MATT JACOBSON
HOLYOKE – The Division I track and field championships may not have produced a top 3 overall team medal for the Westfield boys’ or girls’ teams at the Divisional 1 track and field championships Saturday, but a few Bombers managed to emerge from the pack.
Matt Jacobson, typically seen finishing races alongside fellow senior teammates Blake Croteau and Tim Dostie – both were out Saturday for various reasons – won the mile in 4:28.58.
Jacobson edged Agawam’s Ben Parzich (4:29.47).
“It was the best race he’s run in his four years of high school,” Westfield coach Dana Geis said of Jacobson, a senior. “He timed it perfectly.”
At one point, Jacobson trailed the leader before making his move with about 600 meters remaining. In the final 300, it was an all-out sprint to the finish line.
Jacobson clipped his previous best by a whopping 10 seconds.
“Everything clicked for Matt,” Geis said. “It was just beautiful to see him do that. It was just a great intense race. Those last 300 meters, they weren’t going to beat him.”
Nobody was able to beat one of Westfield’s relay teams either.
The Bombers’ 4×100 relay team – Jordino Oquando, Max Cravet, Alex Martin, and Charlie Newman – finished first in 44.08. Amherst’s team was second (45.0).
Ben Doiron (9:57.31) claimed second place for Westfield in the 2-mile, just behind’s Ryan Stender (9:57.03).
“For a sophomore, that’s a phenomenal time,” Geis said of Doiron.
Westfield finished seventh overall as a team with 34 points. Northampton (125 points), Amherst (107), and Central (67) took the top three spots.
Jenna Rothermel tossed the discus 108 feet, 8 inches to win the event at divisionals this past weekend. (Photo by Frederick Gore)
GIRLS’ RESULTS
The Westfield girls’ team placed 10th overall (27 points) among the division’s finest. Chicopee (130), Amherst (123), and Minnechaug (76.50) were 1-2-3.
One of Westfield’s brightest moments included captain Jenna Rothermel winning the discus with a throw of 108 feet, 8 inches. It was Rothermel’s personal best.
Junior Keri Paton had the next highest finish, placing third in the javelin with a throw of 100 feet, 4 inches. Paton also came in ninth in the shot put (29-2 ¼).
Sophomore Kiany Roman scored nine points – just one point shy of Rothermel’s 10-point, first-place finish – for the team by taking fourth in the 200 meter dash (27.32) and fifth in the 100 meter dash (13.52).
Westfield’s 4×400 relay team of Emilia Lund, Delaney Thomson, Ellie Dufraine, and captain Alex Lehman dropped over eight seconds off their seed time and earned a seventh-place finish for two team points.
Lehman also achieved an individual qualifying time with a 10th place time of 1:03.30 in the 400 meters, a season best.
Rachel Cousins, captain Amy Wardner, Caleigh Rockwal, and captain Michelle Morgan, running as a 4×800 relay team for the first time this season, missed scoring by .49 seconds, finishing in ninth place (11:06.35) behind Minnechaug. But their time easily qualified for the next round of racing.
“I am so proud of all that these girls continue to accomplish as a team,” Westfield coach Linda Rowbotham said.
