The night of Thursday February 16, the Reggie Lewis Center will hold the Division II State Championship. Runners from around the state come to compete at this level. 43 towns and hundreds of individuals will compete for a spot at the All State Meet next Sunday February 26. Only the top 24 of each event will make it next Sunday; the divisional meet will determine the top runners.
Walpole, a Division II track and field school will be one of the 43 school’s competing on Thursday. Many great athletes and runners come from Walpole. Coach Kevin Butera is taking 11 boys, and Coach Conor Cashman is taking 15 girls. All of these individuals have found enough success in their event to qualify for a place at the divisional meet. Walpole has many top seeded runners such as juniors PJ Hayes, and Connor McCarthy; seniors Zach Ganshirt, Justin Connolly, Chris Conley, Conor Murtaugh. As for the girls, sophomore Gina Conti; juniors Nicole Browne, and Maddy Shea; seniors, Erin McCarthy, and Lizzy Almeda are seeded 24 or better.
The Walpole Rebels are taking a mixed variety of runners and jumpers to the meet. Only one high ranking with the distance races, with senior Justin Connolly leading the rebels in the boys 2 mile, seeded 10, with a 9:51:99. Along with Connolly in the two mile are junior MeganPeterson and sophomore Kristen Coyne. Walpole only has one individual competing in the mile, senior Christina Freiberger. The Rebel girls also have entered a 4x800m relay team consisting of three freshman, Lucy Lynch, Katie Flinn, and Lauren Hirshom, one Sophomore, Megan Jenkins. Although the team is young, they will preform well as a group.
Walpole has a high percentage of middle distance runners, between the 600 and the 1000m. Senior Zach Ganshirt will lead the Rebels in the 1000, with a 2:34:07, and sophomore Gina Conti will also compete in the 1000, with a 3:01:22. Both Ganshirt and Conti are seeded second, and have the Walpole High School 1000m record. Joining Ganshirt will be senior Chris Conley, and sophomore Anthony Divirgilio. In the 600m sophomore Gabbi Petruzziello qualified for divisional meet her first time and is expected to run well with competition. Bryan Rockwood is the usual 600m runner for Walpole, but this week will race in the 300m.
In the Sprinting events the Rebels has many strong athletes both boys and girls. Rockwood although is not seeded high, his performance will still be strong for the team overall. Junior Maddy Shea’s strong performance in the 300m this season has earned her a 7 place seed with a 42:71. Fellow 300m runner Erin McCarthy will also join Shea, seeded 15, with a 43:08. The 55m dash and the 55m hurdles are filled with top competitors. Junior PJ Hayes, although has the top Bay State League time does not however have the top seed on Thursday. Hayes is placed second behind King Philip’s Charles Ruffin, 6.44. Junior Connor McCarthy and senior Conor Murtaugh will compete in the 55m hurdles. McCarthy, with a 7.96, and Murtaugh, with an 8.05. Joining the hurdles will be junior Nicole Browne, ranked 10, with a 9.10. Not only Walpole will compete in individual races, but also both boys and girls will be entered in a 4x200m relay. Coach Butera has entered his top four sprinters, Hayes, McCarthy, Rockwood, and junior Kemble Lindh. These top boys have most recently smashed the 4x200m school record with a 1:34:99. Coach Cashman has Shea, McCarthy, and junior’s Seana Cofsky and Christina Tobin. Although this team has never run together as one, they are the strongest sprinters the Rebels have to offer and are bound to place higher than seeded, with a 1:53:11.
The Rebels have seemed too step up their game in the jumps this year. With a total of seven girls and boys jumping, the team will sure to earn some points. McCarthy, Hayes, and Murtaugh are all competing in the long jump. These three boys have had much experience and are assured to place high. Shea, McCarthy, and sophomore Savonna Small-Brown are entered in the long jump as well. All girls are seeded with a 15-11.00 foot jump or better. Browne being the only high jumper of the team is seeded with her PR of 5-00.00, ranked 15. With a jump of 5-00.00 feet, this leads Browne to tenth in Walpole High School records.
Coach Butera and Coach Cashman are definitely looking forward to the Division II state meet, so expectations are set high. Walpole has many talented runners and jumpers, and if everybody performs well, the team could succeed as a whole. Most of the 43 schools attending do not have a mixed variety of outstanding runners and jumpers, if any. Walpole will be certain to excel Thursday night; with more hype and competetion everyone will hopefully perform their best.
