Wakefield snaps Burlington’s three-year win streak

The Warriors are the 2018 MSTCA Div. 3 State Relays champ.

Published in the May 1, 2018 edition.

By DAN PAWLOWSKI

NORTH READING — For three years, the seniors on the 2018 WMHS outdoor boys’ track team left everything on the track at the Div. 3 State Relays and always came up just short to league rival Burlington. They weren’t about to let that happen at their last relays.

In a dominant performance, starting with the running events and equaled by the field competitors, the Warriors left North Reading High School with a resounding 72 points, 14 more than second-place Burlington.

“‘Finally’ is the only word that can sum up our victory,” said Wakefield head coach Ruben Reinoso. “I am so proud of our athletes and coaches. This is not just a team win, this is a win for all those kids who ever wore that Wakefield uniform and paved the way for this to happen.”

The Warrior runners worked hard to get Wakefield a lead heading into the field events, but with the Red Devils looming, it would be up to the jumpers and throwers to hold on. They did much more than that.

“After the running events we were leading with 53 points and Burlington, as we knew they would, were behind us with 44 points.  In the field events, we closed the deal with a tie for 4th in the high jump, 3rd in the shot put and first in the discus,” said Reinoso.

Patrick Redmond and Charlie Senior were locked in, as they both played a big role in helping the shot put and discus score big points. In the discus, the two seniors teamed up with Gino Sorrentino for a combined throw of 327’98” for first place. Redmond had a huge personal best throw of 130’6”. In the shot put, Redmond and Senior combined with Liam Cosgrove to throw 124’04.25” for 3rd.

In the high jump relay, Joe Carmilia-Smith, Marc Biennestin and Tommy Galvin had a combined jump of 16’06 for the 4th place tie.

In the triple jump relay, Sam Morey, Jon Jordan and Eli Gosselin-Smoske had a combined jump of 106’9.25.

In the javelin, Matt Tobey, Brian Reilly and Jake Goodchild had a combined 276’03”.

The Warriors started their day with Tommy Lucey (4:36), Carter Margolis (4:45), Riley Brackett (4:41) and Rohan Singhvi (4:30) winning the 4x mile relay while Billy Stevens (4:44), Nick Connor (4:51), Trevor Zupan (4:54) and Matt Roberto (4:54) got 6th place. In the 4x mile, distance medley and 4×800, teams are usually only allowed an A team unless permission is granted from the meet director. Wakefield was the only team with a 4x mile B team, which paid off with the 19:24.06 6th place finish. The A team’s 18:33.68 broke the existing school record.

In the shuttle hurdles, Morey, Gosselin-Smoske, Galvin and Tucker Stikeman ran a 1:14.58 for 10th overall.

In the 4×100, A team Biennestin, Ryan Obear, Henry Stikeman and Brian Smith ran a 45.23 and were 2nd overall. The B team of Mykease Driggers, Brayden Leishman, Tucker Stikeman and Trevor Noble ran a time of 49.2.

The sprint medley A team also broke a school record. The sprint medley consists of an 800, 200, 200 and 400. Matt Greatorex ran a blazing opening leg of 1:57.64. Jared Hurley ran a 24.4, followed by a 24.2 from Henry Stikeman and a 52 from Brian Smith for a total of 3:38.12 for 2nd place. The SMR B team of Dom Denis, Jon Jordan, Travis Marsh and Matt Constas ran a 4:14.86.

In the 4×800, A team Billy Stevens (2:09), Carter Margolis (2:09), Nick Connor (2:11) and Tanner Jellison (2:05) ran a combined 8:36.15 for 2nd. The B team of Ryan Smith, Casey Brackett, David Lee and Jimmy Crump ran a 9:19.22.

The 4×200 relay of Joe Carmilia-Smith, Henry Stikeman, Jared Hurley and Brian Smith ran a 1:35.26 for 2nd. The B team of Marsh, Driggers, Jordan and Leishman ran a 1:44.13.

Another school record was shattered in the distance medley relay, which consists of a 1200, 400, 800 and 1600. Greatorex (3:17), Zupan (55), Lucey (2:08) and Singhvi (4:30) were first with a school record 10:52.02. The B team of Casey Brackett, Brendan Vacca, Ryan Ritchie and Matt Roberto ran a 11:27.95.

The 4×400 A team of Dom Denis, Tucker Stikeman, Brendan Vacca and Ryan Smith ran a 3:52.49 and the B team of John D’Ambrosio, Andrew Roos, Greg Beaudoin and Casey Brackett ran a 4:09.03.

The Wakefield boys track team has always had talented athletes that stand out, but winning a state relay, in which included 29 other Div. 3 teams who scored points, takes strong and consistent performances from from every single teammate. Reinoso and his coaching staff have worked hard to build the kind of depth that can compete with and now beat, anybody in the state.

“When we took over the team in 2009 we always talked about getting better and some day competing for a state title so this is why the word ‘finally’ is so fitting,” said Reinoso.

Finally, the Warriors can say it: We’re the 2018 State Relay Champions.