Division 5 indoor track and field championships headline Wednesday's Fantastic Five
These Fantastic Five athletes spent Valentine's Day with the love of their lives: the game.
They won titles, stood out among the state's best and stuffed the stat sheet. We checked in at the Division 5 state track and field championships, the first of nearly a week straight of championships events at the Reggie Lewis Center in Boston. Teams also clinched league titles, while players posted massive individual stat lines.
The first postseason brackets of the season are starting to trickle out as well. The Clark Tournament has its prestigious basketball fields, while the Central Mass Athletic Directors Association released the brackets for its boys basketball, girls basketball and boys ice hockey tournaments.
Without further ado, the MetroWest and Milford area Fantastic Five high school athletes from Feb. 14:
AVERIE DENELLE, Tri-County girls indoor track and field
The senior won the Division 5 girls high jump championship, clearing 5 feet, 4 inches at the Reggie Lewis Center on Wednesday. She also placed ninth in the girls 55-meter hurdles and ran on Tri-County's 4x200 relay (21st).
JAMES HAYWARD, Hopkinton boys hockey
He scored both goals in the Hillers' 2-1 victory over Norwood on Wednesday that clinched the Tri-Valley League Large championship. Freshman goalie Colton Spavento saved 30 shots for Hopkinton (13-3-2, 11-2-2 TVL).
SOPHIA LUONI, Natick girls ice hockey
The freshman made 28 saves in her fifth shutout of the season in a 3-0 win over Wellesley on Wednesday. Jordan Digiandomenico scored twice for the Redhawks (12-6-1), and Elle Ferguson distributed two assists. Natick's Ava Kelley found the net once.
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MASON MELCHIONDA, Dover-Sherborn boys basketball
He scored 25 points in a 53-48 win over Norton that secured a Tri-Valley League Small Co-Championship with Medway. Jono Windle added 11 points for the Raiders (12-7, 10-6 TVL).
CADEN REISMAN, Medway boys basketball
He poured in 24 points with 12 rebounds in a 62-37 win over Millis on Wednesday. The Mustangs (10-8, 10-6 TVL) shared the TVL Small title with Dover-Sherborn with the win.
ALEXANDRIA TAYLOR, Lincoln-Sudbury girls nordic skiing
The sophomore captured the girls individual state championship Wednesday at Prospect Mountain in Vermont. She completed the seven-kilometer course in 21:47, 53 seconds ahead of the second-place finisher. The Warriors finished fifth as a team. Wayland's Amy McCormack crossed the line ninth (24:38).
COOPER WILLADSEN/SAM DADAGIAN, Hopkinton boys basketball
They each scored 21 points, as Hopkinton clinched its firs TVL-Large title since 2011 with a 67-59 win at Weston in overtime Wednesday. Jack Ianelli scored six of his 13 points in overtime and added five assists and five steals for the Hillers (15-3, 15-1 TVL). Hopkinton's Anthony DeLuca posted a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
OTHER SCORES:
Updated seeds: Check out the latest 2024 MIAA basketball and hockey power rankings
Boys basketball
WAYLAND 50, Weston 47: Senior guard Grant Larsen led the Warriors (4-13) with 15 points on Wednesday. Wayland's Ido Geffen added 13 points.
St. JOHN'S 61, Algonquin 38: Patrick Biamou led the Titans (5-12) with 12 points on Wednesday.
NIPMUC 43, Worcester Tech 35: James McKinney had 13 points for the Warriors (12-5) in a road win Wednesday.
QUABOAG 60, AMSA 35: Braden De Zutter led the Eagles (8-10) with seven points Wednesday.
BROMFIELD 47, Assabet 35: Aaron Pridgeon hit two 3s with eight points for Assabet (3-14) on Wednesday.
MILLBURY 58, Hopedale 37: Patrick Madden poured in 26 points for the Blue Raiders (9-9) on Wednesday. He made 12 free throws.
SHEPHERD HILL 49, Marlborough 47: Akrif Semakula contributed 17 points for the Panthers (3-12, 2-10 Mid-Wach B) on Wednesday.
Girls basketball
NORFOLK AGGIE 37, Tri-County 31: Jazmin Hancock had eight points for the Cougars (11-7, 5-5 Mayflower) on Wednesday. Tri-County's Neila Schweitzer pulled down 10 rebounds, while Gabby Dergham put up seven points and Ivy Young contributed six.
