BOSTON — After being forced to compete outdoors only last year, the NRHS indoor track and field team returned to indoor competition for the first time since March 2020 on Dec. 15 at the Reggie Lewis Center vs. Pentucket. The Sachems had bested the Hornets over the past few years but this year, the Hornets came out on top with a 55-45 victory.
Leading the team to victory was top point scorer, senior Ella Monteleone (8 points) who won the 55 Meter Hurdles (9.57) in the opening event of the evening and followed that up with a second place finish in the High Jump (5’ 0”). Over half the remaining points were scored by Giuliana Ligor (9th grade), Madison Vant (10th grade), Ava McIntyre (11th grade) and Annalise Butler who scored over 5 points each.
Madison Vant followed Ella closely in the hurdles with a second place finish in 9.88 seconds while also taking 2nd place in the Shot Put (27’ 4”) behind teammate Captain Emma Mini (29’ 7.5”). Ava McIntyre won the Long Jump (16’ .25”) and took 3rd in the 55 meter dash (7.89).
Captain Madison DiNapoli sprinted her way to a strong 46.37 in the 300 meters for 2nd place, despite taking a stumble at the starting line. In her debut performance, 9th grader Giuliana Ligor won the 600 meters in 1:54.82 followed closely by Kayla Hannan (1:57.25) in second place. Ligor also added a 3rd place finish in the Long Jump (13’ 8”).
Captain Annie MacLellan took second in the 1000 meters (3:28.91) followed closely by Karleigh Budny (3:46.58) in 3rd. Callie MacLellan (6:34.75) and Charlotte McLaughlin (6:46.47) went 2-3 in the One Mile in their first indoor competition. Annalise Butler rounded out the individual events with a win in the Two Mile (12:40.89).
This brought the meet to the final events of the day, the 4×200 meter relay and the 4×400 meter relay with the Hornets leading 50-40. In order to win the meet, the Hornets needed 1 point and each relay offered 5 points to the winner. So, the Hornets only needed to win one of the relays while the Sachems would have to win both to tie the Hornets.
The 4×200 Meter Relay lost to a powerful Pentucket team but finished with a state championship qualifying time of 1:51.95. Madison DiNapoli opened up with a 27 second opening leg. Ava McIntyre followed that with a 27 second split while Madelyn Arian Aitchison (29 seconds), and Madison Vant (28 seconds) brought the baton to the finish.
With the Pentucket victory in the 4×200 meter relay, the score was 50-45 and the 4×400 meter relay deciding the meet. Annie MacLellan led the team off with a 1:07 opening leg to take the lead and the team never looked back. Kayla Hannan (1:07) and Isabelle Lazure (1:09) kept the lead while Giuliana Ligor opened up the commanding lead with a 1:03 anchor leg. The Hornets won the relay in 4:29.09 and the meet 55-45 over Pentucket.
The Hornets competed late night against two time defending CAL indoor champion Newburyport on Monday, December 20. Look for that story in next week’s Transcript.
