Published: 12/31/2021 5:49:49 PM
Modified: 12/31/2021 5:49:21 PM
WESTFIELD — Josie Fosnot surprised herself with how quickly she circumnavigated the Roots Athletic Center track.
The Frontier Regional freshman returned to the finish line – also the start line – in 46.62 seconds to win the girls 300-meter run at the Roots Speed Week No. 2 meet Friday. It was her personal best by more than a second.
“I did not think I could do that. I ran a 48 (last meet) and there were two people there that ran 46, and I thought it was a crazy thing that I couldn’t do,” Fosnot said. “I don’t know (where it came from). I just ran as fast as I could.”
The meet, which featured competitors from at least seven schools, was an opportunity to compete closer to home for PVIAC athletes. The league hosted its first meet at Wheaton on Dec. 17 and will return Jan. 8.
Originally, Frontier girls coach Bob Smith wasn’t sure about taking a bus full of students down I-91 on New Year’s Eve because he thought it was a night meet. Then he was informed the running-only event started at 10 a.m.
“I told them ‘we’re in,’” Smith said. “We’re really happy they ran this meet. This is our first year in indoor track, and they’re having a blast.”
They’re making some history, too. Since the Redhawks are contesting many events for the first time indoors, those marks establish a school record like in the girls 4x400-meter relay. Fosnot completed a circuit along with Nicole Plasse, Sasha Malo and Claire McFarland in 4:57.08.
“I really didn’t want to (run on a holiday),” Fosnot said. “But everyone else was dong it, and I wasn’t going to be the person that wasn’t doing it. It was another opportunity for me.”
The Redhawks also took first in the girls 4x37.5 shuttle relay, where teammates ran opposite directions facing each other across a short section of track, one of a handful of events meet organizer Brandon Palmer threw in that aren’t contested at the state level in Massachusetts to both spice up the docket and provide teams with opportunities to potentially set times that could qualify them for nationals.
McFarland won the girls 600 in 1:57.39 at the front of a 1-2-3 Redhawks finish. Una Millette was second (2:10.83), and Angelina Egland took third (2:20.99).
Bianca Peura took second in the girls 1,000 (3:34.91) and mile (6:58.86).
Sohia Leone placed third in the girls 55 (8.21).
Aidan Valderrama was fourth in the boys 1,000 (3:08.4) followed closely by teammate Amory Maxey in fifth (3:08.96).
Malo completed the two-mile in 14:43.71, the only girl to compete in the race.
Micky McCarthy sprinted to fifth in the girls 60 (9.58).