Author: Dad

Kayla ran a personal best 13.24 FAT (equivalent to 13.0 hand time) in the 100m dash at the South Shore Principal’s meet Saturday ( Newton tab article, results, photos, jump sequences ). She placed 5th place [see race sequence), improving from 17th seed in the 30 entrant field. She qualified for the division 1 state championships next week (Saturday, Andover HS, 9:30AM), where she should be 13th seed or better (performance lists link). She has also qualified for D1 state meet in the long jump. Kayla also scored in the triple jump in the meet with a 31’1″ jump for 5th place and a total of 4 points toward Newton 130.33 win over runner up Brockton (68).

Kayla’s now ranks #2 in 100m at Newton North behind Carla Forbes so she may play a role on 4x100m next week as well. The 100m mark improved her seasonal best by 0.5 second and personal best by 0.2.

Kayla earned her first individual event championship medal of her high school career with a 5th place in the long jump at the 12 school Bay State Conference Championship on Wednesday (Newton Tab article, results on cool running, results on athletics.net). Kayla jumped 15’10.25″ on a cold and rainy day that had most competitors jumping 2 feet behind their personal bests. She now ranks 21st out of 593 competitors in the state.

Newton North won a closely fought battle over Andover to win the 2011 Outdoor Division 1 State Relays Sunday in Franklin, MA. The shuttle hurdle team defending their 2011 indoor and 2010 outdoor titles by over 2 seconds over the field (65.51). In her 4th outing as a triple jumper, Kayla joined Carla Forbes and Amy Ren to win the Triple Jump relay by 7 feet. These teams contributed 20 of Newton’s 73 points and provided the margin of victory over Andover (60). Both the relays posted the top performance of all four divisional relay meets in the state (triple jump beat out Mansfield from Division 2 by .25in). Kayla now has five state relay gold medals on her shelf and has contributed 57 points to relay meet wins.

News Coverage:
Newton Tab: Newton North sweeps State Relays championships

Boston Globe Article: Newton Boys, Girls sweep the field

The Newton North girls started on the track and did their best in the final running event. The 4 x 400 relay team of sophomores Meghan Belleraje, Madison Nadeau, and Carla Forbes, and senior Margo Gillis set a meet record with a time of 3:59.61.

“It meant a lot finishing off the running events with a win,’’ said coach Joe Tranchita. “And to get a meet record really boosts the morale even more.’’

The Tigers also won the long jump, triple jump, discus, 4 x 100 hurdles, and 1,600 sprint medley, finishing with 73 points. Andover came in second with 60 points, and Weymouth finished third with 39.

“We had 37 points running and 36 in the field,’’ said Tranchita. “I always say this is the purest team meet and that type of balance really shows that.’’

Senior Amy Ren came back from an ankle injury to help boost the Tigers.

“I had been out for three meets and I just wanted to go out there and be a part of the team,’’ said Ren, a part of three winning teams — the long jump, triple jump, and the hurdles.

Ren, who will run at Dartmouth next year, said getting over the pain in her ankle was a mental thing. “The ambition to do well trumps the pain,’’ she said.

Boston Herald Article: Tigers terrify on track

Milesplit Results/Coverage

Highlight photos

Winning 4x100m shuttle hurdle relay team:

Winning 3xTJ relay team:

Hardware:

Margin of victory:

2nd step in Triple jump