Fri, Mar 04, 2011
05:00 PM @
Andover
| Team |
Total |
| Salem |
- |
| Andover |
- |
Favorite Fedrick finishes third at New Englands
- Currently 0.0 with 0 votes.
-
1
-
2
-
3
-
4
-
5
Saturday, March, 05
By Christopher Smith
Staff writer
BOSTON — Salem junior football and track standout Jerickson Fedrick ran the fastest schoolboy 55 meters in New England this winter with his 6.39 to win Division 1 States.
So he entered yesterday's New England Championships the favorite, but he also had not competed in a race since States on Feb. 13.
The 19-day layoff seemed to hurt him a little.
Fedrick finished third in the 55 meter with a time of 6.50.
"I'm so disappointed," he said. "I wish we could run the race again."
Fred Gobewole a senior from Shea in Rhode Island won (6.44). Donarth Thompson of Bulkeley in Connecticut came in second place (6.46).
"I guess I wasn't where I was suppose to be," said Fedrick, who added that he trained with his team every other day in preparation for New Englands. "I definitely could have performed better — a lot better actually. I just didn't want to end the track season like this. There's just a lot of room for improvement, I guess. I've got to start over.
"I definitely improved from last year, so I'm happy about that," he added. "But there's room for improvement."
Fedrick said one of the main reasons he originally joined track was to help get himself into better shape for football. He is a running back who has rushed for 2,767 yards already in his career.
One thing is for certain though — Fedrick is not just a star football player. He also has developed into a star runner and one of the most elite sprinters all-time locally.
Fedrick's 6.39 compares to the region's two other great sprinters of the modern era: Andover's Christopher McConnell, who set a state record of 6.34 in 2009 and North Andover All-State champ Larry Elizalde, who ran a 6.41 in 1991.
Fedrick is open to running track in addition to playing football.
"Definitely," he said. "I love track, too, as well as I love football."
Fedrick is being recruited by colleges for both football and track. He estimated that he has received more than 100 recruitment letters.
LAVALLEE HEADED TO UNH
Sanborn senior Ginny Lavallee came in sixth in the 55 meter hurdles (8.56).
"I wanted to do better but I am proud of getting this far," she said about her sixth-place finish.
Lavallee recently gave her verbal commitment to run track at UNH.
She said she was offered a $22,000 per year athletic scholarship there.
"I'm very excited," she said. "The coaches are very good. I'm not sure what they're going to have me run but I definitely know I'm staying in the hurdles.
"The (UNH) started out offering $15,000, but I set the state record at the state meet so they gave me 22 after that," she added.
Lavallee said her PR is 8.41 in the 55 hurdles.
Lavallee started track in the sixth grade and has been competing in the hurdles ever since then.
FORMER LEFT WINGER TAKES FIFTH
Methuen's Cameron Kelley earned a fifth-place finish (2:33.82) in the 1,000.
Kelley, who will run track next year at UMass Lowell, actually grew up playing hockey and had planned to play high school hockey.
"I was a hockey player all the way up until high school," he said. "I joined cross country to get in shape for hockey and I had a really successful freshmen season so I just kept with it and did winter track (instead of trying out for hockey)."
Kelley, who played left wing, said he occasionally misses hockey.
"But I made the right choice," he said.
In his free time, Kelley refs youth hockey games. He said he refs about two games per week on average.
SALLEY LEAPS TO THIRD
Andover's Jess Salley took third in the high jump (5-5).
Salley, who wants to do track and field in college, has applied to three schools: the University of Richmond, Stonehill College and UNH.
"This is the first New Englands that I competed for indoor," she said. "I went into the season with an open mind hoping I would do well as a senior and it was great to be on the podium. It was awesome. It's one of those things I will remember for a long time."
Game Statistics:
Winners and area placers:
New England Girls Championships
Winners and area placers:
55 meter dash: 1 Mollie Gribbin (So. Burlngton, Vt.) 7.18; 300: 1.
Rebecca Robinson (Arlington) 39.08; 5. Eve Bishop (Andover) 41.03; 600:
1. Paris Taft (Career, Conn.) 1:33.96; 1,000: 1. Sarah Gillespie
(Northwest Catholic, Conn.) 2:55.37; Mile: 1. Kathy O’Keefe (Newton
South) 4:54.82; 2-Mile: 1. Aisha McAdams (North Kingstown, R.I.)
10:42.3; 55 hurdles: 1. Vanessa Clerveaux (Brockton) 8.20; 6. Ginny
Lavallee (Sanborn) 8.56; 4x800: 1. Lincoln-Sudbury (9:13.72); 6.
Central Catholic (Hannah Carey, Danielle Goglia, Lanie Jowett,
Nicolette Pelrine) 9:35.81; 4x200: 1. Windsor, Conn. 1:43.98; 4x400: 1.
Bloomfield, Conn. 3:56.17; HJ: 1. Kristen McDonagh (Mansfield) 5-7; 3.
Jess Salley (Andover) 5-5; LJ: 1. Maya Walton (Danbury, Conn.) 18-5.25
SP: 1. Lauren Duggan (Norwood) 40-11 1/4
