Three girls under 2:10 in 800 at NH Meet of Champs

By Mary Albl of DyeStat

As it seemed to go all year, distance stars Jackie Gaughan and Patrick O'Brien came up big when it mattered most. That was the case yet again on Saturday at New Hampshire Meet of Champions at Merrimack.

Exeter junior Gaughan won the 3,200 in a time of 10:09.49, more than 30 seconds faster than the runner-up.

“I just wanted to feel strong and comfortable in (Saturday’s) race,” Gaughan told Fosters.com.

Gaughan, one of the top distance runners in the country, reset her own state meet record in the process. The old record was 10:19.97.

The race of the meet was the girls 800, where three runners all dipped under 2:10. Kristie Schoffield of Merrimack Valley won in 2:09.30 and she was followed by Corinne Kennedy of Lebanon (2:09.39) and Penn Relays mile champion Leya Salis in 2:09.60.

In the 1,600 meters, Rebecca Durham of Milford ran 4:55.76 for the win. Katya Levasseur of Manchester Central won the 100 (12.58), the 200 (25.52) and the long jump (17-3.25).

O'Brien, a senior from Oyster River, who will run for Dartmouth this fall, won the 3,200 in 9:14.56.

Jadyn Ruimwijk of Pinkerton Academy won the 100 (10.92) and the 200 (21.98). Noah Bellomo of Alvirne ran 1:52.45 to win the 800 and 4:19.92 to win the 1,600.

Junior Billy Powers of Winnacunnet came within a tenth of a second of breaking the all-time state record in the 110-meter hurdles, running 14.07 seconds. He also won the 300s in 38.71.

The Pinkerton Academy boys broke their own state record in the 4x400 relay with 3:23.17.

In the field events, Berlin junior Joey Fodor won the javelin with a throw of 177-1. 

The top six athletes in each event now have a chance to compete at the New England Championships on Saturday in Norwell, Mass.

Team Champions

(Division Champions, a week earlier)

Division I – Pinkerton Academy boys 147 points, Bedford girls 107

Division II – Trinity boys 92, Portsmouth girls 76

Division III – Monadnock boys 63, Monadnock girls 85