Heading into the final event of the Division I track and field state championships and trailing by four points to the top-seeded team, the Concord boys’ 4×400 relay team took the track with confidence. And just as the Tide runners had done all meet, they exceeded their expectations.
That 4×400 team finished first and supplied the Crimson Tide with the points its needed to claim the school’s first track title in 36 years. Concord also got a trio of wins from senior star Angel Feliz in the 100 (11.06 seconds), 200 (22.27) and long jump (21-9).
“We came here to do our best. I came in here positive that we were going to take this win. And we did,” said Feliz. “We made history.”
The Tide (91 points), defeated heavily favored Pinkerton (85) and defending-champion Nashua North (51), while Londonderry (38), Timberlane (37) and Keene (36) rounded out the top six.
The Concord girls finished seventh (37 points) behind a victory in the 400 from freshman Grace Devanny (who also finished second in the 100) and a pair of runner-up finishes from senior Michaella Conery in the 1,600 and 3,200.
Bedford (96) won its fourth straight title with Nashua South (67) and Londonderry (61) finishing the top three and Bishop Guertin (45), Pinkerton (43), Merrimack (42.5) and Exeter (34) rounding out a tight top eight.
“All the kids were just unbelievable, they’re still bouncing up and down,” Concord Coach Hayden Daly said. “I was hoping for this … but it seems surreal. I was thinking it was going to be really tough. (Pinkerton) has a stable of kids all over the place. We knew we had a pretty good squad, but they exceeded my expectations.”
With athletes in all but one event and seeded to score more than 100 points, Pinkerton, on paper, was the favorite and the Tide boys needed to go above and beyond to claim the victory.
Feliz was seeded first in the 100, but was ranked third in the 200 and long jump, yet he came out on top in all three events, leading a 1-2 finish in both the 100 and 200 with sophomore teammate Dalton Mutz finishing second in both events, clocking 11.3 in the 100 and 22.54 in the
“He’s grown up more this year than the previous three years combined. He’s worked harder this year. He’s more focused this year,” said Daly, adding that, “I have to give a lot of credit to my coaching staff. We put together training plans that work.”
In addition to Feliz, senior Matt Adams (second 400 in 50.97) and junior Jamie Wilkes (second 1,600 in 4:25 and fourth 800 in 1:59) either met or out-performed their seeds to score big points in their events.
The coaches decided to move Adams, a strong 800 runner last season, down to the 400 where “he just blew up,” according to Daly. The coaches also focused more on speed workouts rather than putting in too much mileage for injury-plagued distance runners like Wilkes and Conery, who also exceed expectations in their distance events.
Senior Alex Saveliev pulled off an impressive double for the Tide, scoring in both the 1,600 (third) and 3,200 (sixth).
Daly also credited his coaching staff for developing, “kids (who) come out of the woodwork,” such as Devanny on the girls’ side and freshman Isaac Habimana, a brand new athlete to the sport on the boys’ side, who earned a coveted spot on the 4×100 relay teamwith Mutz, Feliz and junior Clinton Mungeta, a quartet that ran to a second-palce result on Friday.
Wilkes capped off the day with an impressive anchor leg in that title clinching 4×400 relay (3:27). He finished the race begun by Adams, junior Collin Maloney and Mutz.
“They were nervous but they were confident (heading into the 4×400). I felt it. Especially after (what they had already done) today,” Daly said.
The majority of the Tide’s points on the girls’ side came from Conery and Devanny, who won the 400 in 57.96 (one of just four girls to break the 60-second mark).
Devanny posted the fasted time in the 100 preliminary heats before clocking 12.68 in the finals, just .07 seconds behind Londonderry senior Yorgeliz Ortiz, the defending Meet of Champions winner.
“She’s a very talented athlete … she’s going to be fun to coach over the next couple of years,” Daly said of Devanny.
After finishing third in the 1,600 last year in an injury-riddled season, Conery had a breakout year finishing second in the 1,600 (5:05) and 3,200 (11:08).
“She’s a great personality, a tough competitor. You couldn’t ask for more. She’s the perfect athlete…I knew she had it in her,” Daly said.
Rounding out the scoring for Concord with sixth-place finishes was the 4×100 (Devanny, sophomore Katelyn Jelley, freshman Ennosen Yen and junior Stephanie Oberg), the 4×400 (Conery, Devanny, senior Amanda Merrifield and junior Gillian Bennett) and junior Yelena Beausoleil (sixth discus).