WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. – Coming off All-New England performances in the 100 and 200 meters at last weekend's New England Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships, senior John Boisette (East Hartford) has continued his standout running at this weekend's New England Open Championships.
Competing on the same track as last weekend's Division III Championships, Boisette has advanced to Saturday's final at both 100 and 200 meters at the New England Open at the Lee Track & Field Complex at Weston Field on the campus of Williams College.
Friday, Boisette set personal best times by winning his heat of the 200 (21.90) and squeezing into the eighth and final qualifying spot in the 100 (10.83). He is the only Division III athlete to qualify for the finals of the 200 and one of only two in the 100.
Boisette posted the ninth best time in the 200 qualifier but advanced by virtue of winning his heat by .01 over Brandon Allen of the University of New Hampshire. He was third in his heat in the 100.
By advancing, Boisette is guaranteed of All-New England status in both events. Last weekend, he was sixth in the 100 (10.89) and seventh in the 200 (22.01) at the New England Division III Championships.
Also scheduled to compete Saturday is the men's 4x800 relay, which set a program record of 8:01.44 at last weekend's meet. The relay of senior Greg Schroeder (Wethersfield), freshman Zach Parisella (Hamden), junior Cooper Goslin (South Windsor) and senior tri-captain Mike Underwood (Farmington).
Senior tri-captain Lawrence McGill (New Haven), junior Nick Afragola (Killingworth), and freshman Ahriyan Brown (New Britain) also competed in qualifying events Friday, but did not advance to Saturday's final. McGill finished third in his heat of the 400 with a PR of 49.16 (13th fastest time in a field of 29), which was the third-fastest time among 12 Division III athletes.
Afragola had the 15th-best time among 29 in the 200 (22.07) and 25th best time in the 100 (11.05) in a field of 32. Brown posted the 28th fastest time in a field of 31 in the 200 (26.15).
