By Roger Brown
MaxPreps.com
Each year the Meet of Champions gives some of the state's lesser-known track and field athletes a chance to compete against those who regularly make headlines, but two familiar names dominated last Saturday's event at the University of New Hampshire.
Lebanon junior Anna Cioffredi won three events, and Merrimack's Gabe Dano posted two individual victories.
Cioffredi, who collected three first-place finishes and ran a leg on her team's victorious 4x400 relay team at the Class I meet last month, prevailed in the 100-meter run (12.77 seconds), the 200 (25.55) and the 400 (56.19).
Dano won the 100 and the 200 at this year's Class L meet, and also finished first in those events at the Meet of Champions. He finished the 100 in 11.25, and completed the 200 in 22.21.
The top six finishers in each event at the Meet of Champions qualified for the New England Regionals at Fitchburg (Mass.) State College next weekend.
Other Highlights:
* Pinkerton Academy senior Camille Quarles set a state record by clearing 40 feet in the triple jump. That broke the record set by Bishop Guertin's Ellen Powers at this year's Class L meet.
"That was my goal from the beginning of the year - to jump 40 feet," Quarles said.
Quarles will continue her track and field career at the University of New Hampshire.
* Somersworth junior Danika Ham broke her own state record in the javelin with a throw that traveled 149 feet, 5 inches.
* Merrimack senior Ben Casey won the long jump (21-2.25) and the 110 hurdles (15.12).
Tennis: Sister Act Finishes Unbeaten
Senior Catherine Teague and her younger sister, Margaret, each completed the season undefeated in singles play and then teamed up for a victory in doubles to help top-seeded Manchester Central defeat second-seeded Bishop Guertin, 5-3, in the Class L girls tennis championship.
Central clinched the title when the Teagues beat Lindsey Miller and Mallory Gray at No. 1 doubles.
Catherine beat Miller, 8-4, at No. 1 singles; and Margaret, a freshman, posted an 8-1 triumph over Sharry Joqinpalli at No. 2 singles.
Top-seeded Concord beat second-seeded Manchester West, 5-2, to win the Class L boys title. It was Concord's ninth championship in the last 10 years.
No. 1 Will Hartigan, No. 2 Alex Pince, No. 3 Ed Lee and No. 6 Austin Scott posted singles victories for Concord, which sealed the victory when Hartigan and Pince teamed up to defeat Courtney Mountfield and C.J. Beck, 8-1, in No. 1 doubles.
The Portsmouth boys and Hanover girls won the Class I championships.
Top-seeded Portsmouth completed its season with a 17-0 record by beating third-seeded Souhegan, 5-4, at Concord's Memorial Field. Souhegan (14-3) was the only team that won more than three matches against Portsmouth this season.
It was Portsmouth's first state championship in boys tennis since 1979, when the Clippers won the second of back-to-back Class L championships.
"It's all about the kids and an experience they'll all treasure," Portsmouth coach Dana Levenson said.
Second-seeded Hanover swept all three doubles matches to defeat top-seeded St. Thomas, 6-3. Hanover, which also won the Class I title in 2005, completed its season with a 17-0 record.
The pairing of Regan Dewhirst and Natalie Donnelly secured the victory by beating Bacall Brooks and Kim Greenwood, 8-3, at No. 2 doubles.
"We've been working on doubles since day one, and we were confident," Hanover coach Glen Eastridge said.
St. Thomas finished 16-1. The Saints had never won a postseason match before this season.
Lacrosse: Championship Pairings Finalized
Boys and girls lacrosse championships will be decided in each of the state's three divisions this week. The matchups:
Division I boys: No. 1 Hanover (15-1) vs. No. 2 Bishop Guertin (14-1) on Wednesday (7 p.m.) at Nashua's Stellos Stadium.
Division II boys: No. 1 St. Thomas (13-1) vs. No. 3 Bow (12-2) on Wednesday (5 p.m.) at Nashua's Stellos Stadium.
Division III boys: No. 3 Portsmouth (15-2) vs. No. 4 Merrimack Valley (14-3) on Tuesday (7 p.m.) at Nashua's Stellos Stadium.
Division I girls: No. 2 Souhegan (15-1) vs. No. 4 Nashua South (12-5) on Tuesday (7 p.m.) at Manchester Memorial Field.
Division II girls: No. 1 Bow (14-1) vs. No. 2 Hanover (12-1) on Wednesday (7 p.m.) at Manchester Memorial Field.
Division III girls: No. 1 Portsmouth (15-0) vs. No. 2 Hollis-Brookline (13-1) on Tuesday (5 p.m.) at Manchester Memorial Field.
