DRACUT – It was two years ago that the Holliston girls outdoor track and field team lost a divisional title by 0.2 points, something head coach Jenn Moreau remembered Saturday afternoon as a wave of late result announcements had her sweating over how the MSTCA Div. 4 state relays would finish.
She left Dracut with a much fonder memory.
Anchored by another stellar display on the track, the Panthers (50.48 points) edged Newburyport (50 points) for the title. Pembroke wasn’t far behind with a 45-point finish for third place, while Middleboro (40 points) took fourth and Melrose (37 points) came in fifth.
The track events – which Holliston earned points within each one in – had already concluded when the final field event results started getting announced. The discus throw was scored last, and a sixth-place finish gave the Panthers the final point it needed to hold on.
“I knew we had a little bit more depth on the track side and that we needed a little more love in the field events, so I was like, ‘Oh gosh, this is going to be another close one,’ ” Moreau said. “We were like, ‘If we lose by like a half a point again.’ … We got the (point) from discus, exactly. And we went, ‘Yes, it went our way this time.’ ”
The long-distance team delivered for Holliston, winning the 4×1600-meter relay (22:21.56) and the distance medley relay (13:04.18). The team also took third in the 1600 sprint medley relay (4:30.74), 4×200 (1:49.25), 4×800 (10:06.86) and triple jump (30.05 meters) for a well-rounded win.
“This is one of our favorite meets,” Moreau said. “We continue to work really hard together as a team.”
Newburyport used first-place finishes in the javelin throw relay and the 4×400 relay, as well as a second-place finish in the 4×800, to fuel the runner-up finish. Pembroke won the 4×100 relay and the 4×200 in third, while Middleboro won a meet-best three events.
The boys MSTCA Div. 4 state relays came down to a race between Middlesex League teams. Wakefield came out on top in despite winning just one event.
The Warriors (82 points) secured their second title in six years with 10 top-three finishes over 15 events. Burlington was the runner-up with 72 points and Melrose came in third with 37. Nauset and Pembroke tied for fourth (36).
“This is the toughest meet to win because there’s so much logistics that goes into it,” said Wakefield head coach Ruben Reinoso. “But that’s why I love this meet because you have to go from start to finish and you have to stay in it. … Our kids obviously answered. This is a huge win for our program.”
Wakefield dominated the pole vault behind Ryan Hogan and Henry Brown (3.05 meters each), its only event win. The Warriors got 14 points from the 4×1600 relay with second (18:38.80) and third-place (19:05.97) finishes, as well as 12 points from the 4×800 with second (8:27.30) and fourth-place (8:44.75) marks.
Five relay teams earned second for the Warriors in a monster showing of depth.
“We don’t talk about wins and losses, we just talk about competing,” Reinoso said. “You have to kind of just live in the moment, be focused and go onto the next event. … Our kids understood what they needed to do and were able to do it.”
Danvers won two events, including a meet record in the 4×1600 (18:11.57). Burlington won a meet-best four events for second place.