A handful of Westford Academy students competed in the Massachusetts All-State track meet at Fitchburg State University on Thursday, May 30 and Saturday, June 1. Over one hundred schools in Massachusetts competed in this meet, but WA stood out from the rest by bringing home three Individual State Titles.
Athletes sophomore Abigail Hennessy, sophomore Emily Wedlake, junior Jack Graffeo, senior Paul Bergeron, junior Ryan Kyle, and senior Alin Aydogan, qualified for this meet after having a successful regular season, and are advancing to the New Balance Outdoor Nationals Meet taking place on June 13-16.
Bergeron continued to make personal, school, and state records by finishing in first place in the two events he competed in, the one and two mile races. Bergeron ran alongside his teammate, Graffeo who he ran with during the cross country and track seasons the past three years.
Bergeron and Graffeo represented WA in both the one and two mile races, with Bergeron finishing the one mile in 4:07.98, making for a personal best, and Graffeo finishing less than two seconds later with a time of 4:09.80, placing third.
In the two mile race, Bergeron crossed the finish line in 8:43.86 beating his previous record, setting a new Massachusetts All-State record, and titling himself the new 2024 US #1 Two-Mile Runner.
“I feel like the season has gone well to this point and the All-State meet has given me a lot of confidence heading into the postseason,” Bergeron said.
Long distance races were a success for WA runners Hennessy and Wedlake as well.
Wedlake placed seventh for both the women’s one and two mile races, her time for the mile being 5:06.37 and 10:48.41 for the two mile. Both of Wedlake’s times at the All-State meet were personal records, cutting nearly ten seconds off of her prior personal best which allowed her to advance to the Nationals meet in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
“My individual races were both PRs [personal records], so I was super pleased, especially with my nine second PR for my two mile, qualifying me for New Balance Outdoor Nationals,” Wedlake said.
Adding to the list of records was Hennessy, who won the 800 meter with a time of 2:11.15 and the one mile race with a time of 4:48.53. The accomplishment of winning the one mile race named Hennessy the new 2024 Massachusetts #1 One-Mile Runner.
“I was really excited to break the 4:50 barrier in the mile, and was not expecting to do that this year,” Hennessy said. “This is the first season I really started to race the mile, and I was surprised that I was able to improve my time by around twenty seconds from the beginning of the year.”
Hennessy and Wedlake have been running together for all of their freshman and sophomore years in Cross Country and Track & Field. The girls have spent countless hours with each other, and they have both motivated and influenced one another to be the athletes they are now.
“Abby has not only been an incredible training partner but an amazing friend,” Wedlake said. “Seeing all of her accomplishments definitely pushed me towards my own success, and I’m so glad to have Abby as a friend and training partner.”
Aydogan participated in hurdles where she competed against 32 other girls, setting her own personal record by finishing in 15:14, and placing fourth in the state.
The third WA individual state titleist, Kyle, placed second in the 400 meter hurdles in 55.05, and won the 110 meter hurdle in 14.10.
“I was really happy with how I did at the All-State meet especially considering I wasn’t happy with my performance from the Division 1 championships a week earlier,” Kyle said. “I set 8 new outdoor school records most of which I was hoping to improve a lot in before the season started so I was very happy with that.”
These successful WA athletes are grateful for their coaches and teammates whom they have worked and trained with throughout the season.
“Coach Archambault was extremely helpful, but then Coach Meuse and Coach Hajaar also helped me tremendously racing wise,” Kyle said. “Jack Graffeo has also been great to be on the team with because he keeps pushing me to reach the level he’s at.”