WAYLAND 72, Weston 30: Annika Martins paced three Warriors in double figures with 18 points Wednesday. Jenny Shine and Ava Renneker each put up 16 points for Wayland (7-10).
BROMFIELD 43, Assabet 22: Olivia Russell led Assabet (4-14) with four points Wednesday.
WESTBOROUGH 72, Fitchburg 34: Annabelle Semeter paced three Rangers (11-6, 10-2 Mid-Wach B) in double figures with 20 points. Westborough's Kate Sams scored 16, and Rachel Carpenter added 14.
Boys ice hockey
FRANKLIN 7, Archbishop Williams 2: Carter Balducci notched a hat trick, while Ben Paterson and Dan Daley each scored twice for the Panthers (13-7) on Wednesday. Logan Marchand distributed two assists, while Drake McAlpine had one. Franklin's Dan Daley and Anthony Lampasona each contributed a goal and an assist.
HUDSON 7, Assabet 2: Christian Stevens notched a hat trick for the Hawks (11-7) on Wednesday. Hudson's Jordan Sousa, Timmy O'Malley, Riley O'Sullivan and Luke Lewis each found the net once.
AUBURN 5, Algonquin 3: Jack Gulachenski scored twice with one assist for the Titans (10-5-3, 4-1-2 Quinn) on Wednesday. Algonquin's Nathan Meschisen (assist) also found the net, while Ben Yosca and Jackson Redfern contributed an assist each. Titans goalie Nicholas Robbins saved 17 shots.
NORTH MIDDLESEX 4, Hopedale 3: Sean McGee found the net twice for the Blue Raiders (4-12-2) on Wednesday. Hopedale's Joe Butler added two assists. David Felming found the net once, while Matt Lioce contributed an assist. Nathan Morin made 15 saves for the Blue Raiders.
Marlborough 2, Lynnfield 2: Luc Masse put away both goals for the Panthers (8-7-3) on Wednesday. Marlborough's Colin Glynn and Cameron Ellsworth each provided an assist.
BLACKSTONE VALLEY TECH 3, St. Paul 1: Maximus Pilkington (assist), Christopher Bouvier and Jacob Selby each scored once for the Beavers (15-3, 8-2 Russell) on Wednesday. BVT goalie Finn Lozeau made 30 saves, and Jack Eastwood, Max Krauss, Thomas Liddy and Joseph Manzi contributed an assist each.
Girls ice hockey
KING PHILIP 7, Wayland/Weston 0: Tilly Myles saved 26 shots for Wayland/Weston (7-10-1, 5-7 MVC/Dual County Small).
ALGONQUIN 4, Shrewsbury 1: Brenna Joyce, Emily Johns, Brooke Cutler and Annabelle Biagini scored for the Titans (11-6-1), who scored three unanswered goals to top the Colonials (8-4-5) on Wednesday. Addy Cagan made 22 stops for Algonquin. Bridget McLaughlin scored for Shrewsbury, and Risa Montoya made 22 saves.
Boys indoor track & field
AMSA junior Zachary Barton placed second in the boys 55-meter hurdles in 8.14 seconds. Jackson Hunt of Hopedale finished fourth in the boys two-mile (9:59.07). Millis' Ben McCarthy placed fourth in the boys mile (4:37.46) followed by Tri-County's Marty McCrave in fifth (4:38.1). Medway's Jack Weintraub took fifth in the 600 (1:26.22), and Dylan Costa cleared 44 feet to finish sixth in the shot put.
Girls indoor track & field
DIVISION 5 STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS: Medway's Camellia Meredith, Katelyn Maniero, Jaina Campbell and Brooke Scott set a new school record in the 4x200 relay, placing second in 1:48.22. Charity Johnson tossed the shot put 32 feet, 9.75 inches to take third for the Mustangs, while Scott took fourth in the 55 (7.48). Meredith cleared 5-2 to place fourth in the high jump and was sixth in the 55 hurdles (9.15). Hudson's 4x8 team of Peyton Knott, Olivia Downin, Thuy-Tien Nguyen and Rachael Korowski also placed second in 10:11.4, which also set a school record. Korowski added another medal with a fourth-place finish in the 1,000 (3:08.42), setting a school record in 3:08.42. Knott took sixth in the 600 (1:41.63, a school record).
This article originally appeared on MetroWest Daily News: Division 5 indoor track & field championships highlight Fantastic Five
