A double defense for North Andover

NORTH ANDOVER — For those on the North Andover boys track and field team, the legacy of an unbeaten streak in the outdoor Div. 2 MSTCA state relays lives on.

div. 2 track relays

Behind a well-balanced effort to secure a bevy of topthree finishes, the Scarlet Knights won a battle with Central Catholic en route to a third straight championship in the meet, which head coach Steve Nugent and his five senior co-captains value even more than the state championships at the end of the year.

Contributions came from all over as part of a meet-best eight finishes in the top three, highlighted by wins in the distance medley (10:52.68), the 4x1600 meters (18:42.63) and the pole vault (8.40-meters).

The Scarlet Knights secured 83 points as a result, edging the Raiders (69 points) once the final field event scores were added up. Reading came in third with 58 points, while Natick (46 points) and Peabody (37) rounded out the top-five.

And by winning in 2019 and both the 2021 and 2022 years in which it hosted the relays, nobody on North Andover’s roster has lost this meet.

“It doesn’t get old, it’s awesome,” Nugent said. “This is the meet that our program is built on. We decided that for us, this is the true state team championship because look how many guys are here. … It takes a true team. For us coaches and our players, this is the one we circle on our calendars.”

The Raiders traded blows with the Knights, as Central Catholic took first in the 4x100 relay (44.38 seconds), shuttle hurdle (1:05.69), 4x200 relay (1:30.45) and the 4x400 relay (3:22.96) to keep within shouting distance. But with the army of athletes needed in the relays as opposed to states North Andover showed off too much depth to overcome.

Most of that showed in all the top-three finishes, with second-place, the rest in that North Andover didn’t place in only two events on the day.

Reading also impressed with event victories in the 1600 sprint medley, high jump and long jump.

The girls side saw a little more suspense build at the end, but much like the boys, North Andover found a way to deliver a second straight Div. 2 MSTCA state relay title on its home field.

Wellesley, formidable on the track, challenged it to pull ahead for a one-point lead with two field events left to be scored after it won the 4x400 (4:04.75) for a comeet-best fifth event victory. That set the stage for a dramatic finish, with the Scarlet Knights finishing third in the javelin (81.55 meters) and winning the discus (89.02 meters) for an 89-68 advantage and the win.

Overcoming the Raiders’ dominance on the track is a tall task, but North Andover’s success to place in all six field events and win the 4x800 (9:42.04), distance medley (13:08.54), 4x1600 (22:44.57) and discus (89.02 meters) propelled them.

“It was sort of the strategy to hang with (Wellesley) on the track and get them on the field,” said head coach Rick DelleChiaie. “That’s what happened.”

Woburn finished third with 51.18 points, ConcordCarlisle came in fourth with 34 and Central Catholic was fifth with 33.