DyeStat Page 1

1999 Indoor State Meets

Massachusetts

Middle Distance Preview by John Molvar

This is a preview of the boy’s middle distance and distance events for Massachusetts High Schools. The preview is not a prediction for any particular meet or race. It is my guess as to which runners will have the fastest times in each of these events when the dust settles on the indoor season.

600

Andy Powell has run 1.52 for 800 and has run a 1.53 relay leg already this season. He has also run a 51 400. I estimate he could run a 1.20 600 which is faster than any of the rest of the runners in the state, even though Powell may not contest this distance this season.

Said Ahmedi ran a 1.55 800 as a freshman and has improved a lot since then and can probably run a 1.21 600. Since neither one of them will run this distance at the state meet, the state title could be between Chris Antunes and Tom Gianturco. Antunes got off to a great start with 1.22 and 4.23 PRs while Gianturco also started off well with a 1.57. Others who could win include John Amara, Seth Clark and Aaron Schiwirian who ran 1.55 last year but is off to a low key start so far this season. Lemieux and O’Conner are two of the favorites to win the 300.

1 Andy Powell, Oliver Ames
2 Said Ahmedi, Boston English
3 Chris Antunes, Westford Acadamy
4 Tom Gianturco, St John’s Prep
5 John Amara, Xaverian
6 Aaron Schiwirian, Newton North
7 Seth Clark, Oliver Ames
8 Brian Lemieux, Central Catholic
9 B. Morris Norwell
10 Bob O’Conner, Old Rochester
11 Josh Palazola, Gloucester
12 Jarad Savat, Stoughton
13 Shawn Milne, Gloucester
14 Ab Dalmar, Boston English
15 Pete Cratcy Haverhill
16 Mike Bryan, Bishop Feehan
17 Jerry Pina, New Bedford

800/1000

Having run 1.52 for 800 and 3.47 for 1500, Powell can’t be beaten in Mass by any of these runners. Ahmedi ran 1.55 last year and has already run 4.17 this season. Powell won’t run this event at the state meet and Ahmedi will probably run the mile. If Antunes decides to run the 1000 at the state meet, he could be the favorite, but he will likely run the 600. Colangelo has run 1.55 and 4.17 and will likely be in the mile. Gianturco will almost certainly be in the 600 at the state meet. With Palazola in one of the longer events and Schiwirian probably in the 600, this race could be stolen at the state meet by a relative unknown such as newcomer Morris. That could change, especially after this
message is posted (laugh).

1 Andy Powell, Oliver Ames
2 Said Ahmedi, Boston English
3 Chris Antunes, Westford Acadamy
4 Tristan Colangelo, Gloucester
5 Tom Gianturco, St John’s Prep
6 Josh Palazola, Gloucester
7 Aaron Schiwirian, Newton North
8 B. Morris, Norwood
9 Paul Kingston, BC High
10 Chris Carvelli, North Middlesex
11 Colin Dineen, Philips Andover
12 Larry Reed, Tewksbury
13 Andy Colan, Methuen
14 Brian Ermanski, St Johns-Shewsbury
15 Pat Doherty, Weston
15 Stan Ryerson, Cambridge
17 Geoff Atkinson, Norwell
18 Jim Kastrenos, Foxboro
19 Brad Callow, Weston
20 Shamus Brady, Arlington
21 Shawn Milne, Gloucester
22 Andy Coming, Newton North
23 J. Nelson, New Bedford
24 Chris Johnson, Oliver Ames
25 Shawn Wallace, Wakefield
26 John Drappi, St Johns-Shewsbury
27 Tony Berriola, Medford
28 Eric Bowman, Norwell
29 Josh Barshard, Somerville
30 Scott Stranberg, Reading
31 Bill Sheridan, Chelmsford

Mile

Powell could run 4.05 or better this indoor season and obviously has no competition here or anywhere for that matter, especially indoors.  Powell usually runs the 2 mile at the state meet which should open the door for a great battle between Colangelo and Ahmedi.

Ahmedi is out fast this season while Colangelo is characteristically waiting till the end of the season before he gets serious. Cavelli has already Pred at 4.21. Antunes won’t run the mile at the state meet. Waldron has run 4.24 this season and soph Palazola ran a solo 9.40 2 mile. He will proabaly be in the 2 mile at the state meet. Pat Boehm ran 4.26 last year and was on fire early in the XC season, but has had some setbacks since then.  Sanchez and Curran will both be in the 2 mile at the state meet. Powell’s training partner Johnson is talented and erratic and can run a big race at any time.

One of the finds early this season has been the freshman from Weymouth (I don’t have his name!!) who ran a solo 4.31 early this season. Could he be next in line to succeed the long string of great runners (Riley, Mohamed, Powell, Sanchez and Rodgers) Mass has been blessed with in the past 4 years after the dearth of the late 80s and early 90s? Time will tell?

