Mansfield Girls Track Wins Hockomock League Title, Boys Lose by 1.5 Points

In this case, it was the 11th time that was the charm.

After winning the Hockomock League Track and Field Championship Meet for 10 years in a row, the Hornets boys' track team did not come home with a first place trophy, finishing in second place behind a strong North Attleboro team.

With strong performances in the throws and jumps, the Red Rocketeers scored 150.5 points. Short by only 1.5 points, the Hornets placed second with 149 points and King Philip finished third with 77 points. 

They (North Attleboro) are a very good team so just to be with them in the running after field events where they scored 71 points," Mansfield boys' coach Julie Collins  said.  "I've been doing this for 12 years, I have never seen it come down to the final."

In the girls' meet, the Hornets picked up their first title since 2011, scoring 122 points. North Attleboro finished in second place with 104.166 points and Oliver Ames ended the meet in third place with 88.166 points.

"We had multiple placed and multiple events where all three girls placed," Mansfield girls head coach Derek Ellis said. "We have a very young talented team, the seniors really helped bring them along."

The Hornets earned big results in the boys' distance events, scoring a total of 41 points in the 800, mile, and 2-mile.

Dan Romano won the 2-mile (9:43.57) for the Hornets, running most of the race with second place finisher and teammate Dan Caughey (9:45.14). Conor Monks (9:52.54) completed the near sweep of the event with a fourth place finish.

In the boys' mile, King Philip’s Owen Gonser led for most of the race en route to a 4:25.67 victory. Mansfield's Jimmy Murphy (4:26.87) tried to make a run at Gonser towards the end of the race but fell just short in second place. Val Madonna-Lendvai (4:31.09) also finished fourth for the Hornets.

Matt Baldasare won his second 400 title for the Hornets, winning in 49.45. Baldarare also anchored the first place 4x400.

Tripling for the Hornets, Miguel Perez's personal best in the long jump (21-03) was good enough for a first place finish. On the track, Perez finished fourth in the 110 hurdles (16.60) and eighth in the 400 hurdles (62.3).

Oliver Erickson doubled in the shot put (47-05.5) and the discus (124-09) to pick up third and fifth respectfully.

The Hornets almost completed the comeback with wins in all three relays but needing other teams to displace North Attleboro, an 11th title was denied after the Red Rocketeers were able to finish second in the 4x400 and fourth in the 4x800.

In the girls meets, the Hornets were able to substitute the amount of wins usually needed to win the meet with depth and the ability to have 2-3 athletes score large points in the majority of competitions.

Sophomore Mikaila Amerantes (58.57) ran a personal best to beat Attleboro’s Elizabeth Gulino (60.35). With the win, Amerantes avenges a loss to Gulino earlier this year at the MSTCA Freshmen/Sophomore Meet.

Amerantes also placed fourth in the long jump (16-03.00) and anchored the 4x800 to second place.

King Philip's Olivia Weir held off a challenge from Emily Newman in the first half of the 800 to win the half-mile in 2:21.44. Mansfield's Lindsay Goulet (2:26.19) finished second and Newman (2:26.31) placed third.

Julia Jones took second in the 400 hurdles (66.96), just behind winner Katherine Tamulionis (66.34) of Foxborough.

In the 110 hurdles (16.97), Kelsey Ferreira was victorious in 15.89. Sabrina Pray took seventh in the event.

Attleboro’s Shelby Cuddeback (11:53.92) took the 2-mile, beating Mansfield's Sami Carey (12:00.76) and Emily Sarkisian (12:01.25) who finished in second and third. 

The Hornets return to the track for the MIAA Division 2 East Championship Meet at Notre Dame of Hingham on May 25.

To see full results, click here.