NORTON — Oliver Ames’ Ryan Sarney was very much aware of what the meet record was in the mile and came oh so close to dethroning a legend.
Dropping down from his specialty in the two mile, Sarney looked smooth and in control as he led from the gun and was never challenged on the way to breaking the tape in 4 minutes, 15.47 seconds at Saturday’s MSTCA Coaches Invitational.
The time was a six-second personal best for Sarney, who owns a PR of 9:09 in the two mile, and was just off the 4:15.20 run by the great Bobby Goss of Chelsea way back in 1978.
Sarney will run one more mile race at the Hockomock League Championships off the 60-65 miles a week he is packing in for the two mile.
“This is the only mile I’ll run in a big race for the rest of the season,” said Sarney. “I felt so good doing it. I’m a two-miler and I wanted to get a fast mile time.”
The Tigers also picked up the mile win on the girls’ side and it was impressive. Katie Sobieraj found another gear on the gun lap and blew past Wellesley’s Emma Tuxbury and kept surging until she broke the tape. The junior crossed the line in 5:06.40 in just her second race back while nursing a tendon strain in her foot. Tuxbury, whose sister Charlotte ran away with the two mile in 11:07.54, was a strong second in 5:08.20.
“I’ve had an injury the past month and a half so I didn’t really know where I was at and didn’t want to go out too fast,” said Sobieraj, who was fourth in the All-State indoor race. “I just really want to compete and place high at the state meet.”
Oliver Ames owned the day in the distance races, save for Tuxbury’s win. In the two mile, Brendan Thomas never trailed. The Tiger standout passed the mile in 4:38 and never faltered on the way to a controlled 9:22.19 win.
“The first mile felt harder, but I started pushing the second,” said Thomas. “I tried to keep relaxed and let my legs do the work. We haven’t raced in the bigger meets too much because we’re concentrating on dual meets.”
The multi-talented Jillian Strynar found racing on her home track to her liking. Competing in the 200 as the No. 3 seed, Strynar bolted to a season-best of 25.62 to defeat Oliver Ames’ Grace Okocha (25.91).
“I had a really good turn and sling-shotted onto the straightaway,” said Strynar.
The girls’ 800 was a burner as Ava LoVuolo of Marshfield took the lead early and held off the pack for a quick 2:18.69. On the boys’ side, Newton North’s Tyler Tubman bested St. John’s Lucas Carvalho 1:57.15 to 1:57.22. The great Ali Murphy of Norton torched the 400 field in 57.03 and Malden’s Johnny Emmanuel broke the meet record in the 400 with his 47.55.
Other winners on the day included Christopher Brooks of Wellesley in the 200 (21.79), Attleboro’s Maxwell Crawford in the 400 hurdles (58.27), Brooke McCarthy of Scituate in the girls’ 400 hurdles (1:07.63), Sophia Axelrod of Walpole in the girls’ discus (118-9), Antonio Wiafe of St. John’s Prep in the high jump (60-0), Tri-County’s Averie Denelle in the girls’ high jump (5-4) and Otis Nash of Newton North in the javelin (156-0).
