
WESTFIELD — Coming into Saturday’s All-State track meet, Newton North boys’ coach Jim Blackburn had his team scoring 53 points across all events.
He was close. With 52 points, the Tigers secured the state championship at Westfield State.
“It was a generous prediction to go with 53, but I’m very happy about it,’’ said Blackburn.
The Tigers did not win any events, but with several top-10 finishes, Newton North separated from the pack and coasted to victory.
“We just had the team depth, said Blackburn. “We scored in 10 different events.’’
A surprise for the team came when senior Miguel Oyler-Castrillo came in second in the 200 in 21.97 seconds.
Senior captain Elmer Acuna came in fourth in discus and his teammate, junior Nathaniel Klein, earned third with a throw of 54 feet, 9 inches. The team placed third in the 4?x?400 relay (3:21.54) to seal the victory.
“I don’t have words for it. It’s the first state championship I’ve ever won as a captain,’’ said senior Jared Prior.
Hunter Gray of Littleton earned 3,305 points in the pentathlon, beating the meet record set last year by Dennis Peary of Woburn (3,281).
With his first javelin throw of the day, Billerica senior Connor Finnegan (199-7) set a personal record and won the state title.
Newton South senior Anthony DeNitto won the long jump for the second straight year, landing at 23-9.
Sophomore Nate Hobbs helped St. John’s Prep stay in the hunt early with a win in the triple jump (45-9).
Cambridge senior Esu Alemseged ran the mile in 4:17.60, taking a photo finish over Lexington senior Zachary Manickas-Hill (4:17.69).
Concord-Carlisle’s Thomas Ratcliffe set a blazing trail in the 2-mile event, finishing in 9:00.52, just shy of Alberto’s Salazar’s 9:00.0 record time.
“I was pretty nervous for that. I have had three races in the past six days, so I’m pretty tired right now, but it’s been a pretty good week,’’ said Ratcliffe. His win came after he set the state mile record in 4:01.50 on Thursday.
In the 400 hurdles, Sharon senior William McManus (55.57) just edged Lawrence senior Fabian Tineo (55.88). McManus also won the 110-meter hurdles (14.75).
Senior Mike Munroe from Quincy won the shot put with a toss of 57-7. Also in the field, senior Justin Lewis from Lynn Tech won the high jump (6-8).
In the 400 meters, Burncoat junior Rodney Agyare-May set a personal best with 48.20, winning at states for the second year in a row.
North Andover junior Erick Duffy (15 feet) won the pole vault event for the second year in a row. Pentucket senior Noah Malhi won the discus (158-11).
In the 800 meters, Marblehead senior Andrew Ernst (1:51.17) set a meet record, breaking the mark of 1:51.99 set by Josh Lampron of Mansfield in 2012.
Milton senior Smith Charles went wire to wire in the 100 meters, finishing in 10.77. Northampton junior Nikolas Smith won the 200 in 21.64.