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Andover relayers win New England title

ROXBURY — Disappointed with a second-place finish at All-States, the Andover High 4x400-meter relay team approached the New England Championships with the eye of the tiger.
Natick edged the Blue and Gold last week but Friday night at the Reggie Lewis Center was a different story.
Jeremy Travaglini (51.0 seconds), Sean Caveney (50.7), Ray Gorzela (51.7) and Hamza Naveed (49.6) combined to break the tape in 3:23.49, the fastest time in the Bay State this year, said proud head coach Peter Comeau.
“They were going for it,” said Comeau. “They were gunning it.”
Comeau has called Naveed the greatest anchor to ever run at Andover. He lived up to the high praise once again. Make it twice again.
With stars Sean Caveney and Sebastian Silveira unavailable as they were running the hurdles, the 4x200 team still came up big.
Travaglini, Gorzela, Andrew Lucia and Naveed placed third in 1:31.70.
Those hurdles still made a major impact. Silveira broke his own school record and lost a photo finish for the gold. He was clocked in 7.445 while Kevin Saccone of Old Rochester won in 7.441. Caveney took fifth in 7.68.
It was a huge day locally on the hurdles as Central Catholic senior Jack McInnis had a “Ripley’s Believe it or Not” performance. Running out of lane 7, he placed seventh.
His time? 7.77.
Methuen’s 4x800 team just missed cracking the all-time area honor roll. John St. Hilaire (1:56), Devin Allen (2:00), Fernando Damota (2:02) and Matt Marchand (2:02) finished in 8:01.31 to place fourth.
For his second straight meet, Londonderry senior Starlin Ortiz soared 6-7. He placed third.
Several of the top local athletes have stated they will be heading to nationals at the New York Armory March 13-14.