Division 4 Title Would Be A Nice Gift For Coach Jim Duff

Last year the Wakefield girls track team didn't score a point at the MIAA Division 4 meet. As this season's Div. 4 meet approaches Thursday, the girls have an extra reason to improve on last season's results. After 53 years as head coach, Jim Duff is retiring after this season.

The girls already presented him a 5-0 indoor record that won the Middlesex Freedom title. Now it's time for a bigger fish.

So who are the top performers heading into Thursday? Junior Ana Lucas is the 27th seed in the 55 dash at 7.82. Norton's Brooke-Lynn Williams is the dominant runner in this event so the race is for second and a strong showing by Lucas could earn points for Wakefield. Senior Abigail Harrington is seeded third in the 600 in 1:40.28. She's in a group of four girls, all with 1:40-and-change seed times. In the 1,000, senior Cassie Lucci is seeded 23rd at 3:20.39. Freshman Olivia Lucey is seeded 21st in the mile with a seed time of 5:30.80.

The 4 x 800 team is seeded eighth with Harrington, Lucey, Lucci, Isabella Kehoe, Gillian Russell, Yvonne Lucas, and Meghan O'Rourke all running.

Wakefield has two seeded competitors in the shot put. Sophomore Eadeen Beck is seeded 17th at 32-4.5 and junior Jeenal Patel is the 21st seed at 31-9.5.

The Division 4 meets starts Thursday at 4:30 at the Reggie Lewis Center in Boston.