Tide indoor track teams sweep past Lynn Classical, while splitting against Chelsea in GBL tri-meet

By Joe McConnell

The Everett High School indoor track teams engaged in competitive battles against Greater Boston League (GBL) rivals Lynn Classical and Chelsea on Jan. 23, with the Crimson Tide boys (4-1) sweeping both foes – 43-41 over Chelsea; 56-33 against Classical – while the girls defeated the Rams, 50-21, but lost to the Red Devils, 53-35.

“It was a hard-fought meet for the boys against Chelsea,” said coach Jehu Cimea. “The meet came down to the 4×400 relays, and our boys didn’t want to lose. The senior captains stepped up to lead us to victory. We are now preparing for another tough tri-meet against Medford and Revere on Friday, Jan. 30, which will also end the regular season.”

Turning to the girls’ portion of the meet, Cimea said that they were able to pull off their first win of the season at the Rams’ expense, only to lose against Chelsea. They too will face Medford and Revere on Jan. 30.

Following the encounter against Medford and Revere, the annual GBL Championship Meet will follow on Feb. 5.

Against Lynn Classical, senior captain Lucas Nunez (5:07.08), junior Cristhopher Portillo Cruz (5:33.44) and sophomore Pratyush Darai (5:56.27) swept the mile. Senior Ian Herrera (9.72, personal best) and senior captain Antonio Iraola (10.8) topped the ticket in the 55-meter hurdles.

Senior captain Kervens Joseph (6.97) bested the entire field in the 55-meter dash. Junior Sandesh Pun (7.29) was third, junior Santiago Turizo Escorcia (1:48.23) came in third in the 600.

Juniors Carlos Pagan Landeo (3:12.62) and Domenico Delle Rosa (3:21.25), and senior Bryan Lewis (3:25.6) dominated the 1,000 to compile nine critical points for their teammates.

Joseph (38.65) went to the head of the class in the 300. Sophomore Jonathan Hernandez (42.11) accounted for third place. Senior captain Jeremy Whitlow (11:38.74, personal best) breezed to victory in the two mile.

Iraola (13-8) and Hernandez (13-6.75) were second and third in the long jump but were shutout against their Chelsea counterparts. Senior captain Gaetano Foster (42-4.5) was second only to his Classical foe in the shotput but was first against the Red Devils.

There were other differences in the results against Chelsea, but Nunez was still on top in the mile, while Portillo Cruz dropped down to third. Herrara and Iraola were the overall best athletes in the 55-meter hurdles. Joseph was the overall winner in the dash, while Pun was third against both league rivals.

The Red Devils swept the 600 against both the Tide and the Rams. Pagan Landeo and Delle Rosa fell to second and third in the 1,000 in the Chelsea portion of the meet.

Joseph was the dominant runner in the 300, and Hernandez was the overall third place finisher. Whitlock, who finished first in the two-mile against the Rams, ended up second overall.

The Tide girls’ were dominant against Lynn Classical. Senior captain Akanksha Neupane (6:43.57) and sophomore Brianna Chavarria Rodriguez (7:51.68) topped the ticket in the mile. Junior Amina Mekic (12.46) and sophomore Faith Dunbar (12.47) experienced similar results in the 55-meter hurdles.

Senior captain Shinead Riley (8.7), freshman Marissa Cadet (8.14) and senior captain Zoe Massiah swept the 55-meter dash against the Rams. Sophomore Karina Moya (2:36.58) accounted for second in the 600. Her classmate Nathalia Dos Santos (4:30.44) was No. 1 in the 1,000.

Junior Amina Mekic (53.16, personal best) and sophomore Deysi Blanco Suchite (56.30) were second and third in the 300. Sophomore Shashi Pokhrel (16:05.58) broke the tape first in the two mile.

Dunbar (13-0) secured a second-place finish in the long jump, while Foster (27-5.75) was second to none in the shotput.