Nik Smith, junior, Northampton2016 season highlights: Finished second in 200-meter dash at New England Track & Field championships, won same event at Massachusetts All-State championships and West/Central Division 1 championships. Helped Northampton set a school record in the 4x100 relay, winning at West/Central and taking second at All-States. Took second at West/Central in the 100.
Smith on the season: I think coming into the season I felt a bit of pressure. I didn’t think i was quite where I needed to be at that time. Once championships season rolled around I really settled into my form, and I started to improve at the rate I wanted to. It really was just a matter of putting in work day in day out, working on form like in every detail. I had to master my race.
Smith on settling into the season: At Western Central Mass. championships was really when I settled in. I didn’t go to Western Mass championships the week before, I was out of town. I think it was probably a pretty good break leading up to that. I was well-rested. I exploded out.
Smith on his favorite moment: My most prideful moment was 4x4 at all states because I got the baton in fourth and pulled us to second on the home stretch.
Coach Brandon Palmer on Smith: He’s a focused athlete. He sets his goals then he comes to me with them. We’ve had plenty of conversations to make those goals more realistic. In his mind he can set his sights on a world record, and we need to throttle it back and tailor him week to week. This season especially we paid a little more attention to the finer details. Him being the 200m state champ was a big deal, but him executing his race plan and his race strategies was the biggest improvement
Remaining All-Stars, Page D2
BOYS TRACK ALL STARS
FIRST TEAM
Sage Bailin, senior, Amherst
Tony Campedelli, senior, Hampshire
Jeremy Doele, senior, Northampton
John O’Connor, senior, Hampshire
Dylan Cross, senior, Hampshire
Andy Habel, senior, Frontier
Connor Hamilton, senior, Frontier
Clay Kocot, senior, Frontier
Cole Lavalle, freshman, Northampton
Marcus Peterson, senior, Northampton
Adawehi Robinson, senior, Amherst
Nik Smith, junior, Northampton
Liam Sullivan, senior, Northampton
Jericho Sylla, senior, Amherst
Joseph Tavares, senior, Amherst
Joe Werenski, sophomore, South Hadley
Owen Wright, senior, Amherst
Abeiku Yankson, junior, Belchertown
HONORABLE MENTION
Sam Daniel, senior, Northampton
Zackary Ellis, sophomore, Amherst
Liam Flynn, senior, Northampton
Aiden Foucault Etheridge, sophomore, Amherst
Marcel Gabbett, senior, Amherst
Benjamin Gordon Sniffen, freshman, Northampton
Phillip Hempstead, sophomore, Northampton
Jared Kellogg, senior, Frontier
Ethan Mislark, junior, Northampton
Evan Petrosky, junior, South Hadley
Henry Sensey, senior, Hampshire
Andre Shepard, junior, Amherst
Aiden Waldron, senior, Frontier