Westford’s Bergeron ends his career with victory at the Meet of Champions mile

In the end, Bergeron pulled away to score an impressive victory in 4 minutes, 7.98 seconds, on the second day of the MIAA Meet of Champions at Fitchburg State. The effort edged sophomore Chris Larnard of BC High (4:09.09) and Westford teammate Jack Graffeo (4:09.80) into third, and also set a personal best.

“I did really badly. It was a rough start,” said Bergeron, who will apply to Stanford University. “I just thought I wasn’t going to waste my last high school race. I just tried to move people, get to the front as best I could…it was my last time representing (Westford), so I must have had a good one.

The win was Bergeron’s second in the meet, having set a state record in her stunning 8:43.86 2-mile victory Thursday.

The two victories mark a fitting end to Bergeron’s decorated career, which included two state titles in cross country and two Division 1 victories in the 2-mile — but, before this weekend, never a win at the Meet of Champions.

“I told my coach a while ago that I wanted to double this weekend. I’ve been surrounding this for a long time,” Bergeron said. “It’s definitely sentimental, because I loved racing for (Westford) and I wanted to finish strong here.”

Franklin senior star Sarah Dumas had a disappointing afternoon Thursday, racing through the first four legs of the pentathlon, her signature event, before suffering a disqualification on the 800 leg due to a line violation a break.

With 48 hours to compose herself, Dumas returned with a brilliant effort in the girls’ 110 hurdles on Saturday, winning in 14.27 to set both a personal best and a meet record.

“You can’t change the past. So I was really focused on today and I had redemption on my mind,” Dumas said. “I think if today didn’t go well, it would be a different (feeling). But I’m really happy to have come back and accomplished this.

Peabody junior Alex Jackson continued his season-long dominance in the throwing events with victories Saturday in the shot put (61 feet, 5 inches) and discus throw (173 feet, 6 inches) .

For Jackson, who also won the shot put and shot put at the indoor meet of champions in February, the statewide competition brings added pressure — and he’s feeling his best performances.

“There’s definitely more adrenaline than usual,” Jackson said. “I can feel the stakes, but that just means I have to focus on my form, and the rest follows.”

Pembroke senior Sarah Claflin (11:79) broke a 37-year-old meet record in the women’s 100 meters, set in 1987 by Tasha Downing of Boston Technical (since renamed O’Bryant School).

After setting a personal best last week in a winning effort at the Division 4 meet (11:82), Claflin was confident she could surpass her best time again on Saturday.

“With that big PR last week, I really knew I was going in that direction (to set the record),” UConn-bound Claflin said. “I felt like I made a lot of progress this year…I think my strength really developed, and allowed me to be a lot more powerful in my acceleration and stand-up phase. I reach my top speed faster.

MIAA Meet of Champions

BOYS

at Fitchburg State University

100m — 1. Lucas Andrade, Brockton, 0:10.67; 2. Daniel Killian, Winchester, 0:10.76; 3. Mekhi White, Randolph, 0:10.87.

110m hurdles – 1. Ryan Kyle, Westford, 0:14.1; 2. Zakai Perkins, Milton, 0:14.45; 3. Khai Yin, Lowell, 0:14.46.

200m — 1. Dmitrius Shearrion, Taunton, 0:21.45; 2. Nico Begic, Lincoln-Sudbury, 0:21.59; 3. Max Deane, Boston Latin, 0:21.68.

400m — 1. Nico Begic, Lincoln-Sudbury, 0:48.59; 2. Mitchell Kisgen, Xaverian, 0:48.76; 3. Cristian Reinoso, Lawrence, 0:49.05.

400m hurdles — 1. Jarred Mighty, Brockton, 0:54.87; 2. Ryan Kyle, Westford, 0:55.08; 3. John Ryan, Central Catholic, 0:55.71.

800m — 1. Dylan Brenn, Wachusett, 1:54.34; 2. Logan Walsh, Ludlow, 1:54.81; 3. Ben Tavares, Weston, 1:55.12.

Thousand — 1. Paul Bergeron, Westford, 4:07.98; 2. Chris Larnard, BC High School, 4:09.09; 3. Jack Graffeo, Westford, 4:09.8.

2 miles — 1. Paul Bergeron, Westford, 8:43.86; 2. Jack Graffeo, Westford, 8:52.76; 3. Adam Balewicz, Nashoba, 8:56.95.

4 x 100 — 1. Pembroke, 0:41.89; 2. Milton, 0:42.08; 3. North Andover, 0:42.32.

4 x 400 — 1. Newton North, 3: 20.08; 2. Acton-Boxborough, 3:20.35; 3. Needham, 3:20.65.

4 x 800 – 1. Brookline, 7: 49.2; 2. Lowell, 7:50.29; 3. Newton South, 7:54.83.

High jump – 1. Antonio Adams, Westfield, 6 feet 8 inches; 2. Miles Lipka, Algonquin, 6-6; 3. Derek Shimer, Shrewsbury, 6-6.

Long jump — 1. Antonio Wiafe, St. John’s (Shrewsbury), 23 feet 5 inches; 2. Christopher Adamchek, Acton-Boxborough, 10-8:75 a.m.; 3. Chamberlain Guthrie Jr., Mansfield, 22-7.

