Track: Portsmouth girls second at D1 state meet; Oyster River girls win D2 championship

PORTSMOUTH - It was a great showing on its home track for the Portsmouth High School girls track team on Saturday at the Division I state championship meet at the Mike Grogan Track.

Portsmouth's Maria Akalonu won the discus (113 feet, 5 inches) and was fifth in the shot put (31-8.25), and Mariam Nada placed second in three events - long jump (18-0.34), triple jump (35-8) and 100 hurdles (15.24 seconds) to lead Portsmouth to a second-place finish.

Bedford won the championship with 106 points, while Portsmouth was next with 67.

Concord (65), Nashua North (53) and Pinkerton (52) rounded out the top five, respectively. Exeter (33) was seventh, Winnacunnet (23) was eighth, and Dover (15) was 12th.

"(Second) is fantastic," Portsmouth head coach Stan Lyford said. "We couldn't have possibly done any better. Bedford was so much better than everybody. The fact is (second is) what we were hoping for, and we did it. The girls did well today."

Portsmouth's Lily Jenkins was third in the 200 (26.21) and fifth in the 100 (12.65), while Margaret Montplaisir (102-10) and Maggie Pataki (97-10) placed third and fourth, respectively, in the javelin.

"(Winning the discus) feels good," Akalonu said. "I guess winning for me is kind of superficial. It's always just a numbers game for me, always constantly improving."

"I'm so extremely proud of (Akalonu)," Nada said. "She's an amazing worker and puts in the work."

Portsmouth's 4x400-meter relay team, consisting of Avery Timerman, Sienna Metcalf, Ella Carter, and Jenkins, placed second (4:05.19); Timerman, Metcalf, Nada and Jenkins was fifth in the 4x100 (49.78), and Alexa Baryiames, Kelsey Campbell, Timerman and Mallory Baker was fifth (10:03.38) in the 4x800.

Other top-five finishes from girls

Dover's Anique Poulin was first in the 800 (2:17.43) and Winnacunnet's Charlotte Koutalidis was second in the 1,600 (4:59.81) and fifth in the 800 (2:24.61).

Exeter's Autumn Fabiano was second in the shot put (32-7), Rayna Thompson was second in the 400 (59.23), Alexis Paterna was fourth in the 3,200, Rachel Poulin was fifth in the javelin (97-1) and Martelle McBride (15-9.75) was fifth in the long jump (15-9.75).

The Exeter foursome of Brianna Paterna, Clara Knab, Amber Orleans, and Danica Caron was second in the 4x800 (9:39.08).

Winnacunnet's Hayden Adams was fourth in the long jump (16-2.5) and Mia Lantaigne was fifth in the 400 (1:00.74). The 4x400 relay team of Maitri Clifford, Lantaigne, Koutalidis, and Maeve Ouellette was third (4:05.84).

Dover's 4x800 team of Margaret Spuler, Janelle Poulin, Isabel McIntyre, and Anique Poulin was fourth (9:54.21).

Patterson sets school mark, Winnacunnet boys place fifth

Winnacunnet's Wyatt Patterson had a school-record, first-place mark of 15 feet in the pole vault and the Warriors had 49 points, placing fifth in the team score with 49 points.

Bedford won the meet with 104 points, while Pinkerton (81), Nashua South (71) and Concord (56) placed second through fourth, respectively. Spaulding (16.50) was ninth, Portsmouth (16) was 10th, Exeter (13.5) was 12th, and Dover (six) was 15th.

"I knew I was going to have some good competition today," Patterson said. "It's cool and it's been fun. Every (personal record) I get now is a school record. It's super exciting, and it's fun having my teammates being able to cheer me on."

Winnacunnet head coach Alison Duffy said Patterson is "so solid and relaxed."

"I think he goes into every meet knowing what he needs to do and accomplishes that," Duffy said.

Winnacunnet's Oliver Duffy was third in the long jump (21-8.25) and 300 hurdles (40.35), fourth in the 110 hurdles (15.56) and fifth in the high jump (5-10).

"The team looked good," Oliver Duffy said. "I just tried my best today."

Winnacunnet's Ryan Jamison was second in the 300 hurdles (40.34), Ryan Zumbach was fourth in both the 800 (1:57.19) and 1,600 (4:22.6) and Owen Janetos was fourth in the 400 (51.24).

Other top-five boys finishes

Spaulding's Paul Butler won the high jump (6-4), and Exeter's Nathan Mikulsky was second in the 800 (1:56.05)

Exeter's Brady Rogers was fifth in both the javelin (151-10) and high jump (5-10), Portsmouth's Kelly Moriarty and Leo Guarracino tied for fourth in the pole vault (12-0), Dover's Brady McInnes was fourth in the long jump (20-9.75), Spaulding's Jackson Rup was fourth in the shot put (46-5) and Portsmouth's Theo Beattie was fifth in the 400 (51.33).

Portsmouth's 4x400-meter relay team, consisting of Nico Ranalli, Briggs Catino, Will Hart, Beattie and Josh Kelly placed second (3:30.13).

Oyster River girls win Division II state title

DURHAM - Haley Kavanagh and Erin Carty both won two events, and Oyster River won seven, as the Bobcats ran away with the Division II state title with 137 points.

Coe-Brown placed second with 61.5 points, while Hollis-Brookline (53), Hanover (45) and Bow (39) rounded out the top five, respectively. St. Thomas Aquinas placed 16th with nine points.

Kavanagh won the 800 (2:15.57) and 1,600 (4:58.61), and Carty won the 110 hurdles (14.69) and 300 hurdles (46.23)

Other wins came from Mackenzie Cook in the 3,200 (11:06.45), Avery Baumgardt in the triple jump (34-00.25) and the 4x800 relay team, consisting of Drees Gelsey, Talia Banafato, Haley Bezanson and Cook (10:09.45).

Cook also placed third in the 3,200 (11:44.31) and fourth in the 1,600 (5:23.7).

Oyster River boys place third in Division II

DURHAM - Senior Thomas Fogg won the long jump (20-09.75), placed second in the high jump (6-02) and fifth in the triple jump (39-09.75), leading Oyster River to a third-place finish at the Division II state championship meet.

Hanover won the championship with 93 points, while Coe-Brown (66), Oyster River (65), John Stark (53) and Merrimack Valley (48) placed second through fifth, respectively. St. Thomas Aquinas placed 18th with one point.

Oyster River's 4x100 relay team, consisting of Colby Gedney, Max Scopel, Casey Pirtle and Talon Ouellette, placed second (43.54); and the 4x400 team of Gedney, Mitchell Keesee, Scopel and Ouellette placed third (3:34.58).

Other top showings from Oyster River were turned in by Oliver Lehman (second, 3,200, 9:45.9), Micah Bessette (second, 110 hurdles, 16.29), Ouellette (third, 200, 22.41) and Cayden Giordani (third, javelin, 138-01).

- Seacoast Media Group sports editor Jay Pinsonnault contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Portsmouth girls second at D1 meet; Oyster River girls win D2 title