WHS Grad McPhee Places Second in Bay State Games Pole Vault

A trio of local athletes competed Saturday in the track and field portion of the Bay State Games at the University of Massachusetts-Lowell, including recent Wellesley High graduate Hanna McPhee, who took home a silver medal in the open division pole vault.

McPhee, 18, the high school state runner-up this spring, cleared 10 feet, 6 inches, bested only by 25-year-old Jillena DeCarteret of East Templeton.

In the junior division, Hannah Randolph, 13, won her heat and finished eighth overall in the 400-meter dash with a time of 1:10.52. Rhyana Freeman, 13, of Brookline smashed the meet record by more than a second, winning in 1:00.26.

Randolph also tied for fifth in the long jump, clearing 12 feet 9 1/4 inches. Waltham's Jaynah Jiminez, 13, leapt 16-7 1/4 to win by almost a foot and a half.

Perhaps the most remarkable -- if not the highest-placing -- performance of the afternoon came from 49-year-old Bob Collins, who finished sixth in the open mile, in 4:55.15. Collins was 13 years older than anyone else in the field; 36-year-old Jeff Paterno of Malden, who won in 4:38.02, was the next-oldest competitor. The five other entries were 19, 22, 23, 23 and 24.

Collins became eligible for the masters' division at age 40 -- and holds mile and 800-meter records in that division -- but is still fast enough to compete in the open category, generally comprised of 18-to-39-year-olds.

The junior division is for ages 10-14. There is also a scholastic division for ages 15-17.