .2 seconds and sprinted to the finish line in 8.35 finishing 44th overall. Morgan Majeski also ran the 55 meter dash and finished in 69th with a time of 8.64. In the 300 meters, Madison DiNapoli lowered her personal best by over a second and ran a 44.81 to finish 11th overall, missing a top 8 finish by only .4 seconds. Her time currently ranks her 6th all-time in school history. Ellie Janasiewicz also competed in the 300 meters, finishing 53rd with a time of 48.89.

In the 600 meters, Julia Thorstad won the eighth heat but was beat by six other athletes in other heats. Her time of 1:49.00 placed her 7th overall and ranks her 11th all time in school history. Jacqueline Raimo (1000 meters, 4:02.62) and Abigail McLaughlin (One Mile, 6:24.24) competed in the distance events finishing 72nd and 59th respectively.

THE HORNETS’ 4×400 relay team celebrates their first-place finish at the Red Auerbach Freshman Sophomore Championships. Pictured from left are Madison DiNapoli, Katelyn Gorgenyi, Sophia Galuppo and Julia Thorstad. (Courtesy Photo)

In the 55 meter hurdles, Katelyn Gorgenyi won her preliminary heat with a time of 8.99 and then went on to take 2nd place overall in the final heat despite stumbling on the fourth hurdle in the race and still finished with an impressive time of 8.86. She is currently ranked fourth all-time in school history and seventh in Massachusetts across all five divisions with a personal best time of 8.82.

Ella Monteleone also competed in the event and placed 21st with a time of 10.51 just missing qualifying for the final heat by .16 seconds. Ella had a big day as she also high jumped 4’6” for 16th place and sang the national anthem at the start of the meet.

In the long jump, Julia Thorstad went 13’.25” for 32nd place while Gorgenyi jumped 15’ 1.5” for 9th-place, just missing a medal by one inch. Wrapping up the field events was the shot put, where Emma Borland took 43rd with a toss of 22’ 10.5”.

The two final events contested at the meet were the 4×200 and 4×400 meter relays. The 4×200 meter relay team of Lindsay Keller, Ellie Janasiewicz, Morgan Majeski and Abigail McLaughlin took 25th place with a time of 2:06.18.

The 4×400 meter relay team of Madison DiNapoli, Katelyn Gorgenyi, Sophia Galuppo, and Julia Thorstad did not disappoint as they ran a 4:26.53 to take 1st place. DiNapoli gave them the lead with a 64-second opening leg, passing teams on the second lap. Gorgenyi went out in 31 seconds in her first lap and finished up in 68 seconds for the second leg to hold on to first place. Galuppo ran event splits and held on to the lead with a 68 second split for the third leg. Thorstad held off a closing ORR team keeping her position in the first lane for the first lap. As Thorstad rounded the turn for the second lap she was passed but came back strong in the final 100 meters to take the lead back and open up a commanding lead and a two-second victory over the second place team. It was an exciting finish to the day’s events.