A fine win by the Pinkerton Academy boys’ track and field team and a lopsided loss by the Lady Astro tracksters left those academy contingents contemplating their differing fates following battles with the track and field crews from Concord High School in Derry Tuesday, May 10.
Coach Carol Quarles’ PA boys bested the Concord males by a 77-67 tally, but the Tide girls washed right over Lady Astros’ mentor Ed Vaitones’ charges by an 86-58 tally.
BOYS
The Astro boys took top-three sweeps in the 800-meter run, the 300-meter hurdles, the javelin, and the discus.
PA veteran stalwart Tom Hanlon won the 800 in 2 minutes and 20 seconds, with teammates Calvin Graves and Pat Bastek right behind him in second and third respectively.
In the 300 hurdles, Adam Spencer bagged the top spot in 43.18 seconds with Evan Rodgers second and Trevor Hajj third, and the third Pinkerton sweep in the discus came thanks to the supreme efforts of senior star T.J. Urbanik (122 feet, 5 inches), along with second and third place finishers Ryan Cox and Narrick Orciuch.
The fourth Astro sweep of an event came in the javelin with Colin Bigelow proving unbeatable (142 feet), Zach Sullivan snaring second, and T.J. Urbanik grabbing third.
Other Pinkerton wins were claimed by Rodgers in the 110-meter hurdles (16.71), Spencer in the high jump (5’8″), Josh Rowland in the pole vault (10 feet), and Caleb Gibbons in the shot put (38’10 1/2″),
GIRLS
Despite being bested by the visiting Crimson Tide in their May 10 meet, the Lady Astros received some noteworthy individual and relay efforts that day.
Pinkerton swept the 200-meter dash thanks to the performances of winner Nicole Alves (27.54) and Madi Smith and Catherine Goodwin in second and third respectively. And the hosts also swept the top spots in the 100-meter hurdles, thanks to the victorious Maria Virga (16.63) and her teammates Alexandra Kirker and Liz Hayes.
Other event wins were tallied by Kirker in the 300 hurdles (54.28), Hannah Rogers in the long jump (15’4 1/4″), and Grace Hill in the triple jump (36’7 3/4″). The Lady Astros also bagged a win in the 4×100 relay (52.07).
Two days later the Pinkerton girls were at Merrimack High School for the annual Merrimack Invitational, and the locals finished seventh – tied with Souhegan of Amherst – out of 14 contingents there.
Caption: Astro Josh Rowland was an unstoppable force in the pole vault against Concord.
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Caption: Maria Virga was tops in the 100 hurdles for the Lady Astros against Concord. Photos by Chris Pantazis
