Success is breeding success in Concord.
Last year the boys’ track team made history by winning its first team title in 36 years. Since then, the cross country team finished second in Division I after an undefeated regular season. The Nordic ski team won its ninth consecutive title. The result? A diverse group of 79 athletes strong, committed to defending its crown.
“The excitement level is through the roof,” said Concord Coach Hayden Daly, who is in his 14th year with the team.
The obvious question mark is how the Tide will cope with the loss of Angel Feliz, who swept the 100, 200 and long jump at both the D-I championship and Meet of Champions last year. But Feliz hasn’t gone too far – he is one of a few volunteers assisting the six coaches, allowing the Tide to have skilled competitors across multiple disciplines on the track and in the field.
“We lost the fastest kid in the state – we lost Matt Adams and Alex Saveliev (top distance runners now competing for UNH),” Daly said. “We lost some talent, but I think we’re in a pretty good position. We have a ton of kids back.”
Despite the diverse nature of talent on the squad, sprinting is still the staple of Concord’s team with the return of junior Dalton Mutz, who finished second in the 100 and 200 to Feliz last year and won the 55 dash title this past indoor season.
Sophomore Isaac Habimana and senior Clinton Mungeta both ran on the second-place 4×100 relay with Mutz, and are part of a deep sprinting core. Senior Collin Maloney, a member of the champion 4×400 relay that ultimately gave the Tide the team title, is in the mix for a coveted spot on the 4×100 relay. Junior Nate Hillyer, who competed in states in the high jump, is also in the mix, as is freshman Manny Feliz, Angel’s younger brother.
Mungeta, who qualified for the D-I state meet in the 300 hurdles last year, will focus on sprints this season, leaving junior Jacob Nichol (qualified in both the 110 and 300 hurdles last year) to head the hurdling crew. Manny Feliz is also showing promise.
The Tide boasts one of the best groups of distance runners in the state with senior Jamie Wilkes (second 1,600, fourth 800), sophomore Forest Mackenzie (3,200) and junior Ollie Spencer (1,600) as scoring threats and the base for a formidable 4×800 relay. Juniors Colin Conery and Alex Duncan, and freshman Ryan Devine had impressive cross country seasons. The distance runners are led by their cross country Coach, Tristan Black-Ingersoll, who has helped rebuild the cross country program to one of the strongest in the state.
“The distance crew is incredible,” Daly said. “We’re so deep in that area. They’re running a pretty high level. Tristan has them working really hard.”
In the field events, Hillyer, sophomore Liam Bennett and Feliz all are strong competitors in the high jump. Senior Kevin Suarez is the leader in the other jumping events and another contributor in the sprints and possibly the 4×100.
Throwing is one area where the Tide are not as strong, but thanks to the efforts of some volunteer coaching, Daly is optimistic this will improve.
Pinkerton, last year’s runner-up and the D-I indoor champions this past winter, along with Nashua North, are the other favorites in the division.
The Bow girls are another area program eyeing a title. For the past two season, head coach Jon Uhouse described the Falcons as a “young team.” But in his third year at the helm of the program, the classes of 2017 and 2018 are now seasoned veterans.
The juniors and seniors on the team have been part of a program that has finished third in D-III over the past four seasons. Monadnock has won the title every year during that span.
But Uhouse has been impressed the leadership of his upperclassmen, who are determined to help the Falcons soar to the top of the standings this time around.
“Even from our first preseason meetings that group of girls was already talking about not being satisfied with last year and improving to win states and they haven’t stopped talking about it,” Uhouse said. “They know what they have to do each practice, regardless of the conditions. They’ve taken on a leadership role and model what needs to be done for the freshman class.”
Among those leaders are junior Dominique Biron, the defending champion in the 100, 200 and high jump and runner-up in the 300 hurdles. Biron is a versatile athlete who is a threat to win, or at least score, in any of the sprints, hurdles and jumps, and is responsible for 38 of Bow’s 55 points in last year’s third-place finish in D-III.
Joining Biron is the entire 4×100 relay which finished second to Monadnock last year. Seniors Gianna Celenza, Saara Bliss, Crista Alfano and junior Laura Hoeker formed the relay. Celenza and Hoeker qualified and scored in the 100 finals and Bliss finished seventh in the 200. Celenza finished fourth in the 400 and was part of last year’s 4×400 with junior Jennifer Ess and sophomore Eve Anderson. Ess and Anderson provide depth in the sprints and relays, traditionally a strong suit for the Falcons.
Ess also competed in the triple jump and Hoeker also returns as one of the best pole vaulters in the division.
“Sprints and jumps are where we have the most talent,” Uhouse said.
Senior Sohani Demian and sophomore Sarah Ciotti are the top distance runners and qualified for states last year. Junior Cheri Young qualified in the javelin and is also returning.
As for newcomers to the squad, the coaching staff is, “still in the process of finding where they best fit,” according to Uhouse, who noted that this year’s freshmen class had some successful years together as a team in middle school.
The main competition for Bow are favorites Monadnock, who dominated D-III in 2015 with 157 points, wins in eight events and point scored in 16 of 18 events. The Huskies were slightly less dominant last season, winning the title with 136 points, including wins in three events.
Monadnock’s roster took some hits to graduation, but, “they have depth in a lot of the events,” said Uhouse. They are the team to beat. Hopefully we’ll be as successful as they are.”