The Mascoma Regional High School boys came up just short of the NHIAA Division III state track and field championship on Sunday, falling to Pelham High School 77 to 72.5
Leading the way for the Royals was senior Barnaby Diehn, who won the shot put and discus, and junior Sam Joyce, first in the 200 meters and second in the 100 meters. Mascoma also scored points with Colin Myers (second shot put, third discus), Reece Yorke (third pole vault) and Carl Russell (fourth 3,200 meters). The 4 by 100 relay team of Yorke, Alex Deserranno, Ian Massecar, and Joyce finished third, the 4 by 800 relay team of Deserranno, Karl Rogers, Blake Howard, and Russell was fourth, and Silas Jukosky was sixth in the pole vault. The first six finishers in each event score points toward their team total. There were 26 schools in the boys competition at Pelham High School and 29 schools in the girls competition.
Georgia Kondi led the Mascoma girls to a third-place finish by winning the shot put and discus. Freshman Sophia Smith was first in the pole vault and third in the high jump for Mascoma, with Montana Ballard winning the triple jump. Mascoma coach Rick Currier said it was an overall team effort by both the boys and girls that led to the results.
“This is the highest both our boys and girls have ever placed at States, with the boys topping last year’s third-place finish and the girls topping last year’s tenth-place finish,” Currier said in an email. “Having five kids combine to win seven individual state titles really topped off the greatest track and field day in Mascoma history.”
“We’ll have six kids for certain competing at the (New Hampshire) Meet of Champions next week, with the possibility of a couple more,” Currier said. “We’re really excited to see how the kids will stack up against the bigger schools.”
Other results: Stevens: Girls – Maddie Chambers (fourth 200 meters, second javelin), Faith Norton (fifth 200 meters), Audrina Pelton (third, javelin). Boys – Owen Chapman (fourth 200 meters), Justin McGuire (fifth triple jump). Newport: Boys Ayden Hodge (first, javelin), Tristan Hannum, Kellan Zullo, John Wilkinson, Bryce Palmer (second, 4 by 800 relay), Logan Rusin (sixth, discus). Girls – Callie Dixon (sixth, shot put).
Results: Boys – Pelham 77, Mascoma Valley 72.5, Winnisquam 58, St. Thomas Aquinas 34, Sanborn Regional 33, Hopkinton 32, Monadnock 31, Portsmouth Christian 28, Trinity 26, Newfound Regional 20, Newport 19, Stevens 6 (20th). Girls – Hopkinton 86, Gilford 70, Mascoma Valley 45, Pelham 34, Sanborn Regional 33.5, Kearsarge 31, Belmont 28, Portsmouth Christian 22.5, Somersworth 20, Stevens 20, Newport 1 (29th).
