Meet of Champions: Westford’s Ryan Kyle breaks state record in 400 hurdles

FITCHBURG The Meet of Champions opening day featured a combination of sweltering heat triumph and tears Competing at Fitchburg State were the absolute best which led to events chockfull of personal records Westford Academy senior Ryan Kyle set the bar early crowning himself state champion with a new state record in the -meter hurdles Right away I felt fast noted Kyle who won the race a day before his high school graduation The heat didn t bother me we were all running in the same conditions so I just blocked that out Kyle who is attending the University of Rhode Island in the fall trusted his training to overcome any mental battle that the heat added I hydrated a lot all day disclosed Kyle I m glad I was able to execute in the race Other standouts included Apponequet Regional s Thomas Smith who won the boys pentathlon hurdles as well as Billerica Memorial s Nyrah Joseph the winner of the girls pentathlon mH and the girls pentathlon high jump m Dracut s Zoe Clark - m led the pack in the girls discus and Brookline s Alaina Bodine - m won the girls discus para ambulatory event In the boys discus Peabody High s Areno Saint-Victor - led an exceptional field while King Philip Regional s Austin Cannon m won the boys discus wheelchair Nolan Cloutier of Natick performs the pole vault during the Meet of Champions track meet at Fitchburg State University Photo By Matt Stone Boston Herald Catholic Memorial s Amar Skeete emerged victorious in the boys triple jump - m and Lincoln-Sudbury s Gabrielle Pierre - won the girls triple jump Burlington High s Leon Sekandi m won the boys pentathlon high jump Westborough s Daniel Velez - m won the boys pole vault and Cohasset s Nathan Askjaer m was victorious in the boys pentathlon long jump while Masconomet s Mara Siewko m took home the honors in the girls pentathlon long jump North Reading s Giuliana Ligor was spectacular in the hurdles winning with a time of I felt selected extra nerves as the defending champion reported Ligor who will attend the University of Pennsylvania this fall It was a very talented field but I know I m invariably competing against the person in my own lane I felt smooth on the hurdles which I was really happy about That s when I knew something good was coming Zoe Clarke of Dracut throws the discus during the Meet of Champions track meet at Fitchburg State University Photo By Matt Stone Boston Herald Incredible feats took place throughout the day including Cardinal Spellman s Lydiah Donahue-Wilfred m dominating the girls pentathlon shot put and Cohasset s Askjaer m powering his way to the title in the boys field Brighton s Delmace Joseph Mayo won both the boys wheelchair and the boys two mile wheelchair and Notre Dame Academy s Maddie Wilson pulled off the feat for the girls wheelchair as well as the girls two-mile wheelchair An especially thrilling moment occurred when Brookline s Altamo Aschkenasy sprinted ahead of the boys meters field winning by more than a second with a time of After celebrating his prom only hours before Aschkenasy entered the race working off pure adrenaline I m not going to lie I never went to sleep reported Aschkenasy who is attending UMass Amherst in the fall I was a little worried I d be too tired but I just trusted in my training Walpole s Sawyer Regan won the boys pentathlon and Milton s Annaliese Aguilar was victorious in the girls pentathlon BC High s Nathaniel Assa was phenomenal in the boys two mile run and Needham s Gretta Hammer won for the girls Westford Academy s Abigail Hennessy was victorious in the girls meters while Lincoln-Sudbury s Nicholas Begic put forth an outstanding performance in the boys Sharon s Nina Kyei-Aboagye was magnificent in the girls final finishing first in a tightly contested heat with a time of I didn t know I won until I crossed the finish line mentioned Kyei-Aboagye who set a personal record with the winning time My legs felt disgusting coming off prelims but I needed it I put everything I had into it not looking back I was focused on running my own race