Two local athletes qualified and competed in the 2024 MIAA Indoor Track Meet of Champions on Saturday at the Reggie Lewis Center in Boston. 

Mohawk Trail’s Chay Mojallali qualified in the boys high jump while Pioneer’s Louise Flagollet made it in the girls high jump, getting the chance to go up against the best athletes from the Commonwealth in the event. 

Mojallali was one of nine boys to hit the top mark of 6 feet, 4 inches on Saturday. With the junior clearing the height on his last jump, he finished in a three-way tie for seventh despite matching the top height on the day. 

Jumpers opened at 6-2, and 11 of the 24 competitors were unable to clear the opening height on Saturday.

“Chay has been very consistent in clearing 6-2 and cleared it today easily on his first attempt,” Mohawk Trail coach Tim Shearer said. “That was a big relief for him given that he hadn't opened at a height higher than 5-8 all season.  It's a testament to his mental toughness that he was able to adjust to the circumstances today and perform his best.”

Mojallali also competed on a sore Achilles tendon that limited his mobility on his jumping leg. 

“It's been bothering him off and on most of the season and it was really bothering him today,” Shearer said. “But this was the big meet he had been building toward all season and he wasn't about to let anything stand in his way of bringing home some hardware.”

After missing his first two attempts at 6-4, Mojallali had one final leap with a medal and podium spot on the line. He got over the bar, setting a PR and earning the tie for seventh.

“Believe me, there was much celebration on the mat once Chay looked back and saw the bar still on the standards,” Shearer said. “Chay and I talk a lot about the importance of jumping clean — making his jumps on the first try – and today that was a huge factor. If Chay had made that 6-4 jump on his first try instead of his third, he would have found himself in a jump-off for first place. Still, there are no regrets. The goal was to jump a PR and win a medal. Mission accomplished.”

Flagollet did not make the opening height of 5-2, ending her outstanding freshman season with a trip to All-States now on her resume.