Northeast Invitational: Pembroke’s Claflin dominates
It was one of the marquee events of the Northeast Invitational on Sunday, but Pembroke’s Sarah Claflin made her win in the 55-meter dash look academic.
The versatile and supercompetitive Claflin, who was a triple winner with her 17-5 mark in the long jump and 25.66 victory in the 200, had a clean start in the 55 final and accelerated into the lead, breaking the tape in a Massachusettsbest
of 7.15 seconds this season. The Titan senior edged out the great Jillian Strynar of Norton (7.19) and Framingham’s Abby Desmarais (7.23), the winner of the 300 on Saturday.
“The start felt powerful out of the blocks,” said Claflin, who wants to break 7 seconds this winter.
Wellesley’s Christopher Brooks felt sluggish coming out of the blocks in his qualifying heat, but the talented senior had no problems in the final as he blazed away from the field for a 6.42 victory. Brooks’ time was not only a personal best but also the No. 1 time in the state this winter. Methuen’s Joshua Kwakye also registered a PB for second (6.62) and Ajani Muzasadila of North Andover took third (6.64).
An hour and a half later Brooks took on the 200 field and left the field behind with his
Second at the Meet of Champions last February, Brooks is hoping to move up a notch this season. “I’m in a better place now than I was last year,” he said. “My start felt really good (in the final). My transition to my top end speed felt great. I didn’t react well to the gun in the preliminaries and I was last out of the blocks.”
Breanna Braham of Dennis-Yarmouth showed off both her strength and speed in her win in the 400. The junior trailed Wachusett’s Rahma Giwa before surging past her with 50 meters left for a new personal best of 57.92. Giwa was a step back in 57.95 and Yosmery Batista of Peabody took third in 59.89.
Braham, whose best event is the 300, had the added strength from a season of cross country working for her. “It was great,” she said. “I tried my best to stay behind (Giva) and follow her closely. Then I really gave it my all at the end.”
Juan Talisayon of Newton North took the 400 in 50.15, putting him ahead of Nauset’s Damian Bebber (50.49) and Arthur Ribeiro of Ayer-Shirley (50.73).
In the 2-mile, Bishop Guertin’s Matthew Giardina
built a 40-meter lead in the first 200 and never looked back on the way to a 9:19.45 win. North Shore’s Joanna Kenney won in 11:12.43 to comfortably defeat Caroline Collins of Nashoba (11:16.21) and Westfield’s Megan Moran (11:16.79). Ben Tavares of Weston held off Dylan Brenn of Wachusett to take the 800 in 1:56.04 and Brenn, the 1000 gold medalist on Saturday, clocked a 1:56.10 for second. Daniel Padley of St. John’s Prep finished third in 1:58.60.