Meet of Champions: Big day for Haverhill’s Catala
Haverhill’s Natanael Vigo Catala was a little disappointed in his race at the MIAA Meet of Champions, showing just how lofty his personal goals are.
In the 300 meters, Vigo Catala won with a time 34.32 seconds. Most runners would have been perfectly happy with that.
Not Vigo Catala. He wanted to get in the 33s; the Massachusetts indoor record is 34.16, set by Needham’s Davonte Burnett.
Vigo Catala was just a little bit off, but cemented his place as one of the top runners in the entire event.
“I didn’t feel great (about my results). I wanted that state record,” Vigo Catala said. “I’m always going to be OK with winning, but I wanted to push myself. Now it’s on to New Englands and nationals.”
Vigo Catala is looking forward to possibly getting pushed at New Englands next week.
“I’m hoping so,” he said. “I have to look at New England. I know I’m number one in New England, I just don’t know how far off I am from second.”
Vigo Catala might have saved his best for last, in the 4×400 relay. He made up a massive deficit, and edged out an Ayer Shirley runner in his anchor leg, as Haverhill won that event in 3:25.16.
Back in the first running event, the boys 55 meter hurdles, Brockton’s Lucas Andrade won in 7.44 seconds despite getting sick beforehand.
“I was feeling a little tired. I felt sick before the meet started, I threw up before racing,” Andrade said. “So I felt very tight. But I just kept drinking water.”
Wellesley’s Christopher Brooks placed first in the 55 dash in 6.42 seconds.
“I think I could have gone better. I was a little bit off my best time,” Brooks said. “But it felt good. I’ve been working a lot on my block work, which was feeling good out of the blocks.”
BC High’s Chris Lanard ran well in the mile with a win in 4:14.01.
“My goal was to win, like always. Last week I was running in the second heat in divisionals so I was running alone, by myself . . . . (4:16.99) was my (personal record) coming in, so I just wanted to PR.”
The Xaverian 4×200 team of Jordan Wilson, Charlie Comella, Henry Hasselbeck, and Mitchell Kisgen — heavy on talent from its D1 state championship football team — won in a time of 1:30.32.
Comella’s sister, Annie Comella, also did well, winning the long jump at 18-2.5 for Wellesley.
In the girls mile, Wellesley got another standout performance from Charlotte Tuxbury, who won in 4:56.35.
“It definitely feels really great,” Tuxbury said. “It’s not a PR for me, but it’s an indoor PR. It’s definitely great to race against all these competitive girls and to come away with the win.”
Tuxbury had a feeling it would be a good day.
“I felt pretty good.,” Tuxbury said. “We went out really slow. We went out at 2:31. I was tripping over people. People were tripping over me. So the first half, I didn’t know what was going to happen.”
Methuen’s Lauren Quarm won the dash in 6.95.
“I felt like it was a comeback, because even in the prelims I was very scared,” Quarm said. “I was doubting myself. I didn’t think I could do it. I just had to calm myself down. When I calmed myself down, I did well.”
In the girls 300, Framingham’s Abby Desmarais won in 39.99.
“I definitely was nervous because there was another (runner who ran in the 39s),” Desmarais said. “I knew I had to have a strong start because I had to make up the stagger. I always try to make up the stagger by the first curve being over. I had some extra motivation in me because I wasn’t super happy with my 55. I was trying to redeem myself.”
In the boys field events, Alex Jackson of Peabody won the shot put at 58-3.