Hyped for the past few weeks, the stacked 2-mile field at Saturday's Weston Invitational lived up to its billing as Bromfield sophomore Emily Jones ran the fifth-fastest time in the nation to edge Newton North star senior Jess Barton by three seconds to win the ballyhooed meeting.
But in spite, or perhaps because of, Jones' incredible showing (10:34.78), the Wake Forest-bound Barton submitted her finest performance, which also marked the best in North's storied history. In placing second, the Tribune Cross Country Runner of the Year ran a 10:37.11, the seventh fastest time in the country this year and 15 seconds ahead of Newton South sophomore Bridget Dahlberg.
``There were a lot of great head-to-head battles, but the 2-mile brought the crowd to its feet,'' said Tranchita.
``In my 18 years of coaching, in this state, this was the highest-quality race I've ever watched,'' said South coach Steve McChesney. ``Sixth place was 11:08 and that wins states most years. Between Jones, Barton, Dahlberg and Wetherbee, theses girls have won eight All-State Championships. No state final this year will ever come close to this race.''
Dahlberg, a two-time Tribune Runner of the Year and this winter's All-State mile champion, nevertheless smashed Emily Johnson's five-year-old school record (11:01.07). Dahlberg's 10:52.23 gives her the 16th fastest time in U.S., well ahead of Johnson's time that won her an All-State crown in 2002. The other half of South's brilliant sophomore distance tandem, Kelsey Karys, placed seventh (11:40.70).
Aside from Barton, North had four other second-place finishes as sophomore Carolyn Ranti took silver in the 800 with a school record 2:14.97, while Hester Breen (personal record 114-8 in the discus), the 4x800 team of Ranti, Emma Kornetsky, Kat Chiong and Camilla Jackson (9:50.79) and Kornetsky (PR 60.76 in the 400) all placed second.
Also for North, Tracy Isman claimed fourth in the shot put with a PR 30-10«. Sarah Berkland finished fifth in the high jump (4-10), while Morgan Faer (discus, 95-7) and Lily Brown (400, state-qualifying 61.96) each placed sixth. Sam Gluck was seventh and qualified for States in her first time running the 300 hurdles (51.75), with Nevart Varadian two spots behind in ninth (51.78).
For South, the 4x400 relay of Juliet Ryan-Davis, Diana Braver, Alana O'Brien and Dahlberg finished second in 4:12.1 with Braver running a PR split of 60.4. Junior Candace Bailey was fourth in the 100 (12.79), while Pebbles Banks blazed to a PR 13.02 to take eighth.
In the mile, South placed four runners in the top 15 as freshman Maddie Reed took seventh with a PR 5:25.21, Ryan-Davis claimed 10th at a season-best 5:28.58, senior Emma Ruddie came in 14th in 5:34.33 with junior Nina Slote one spot behind in 15th (5:34.74).
Freshman Cora Visnick tied for third in the pole vault (8-0), while Elizabeht Jeyaraj was seventh in the shot put (30-2).
