FILE PHOTO
Justin Lewis jumped 6-7 to win at New Englands Saturday.
By KATIE MORRISON
Lynn Tech senior Justin Lewis became a two-time New England champion in the high jump Saturday. With a jump of 6-7, Lewis won the event at the New England Interscholastic Track and Field Championship meet at Veterans’ Stadium in New Britain, CT.
Lewis, who won last year with a jump of 6-5, was one of the top seeds coming into the meet after a win in the Massachusetts All-State meet last weekend. Tech coach John Hogan said that had it not been raining all day at the stadium, Lewis had the potential for one of his best jumps. Instead, it came down to a dramatic finish between Lewis and Greenwich’s Safir Scott.
Lewis actually missed his first jump at 6-0, and Hogan said that from that point on, he made sure to get the new height out of the way on the first try.
And he did, until both Lewis and Scott reached 6-9. Both missed, so it came down to a jump-off at 6-7, which Lewis won.
Hogan said that during the jump-off, the crowd got behind Lewis.
“People knew of him down there,” said Hogan. “I asked him after the jump, ‘did you hear those people cheering for you?’ He said ‘yeah, who are they?’ It was a very proud moment.”
The win gives Lewis some great momentum heading next weekend’s New Balance Nationals meet. Hogan says Lewis will get in a good week of practice with coach Kevin Green, who works closely with the Tech senior.
Lewis will be joined at Nationals by freshman Akeem Blake, who qualified for the freshman portion of the meet in the 100-meter dash.
Also attending the national meet will be Marblehead’s 800 sprint medley team of Michael Weidenbruch, Joe Doherty, Jefry Cabrera and Jacob Wikar. Doherty will also run in the freshman 100.
Peabody will send several representatives. Marcelo Rocha will run in the 5000, the Peabody team of Moisse Irizarry, Phil Bynum, Amisaday Quijano and Ugonna Okananawa compete in the 800 medley, Nate Hobbs will compete in the triple jump and Cynthia Aroke is the top seed in the 400 hurdles Emerging Elite class. Bynum, Quijano, Irizarry and Hunter Josselyn will take part in the 4×100 Emerging Elite, while Irizarry, Bynum, Josselyn and Okananawa take part in the 4×200. The team of Amanda Andrews, Dayna Vadala, Sophia Anderle and Aroke compete in the 4×400, and Hobbs will take part in the high jump. Finally, Patrick Pang will compete in the freshmen hammer throw.
Swampscott’s Michelle Connor will compete in the high jump, as will Gloucester’s Sierra Rudolph. Lynnfield’s Kate Mitchell will run the 800, and Danvers’ Devan Walsh will compete in the javelin. Swampscott’s Catie Cullinane, Ella Parker, Zoe Petty and Bailey Shorr will run in the 800 medley.
Lynnfield’s Mitchell was the only other local athlete to compete at New Englands this weekend, finishing 29th in the 800 (2:21.36).
