Amherst Teams Capture State Championships
Photo: Amherst Regional High School Track and Field
Sports teams at Amherst Regional High School (ARHS) had a banner spring, with three teams winning state championships: the Amherst girls track and field team, the GX ultimate team, and the Middle School ultimate team. In addition, the boys lacrosse team claimed its first Western Massachusetts title since 2003.
Girls Track and Field Wins Division 4 State Meet in Dominating Fashion
The ARHS girls track and field team won its first ever state championship on June 1 at Merrimack College in North Andover, beating second place Melrose in the State Division IV meet by 19 points, 87.5 to 68. Holliston finished third with 59 points. Amherst was led by its strong relays, winning the 4×400 relay (Moriah Leutjen, Skylar Fox, Ella Austin, and Ololara Baptiste) with a time of 4:00.36, taking second in the 4×800 relay (Luetjen, Brooke Nedeau, Ella Jamate, and Fox) with a time of 9:42.50, and fourth in the 4×100 relay (Ruby Austin, Claire Fortin, Juliana Albo, and Ella Austin) in 51:57. In addition, the Hurricanes dominated the open 400, with Luetjen winning in 56.36 seconds, followed by Baptiste (58.52) in second-place and Ruby Austin in sixth (1:00.47). Elizabeth Sawicki won the pole vault clearing 9 feet.
The state championship follows the team’s first Western Massachusetts Championship in 21 years. This weekend the girls will be competing in the state’s MIAA Meet of Champions, which combines the top finishers in all six state divisions. However, Coach Chris Gould said, “This (the Division 4 meet) was the one we were aiming for. The next one is for fun and to prepare for Nationals.”
The team is planning to compete at the Nike Outdoor National High School Championships June 19-22 in Eugene, Oregon. Both the girls’ and boys’ teams have a Go Fund Me page to help defray the cost to compete. As of June 6, they have raised $11,330 of their $15,000 goal.
In addition to Luetjen, Baptiste, Ruby Austin, and Ella Austin will return to the national championship to run four relays as well as a few individual events. Also competing will be Skylar Fox who has been a major force in the relays and Claire Fortin who will compete in the horizontal jumps as well as the freshman 100m. The girls’ team currently holds three school records (4×100, 4×200, 4×400). Additionally, Luetjen is the defending school record holder for the open 200m and 400m, and Fortin holds the school record for triple jump and long jump. Gould summed up the season this way. “The stars aligned perfectly for us this year in terms of quality new athletes and veteran elite performers. We have too many crucial contributors to name just a few. What a profound pleasure for the coaches to work with so many committed athletes.”
On the boys’ side, senior Miles Jeffries won the 400 meters with a time of 49.7 seconds. It was the first time he had run faster than 50 seconds. Jeffries and senior Logan Alfandari (discus and shot put) will compete in Eugene, along with Tylahn Beckett, Owen Platt, and Nico Lisle, who will run in several relays. In addition, Angel Hernandez will be competing in the para shot put, a major meet expansion to para-athletes resulting from his activism.
Full Division IV State Meet Results Here
Gx Ultimate Adds State Championship to Dominating Season
The track and field teams are not the only ARHS teams competing in national tournaments. The Gx (girls’ division) ultimate team captured the Division 1 state title on May 24 at the Oxbow, by beating Four Rivers Charter School (Greenfield) for the title and going 6-0 in the tournament. The team finished with a 27-3-1 record, and will compete in the High School National Invite on June 13 and 14. The team also has a Go Fund Me page to help cover their expenses. They have raised $4,300 of their $7,000 goal as of June 6.
The state meet win marked the team’s third straight tournament win in four weeks, each time over the Four Rivers Varsity team. The team has 10 returners (out of 16) and is led by Seniors Isla Cusick, Addie Mager, Felix Goeckel, Aubin Kevrikidis, and Violet Berube. Coach Dan Kaplan stated, “They have led the Canes to a dominant performance all season long, beating all of the state high school teams as well as UMASS, Mt Holyoke, and Amherst College.”
Next week, they will be tested against top talent from across the country.
Middle School Ultimate Caps Successful Season with State Championship
The Amherst Regional middle school ultimate team placed first in the Middle School State Tournament in Devens on Sunday, June 1 and are state champions for the first time in school history.
The team cruised through pool play, defeating Brown Middle School, Greely Middle School, and Four Rivers Charter before facing a talented Shady Hill Middle School team in the finals. Captain Ben Cianfrani-Shin led a balanced offense, with six different players throwing assists and eight different players catching goals in the final game.
The championship caps a remarkable season for the ARMS team, which finished with an overall record of 25–5, including 10 wins against high school teams. The Hurricanes placed sixth in their division at the Amherst Invitational High School Tournament, third in their division at the Pioneer Valley Invitational tournament and won the Spirit Award in two major tournaments this spring.
The ARMS team has been coached since its inception in 1994 (when it was still Amherst Junior High School) by Jim Pistrang. This is the fourth year that there was a separate Middle School State Tournament. Prior to 2022, the middle school team competed in the lowest division (Division III) of the high school state tournament.
These student athletes and their coaches worked hard for these wins, well deserved!