Published: 6/2/2019 5:14:34 PM
WESTFIELD — An eighth-place finish for Mahar Regional School freshman pole-vaulter Sienna Moore highlighted local track competitors at the All-State track & field championships on Saturday on the campus of Westfield State University.
Moore finished tied for eighth overall, vaulting 10 feet to match her school record at Mahar.
Mohawk's Trail's Erin Laffond placed 13th (9-6) in the pole-vault for the Warriors. The performance was a personal best for Laffond.
Distance runner Meghan Davis finished off her career at Mohawk Trail Regional with a 10th place finish (11:19.37) in the 2-mile run.
“Definitely not what I was expecting,” Davis said. “I was pretty disappointed. I didn't have a very good start. My splits weren't exactly what I was hoping for.”
Grace Connolly of Natick won the race in dominant fashion, posting a winning time of 10:34.12.
“Everyone knows about Grace,” Davis said. “Every race I just run by own race and whatever happens with everyone else just happens. I knew it wouldn't have been smart to start with her.”
Davis will attend Tufts University in the fall to continue her track & field career. She started running track for the Warriors when she was in seventh grade.
“It's been absolutely incredible,” Davis said. “I never planned on falling in love with it as much as I did. After the first year I was hooked immediately. I knew this was the only thing I wanted to do. The only sport.”
Greenfield's Theodor Popusoi joined the crew of top 10 finishers, as he tied for 10th (11-6) in the pole vault.
Mason Barrieau did not compete in the 400-meter hurdles for Athol High School, closing out his high school track & field career with a Central/West championship in the event the week prior.
Phaelon Koski of Frontier Regional was disappointed when his fellow Western Mass. runner wasn't at the starting line with him.
“I was really hoping he would show up,” Koski said. “At Western Mass. and Central Mass. it was just us going back and forth. I felt basically alone running against all these eastern Mass. kids.”
Koski placed 19th in the 400-hurdles (59.73).
“I did very poorly,” Koski said. “It could be a confluence of many things.”
Koski won the event two weeks earlier at the WMass Div. 2 championship.
“It's always exciting to get to these big meets,” Koski said. “The highlight really is Western Mass. because that's where you are with your people. That's where they are the most proud of you.”
Koski is the Frontier school-record holder in the 400-hurdles and the indoor 300-meter hurdles. He’ll run track at the University of Hartford.
London Summers placed 22nd (146 feet, 4 inches) for Mohawk Trail Regional in the javelin.
Mahar Regional’s Max Gilmore finished second in the 100-meter in the para division.