The Chelsea High boys track team ventured to Greater Lowell last Thursday for a battle of unbeaten teams to decide the 2011 Commonwealth Athletic Conference title. The Red Devils had set up the showdown with
a 79-57 win against Shawsheen Tech earlier in the week.
The teams battled each other fiercely in a contest worthy of deciding a league title. Entering the final event of the day, the 4 x 400 relay, Chelsea held a slim 66-65 lead. But with the five points from the winner-take-all
relay on the line, the outcome would decide both the meet and the championship.
Unfortunately for the Red Devils, the Greater Lowell quartet proved faster around the track to win the race, the meet, and the league title.
“The meet was close throughout and very exciting and nerve racking. Unfortunately it wasn’t the result we wanted,” said CHS head coach Don Fay, whose Red Devils were handed their first dual meet loss since April of 2007, bringing to an end a streak of 31 straight victories.
Norbert Simon was the top Red Devil in the scoring department with four first place finishes. Norbert won the high jump with a leap of 5-6, the long jump with a landing of 19- 5, the 100 meter dash in 11.36, and the
200 meter dash in 23.1. Simon’s clocking in the 200 qualified him for the State Meet on Memorial Day weekend at Bridgewater State College.
Other first place finishers for Chelsea were: Christian Ortega in the shot put with a toss of 40-1; Rony Gomez in the discus with a personal record (PR) heave of 111- 2; and Luis Hernandez, who captured the 110 meter high hurdles in 17.47.
Second place finishes went to Luis Hernandez in the high jump; Troy Crossley in the triple jump at 36- 8; Santos Hernandez in the 110 meter high hurdles and the 400 meter hurdles; Joseph Arroyo in the two mile at 11:24 and in the mile at 5:20; Francisco Colindres in the 800 meters; Walter Cortez in the javelin; and Brandon Rath in the 400 meters in a PR time of 57.9.
Adding single points to the Red Devil scoresheet, which are crucial in a close meet, with third place efforts were: Juan Achar in the discus at 97- 10; Luis Hernandez in the 400 hurdles; Troy Crossley in the 200 dash;
and Brian Pliego in the javelin. “It was a very difficult loss, but we will be ready for Saturday’s league meet where we will have a chance to defend our league meet title and avenge our loss from last week,” said Fay. “We have come a long way in the last couple of years. We are now 34-2 over the last five years. We expect to win now when we have a meet.”