Pole vault – 1. Sawyer O’Riorden, Nashoba, 14 feet 6 inches; 2. Daniel Vélez, Westborough, 14-0; 3. Christophe Démétros, Bromfield, 14-0.

Triple jump – 1. Matthew Acquah, Natick, 47 feet 4.5 inches; 2. Calvary Jamoko, Grafton, 45-0; 3. Kenny Jean Michel, Taunton, 44-8.5.

Discus — 1. Alex Jackson, Peabody, 173 feet 6 inches; 2. Parker Rogers, Marlborough, 170-8; 3. Logan Alfandari, Amherst-Pelham, 168-2.

Javelin — 1. Matthew St. Cyr, Walpole, 191 feet 10 inches; 2. Hunter Corthell, Minnechaug, 180-9; 3. Russell Perryman, Hopkinton, 178-9.

Pentathlon — 1. Aithan Bezanson, St. John’s Prep, 3,519 points; 2. Antonio Wiafe, St. John’s (Shrewsbury), 3419; 3. Lincoln Massaro, St. John’s Prep, 3312.

MIAA Meet of Champions

GIRLS

at Fitchburg State University

100m — 1. Sarah Claflin, Pembroke, 0:11.79; 2. Nina Kyei-Aboagye, Sharon, 0:11.89; 3. Lauren Quarm, Methuen, 0:11.92.

100m hurdles — 1. Sarah Dumas, Franklin, 0:14.27; 2. Olivia LaBelle, Algonquin, 0:14.67; 3. Mia Lee-Bowens, Middleborough, 0:14.82.

200m — 1. Nina Kyei-Aboagye, Sharon, 0:23.97; 2. Sarah Claflin, Pembroke, 0:24.47; 3. Abby Desmarais, Framingham, 0:24.6.

400 m — 1. Giuliana Ligor, Reading North, 0:55.62; 2. Moriah Luetjen, Amherst-Pelham, 0:55.74; 3. Morgan Hayward, Apponequet, 0:56.23.

400m hurdles — 1. Giuliana Ligor, North Reading, 0:58.97; 2. Nicole Gangi, Woburn, 1:01.14; 3. Avery Glidden, Whitinsville Christian, 1:01.25.

800m — 1. Abigail Hennessy, Westford, 2:11.15; 2. Sasha Lamakina, Framingham, 2:12.94; 3. Emily Frawley, Newton South, 2:12.98.

Thousand — 1. Abigail Hennessy, Westford, 4:48.53; 2. Charlotte Tuxbury, Wellesley, 4:51,13; 3. Dana Lehr, Belmont, 4:57.

2 miles – 1. Dana Lehr, Belmont, 10:36.51; 2. Greta Hammer, Needham, 10:39.9; 3. Sophia Juanes Seto, Cambridge, 10: 39.99.

4 x 100 — 1. Algonquin, 0:48.74; 2. Oliver Ames, 0:49.07; 3. Reading, 0:49.45.

4 x 400 — 1. Framingham, 3:54.44; 2. Woburn, 3:57.03; 3. Lowell, 3:57.5.

4 x 800 – 1. Brookline, 9: 11.52; 2. Wellesley, 9:12.71; 3. Newton South, 9:22.92.

High jump – 1. Haley McCormack, Tantasqua, 5 feet 8 inches; 2. Katie Caraco, reading, 5-6; 3. Macy Daigle, Central Catholic, 5-6.

Long jump — 1. Gabrielle Pierre, Lincoln-Sudbury, 19 feet 7.75 inches; 2. Lavender Kozaka, Oliver Ames, 19-2.25; 3. Sarah Claflin, Pembroke, 6-11:25 a.m.

Pole vault – 1. Erin Moran, Arlington, 11 feet 6 inches; 2. Katelyn Atkins, Lexington, 11-6; 3. Emerson Gould, Acton-Boxborough, 11-6.

Triple jump — 1. Gabrielle Pierre, Lincoln-Sudbury, 40 feet 10 inches; 2. Liliana MacDonald, Norwell, 37-11.25; 3. Katie Caraco, Reading, 37-10.

Shot put – 1. Elena Chaplin, Ludlow, 43 feet 1.75 inches; 2. Skye Petrie-Cameron, Newton North, 42-10; 3. Madeline Gonçalves, Haverhill, 41-7.

Discus — 1. Sophia Axelrod, Walpole, 134 feet 7 inches; 2. Lily Deforge, Franklin, 123-4; 3. Caroline Herlihy, Winchester, 120-0.

Javelin — 1. Maya Ashu, Stoughton, 135 feet 7 inches; 2. Alessandra Forgione, Peabody, 132-7; 3. Elizabeth Hopkins, Franklin, 130-5.

Pentathlon — 1. Nyrah Joseph, Billerica, 3378 points; 2. Hayden MacLellan, Reading North, 3100; 3. Allison Flynn, Archbishop Williams, 3051.

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Matty Wasserman can be contacted at [email protected]. follow him @Matty_Wasserman.