1 Andy Powell, Oliver Ames
2 Said Ahmedi, Boston English
3 Tristan Colangelo, Gloucester
4 Chris Cavelli, North Middlesex
5 Chris Antunes, Westford Acadamey
6 Renny Waldron, Cambridge
7 Josh Palazola, Gloucester
8 Bat Boehm, Wachusett
9 Frank Sanchez, Lynn Tech
10 Tim Curran St John Shewsbury
11 Chris Johnson, Oliver Ames
12 ? 9th grader, Weymouth
13 Josh Barshard, Somerville
14 Kevin Alliette, Methuen
15 Shamus Brady, Arlington
16 Shawn Wallace, Wakefield
17 Geoff Atkinson, Norwell
18 Paul Kingston, BC High
19 Ben Pollack, Westford Acadamy
20 Rory Igo, Lynnfield
21 Jim Kastrenos, Foxboro
22 Rich Lincoln, Lincoln-Sudbury
23 B. Morris, Norwell
24 Ian Joseph, Lexington
25 D. O’Grady Whitman-Hansen
26 Nate Jenkins, Narragansett
27 Paul Machado, New Bedford
28 Pat Valdaro, Norwood

2 mile

Powell will likely run the 2 mile at the state meet and he could possibly try to break Al Salazar’s all time Mass 2 mile record. Hopefully he will be pushed by fellow Footlocker finalist Frank Sanchez who ran 9.05 last year. No one else will be close to these 2.

If Powell goes for a double-double to try to be the first ever to win the mile and 2 mile in the Nationals he will face the daunting challenge of coming back from a mile a couple hours earlier and taking on Maine’s Louis Luchini who was 2nd in the Footlocker and who already ran a solo 9.10 2 mile this season. The early word is that Powell may run the DMR the night before and go for just the mile at the Nationals. Behind Powell and Sanchez there are 5 other runners capable or running under 9.20 including Curran, Wessenayleh, Reich, Colangelo and Ahmedi. Reich is the son of well known Keyensian economist Robert Reich but he is in the private school league so he won’t face any competition until the
nationals. Colnagelo and Ahmedi will be dueling in the mile at the state meet.

1 Andy Powell, Oliver Ames
2 Frank Sanchez, Lynn Tech
3 Tim Curran, St Johns-Shewsbury
4 Tristan Colangelo, Gloucester
5 Ben Wessenayleh, O’Bryant
6 Adam Reich, BBN
7 Said Ahmedi, Boston English
8 Josh Palazola, Gloucester
9 Chris Carvelli, North Middlesex
10 Tom McArdle, Brookline
11 Pat Boehm, Wachusett
12 Dave Raymond, Wachusett
13 Tyler Bloom, Westford Acadamey
14 Jon Murphy, Worcester South
15 Jim Emord, Bridgewater
16 Shawn Wallace, Wakefield
17 Eric Nazar, Amherst
18 Matt Emond, Marshfield
19 Sean McCarthy, Chelmsford
20 Pat Valdaro, Norwood
21 Josh Barshard, Somerville
22 Geoff Atkinson, Norwell
23 Dave Hartmann, Cambridge
24 Nate Jenkins, Narragansett
25 Geoff Cronin, Milbury
26 J. Kosmas, Saugus
27 Paul Machado, New Bedford
28 Ben Pollack, Westford Acadamey
29 Kevin Alliette, Methuen
30 Steve Martella, St Johns-Shewsbury
31 D. Laverty, Plymouth North
32 Neil Graves Mohawk Trail
33 Jeff Bartolini, North Quincy
34 Andy gallivan, doherty
35 Jordan Jones, Medford
36 Steve Money, Minnechaugh
37 Andy Wood, Tantasqua
38 Byron Gantrell, BC High
39 Jon Gilman, Winchendon
40 Evan Hallquist, Murdock
41 Nephi Tyler, Fairhaven
42 Matt McDonald, Blackstone-Millville

4 X 800

Outdoors last season I was lucky to be able to witness in person the greatest, by far, 4 x 800 relay in Massachusetts HS history. It featured everything that makes our sport great, long time bitter rival teams facing off, several individual champions, a meet record, a state record, several teams under the meet record, several more teams under 8 minutes, at least 7 school records, more than 15 individual PRs, controversy, multiple lead changes, a thrilling stretch run, the winner in doubt till the very end, a photo finish, several runners running up to and including the point of collapsing, heartbreaking defeat for several teams and a stunning upset in 7.53 by a team of runners from Weymouth who never came close to individual glory before or after that race.

There were no drugs, no politics, no quotas or set asides, no schools that weren’t allowed to field teams because of Title IX, this race was decided purely on merit alone. Those who were there will never forget it. I don’t expect that race to be topped this year but Oliver Ames and Gloucester are returning very strong teams fully capable of going
sub 8 again this year. A host of others including Methuen, BC High, St Johns Prep, St Johns-Shewsbury and Westford could come close to 8 minutes. Who knows Weymouth could surprise again.

1 Oliver Ames
2 Gloucester
3 Methuen
4 BC High
5 St Johns Prep
6 St Johns-Shewsbury
7 Westford Acadamey
8 Norwood
9 Weymouth
10 Weston
11 Lexington
12 Cambridge
13 Brocton
14 Wachusett
15 Central Catholic
16 Reading
17 Tewksbury
18 Newton South
19 Lincoln-Sudbury

I am sure I have left out a few deserving runners and underrated some and overrated others. Please let me know who they. Good luck to all and see you at the races.

John Molvar
[email protected]