OA Girls' Track Highlights Triumphant Weekend at Hock Championships

For the first time since 2008, the Oliver Ames girls’ track team was crowned Hockomock Champions after finishing first at the annual league event held Saturday at the Reggie Lewis Center in Boston.

But there’s a vast difference in comparison between the two teams.

During the 2008 run, a veteran laden OA squad had several first place finishes en route to its first indoor Hock title in school history.

Four years later, a young OA squad won only one event, but had several top five finishes and compiled 68 points; 14 ahead of second place Franklin

“The last time we won in 2008 we had a lot of talent from our senior class and had several individual champions,” head coach Mike Darling recalled.

“This year we were a lot younger and we finished first in only one event, but everyone on the team stuck together and we ended up in the top five in several events.”

The one first place finish, however, proved to be the turning point.

Senior captain Michaela Nichols was the team's only individual league champion in the high jump with her jump of 5-feet, 2-inches. Teammate Olivia Mileika cleared the same height to finish second, but lost out on the tiebreaker.

In the same event, Alecia Alleyne exceeded expectations clearing 5-feet – a personal best – good for fifth place. That’s when Darling and assistants Jake Sunderland and Kyle Sousa took notice.

“The coaching staff and I started to think that after the high jump we would be in contention for the league title,” Darling recalled. “As the day progressed we were all starting to do a little scoreboard watching and got a little edgy in anticipation, but we knew we had something to look forward to.”

One by one, the top finishes came in and the team’s score went up.

Emily Grotz (3:06:39 in the 1000 meters), Kayla McKinsey (42.47 300 meters) and Laura Daley (shotput 36-feet 2.25 inches) joined Mileika in second place finishes for their respective events. Grotz and McKinsey were also part of the 4x400 team – along with Emily Newman and Basia Osborne – that finished fourth and secured the victory.

Osborne (300) and Newman (1000) joined Maggie Harding (mile) for third place finishes, while Kristy Kent earned a fifth place finish in the 300 while also taking sixth in the long jump and Rachel Nameson also finished sixth in the 55-meter dash.

Not bad for a team who was supposed to finish third.

“We exceeded a lot of expectations Saturday,” Darling said. “A lot of the other coaches predicted us to finish in third place. It was a total team effort and I’m proud of our kids for their accomplishments.”

Darling and company will look for similar success this week at the Class B championships beginning on Thursday at the Reggie Lewis Center.

“We hope to get a lot of to-6 finishes again this week,” said Darling. “I think we have as good a chance as anyone to finish near the top again this week.”

Boys’ finish fifth

Amidst some tough competition from the Kelley-Rex Division, the OA boys’ fared well as the top Davenport team with its fifth place finish on Saturday.

Sean Gorham and Nick Blelloch finished second in the 1,000-meters and the 55-meter dash, respectively; Billy Hamilton (shotput) and Andrew Kerester (2-mile) earned third place finishes while Dan Lambert (fourth in the high jump) Drew Beck (fifth, mile), Carlton Williamson (sixth, 55-meter dash) and the 4x400 team (Williamson, Gorham, Lambert and Austin Snyder) all finished in the top-six.

“There was some tough competitors out there in the Kelley-Rex division but I thought the boys had a good meet with a lot of seventh and eighth place finishes,” said Darling. “We’re a very young team, but I thought our performance Saturday proved that we have a very bright future.’

With the Class B’s this week, Darling hopes that the boys’ can carry that momentum from Saturday.

“I liked how we fared at the Hock championships,” said Darling. “Hopefully we can continue that momentum into the Class B’s this week.”