WESTFIELD – Emma Sanford, the model of consistency, captured another state title at the MIAA Division 6 Track & Field Championships at Westfield State University on Thursday. 

The senior took first place in the pentathlon with a score of 3,160 points, while Frontier’s Caroline Crocker placed second with 2,482. 

Sanford woke up not feeling her best, and wasn’t sure how she would perform at the state meet. She decided to change her mindset, and was buoyed by friends and South Hadley graduates Jonas Clarke and Lindsay Marjanski, who came to cheer her on during her events. 

“Going into it, I woke up and I was like ‘I don’t feel good.’ I was a little worried about how I was going to do because I feel like I have to feel good to do good. But I kind of changed it to be happy to do good, instead of feel good… I think it really helped out,” Sanford said. “I was talkative, I was energetic and overall I was glad to be competing.” 

And of course, as soon as Sanford had received her medal and posed for a photo op with the other winners, Clarke swooped in to record a Tik Tok with her before leaving. Some things never change. 

Freshman Pazmandy lands on podium

Adrien Pazmandy cleared 10 feet even to clinch a fourth place finish in the pole vault. The Frontier athlete looked like he might go even higher – he attempted to clear 10-6, and got over the bar on his second attempt, getting his body over the bar but clipping it with his pole on his way down. 

“I'm unlucky. I didn't throw my pole back far enough,” Pazmandy said. “Otherwise, I'm pretty happy with my performance… I'd hoped I get a little higher. But I'm gonna pole vault over the summer and in the winter as well. So I'm hoping next year to do a lot better.”

Kudelka leaps to sixth

After not getting the mark he wanted at Western Mass., Hampshire Regional’s Jaiden Kudelka came into states determined to jump farther. The junior leaped his way to a 40-10 mark in the triple jump, an eight-inch personal best, and also jumped his way up the standings too; seeded 15th going into the event, his jump catapulted him to a sixth-place finish.

“Western Mass. didn’t go as great as I thought it would, but going into this I was like ‘just stay warm and then you can do good,’” Kudelka said. “When they called my name, I just did my routine to stay warm and then I jumped. I extended my jump phases and jumped into the sand and got my PR. It felt like a good jump.” 

Barry flies to seventh in 2-mile

Kathleen Barry wasn’t sure what she was happier about – the seventh place finish she posted in the two mile race, or the donut she got after she finished her race. 

The eighth-grader competed at states last year, but didn’t run as fast as she wanted to. This year, she was focused more on her time than her place, and cruised to a 16-second personal best in 12:04.11. 

“Last year at states, I got to states and I was excited, but it wasn't my best race. So this year I was just like, ‘I wanna have a good end of season race,’” Barry said. “I just tried to stick with everyone else. I was like, I don't know what everyone else can run, but they're fast.” 

Other finishes

Frontier’s Evan Hedlund snuck onto the podium in the two mile with an eighth place finish (10:06.10) after going into the race with the 10th-fastest time. 

South Hadley’s Abigail Gelinas was the first runner out in the 200 meter preliminaries, finishing ninth with a time of 27.30. 

Frontier’s Lilly Novak placed 12th in the discus with a mark of 89-08. 

South Hadley’s Matt Gillis and Jack Loughery jumped just two and a half inches apart in the triple jump; Gillis placed 15th with a leap of 39-5 and Loughery had 39-2.5.

Easthampton’s Addison Barr sprinted to a 19th place finish in the two mile (12:43.71) and Hampshire’s Addie Morrey finished 21st (12:48.06). Frontier’s Sylvie DiBartolomeo got 22nd (12:49.32), South Hadley’s Izzy Scott placed 24th (12:49.32) and Hampshire’s Charlotte Niswonger finished 27th (12:54.32). 

Frontier’s Nicole Plasse placed 20th in the 400 hurdles with a time of 1:15.20. 

Easthampton’s Joe Boyer finished 21st in the 200 dash with a 23.71. 

Frontier’s Erich Brown and South Hadley’s Jameson Webber were just under four tenths of a second apart in the 400 hurdles, with Brown earning a 1:04.60 and Webber finishing in 1:04.97.  

Hampshire’s Sicily Chase finished 19th in the 800 run (2:30.95) just ahead of South Hadley’s Gwen Marion in 24th (2:35.40). Oscar Schiff placed 24th in the two mile (10:55.97) and teammate Zach Jones finished 29th (11:11.93). 

Allison Fleury placed 25th in the 200 dash for the Tigers (28.67). 

Natalie Dunlap took 30th in the 400 hurdles for Frontier (1:18.57). 

Div. 5 results

Belchertown was the lone team representing Gazette schools at the Division 5 state meet in Norwell on Thursday, but they represented well in the first day of competition. 

Belchertown’s Aidan Clancy fell just short of qualifying for the 200 meter finals, crossing the line in 11th place with a time of 23.21. 

Molly Bail placed 22nd in the 800 meter run with a time of 2:32.32. 

In the two mile, Kami Wlodyka finished 26th in 13:07.76. 

On the boys’ side, Brandon and Trevor Adamson finished a second apart from each other in the two mile, with Brandon placing 31st with a 10:43.71 and Trevor crossing the line in 32nd with a time of 10:44.58. 

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