Last winter, the boys track and field team captured a Group 4 State Championship and competed at the New Balance Indoor Nationals. They come into this season looking to match those accomplishments.
The face of the Blue Devils last year was senior Charlie Stock—currently running for the Virginia Tech Hokies—who finished as one of the top 800 meter runners in the nation last season, also contributing in numerous relays.
This year’s team is one defined by depth. “We’ve got a strong distance team, some top-shelf sprinters and the best returning throwing group that we’ve ever had,” said head coach Chris Tafelski. “Now we just have to focus on staying healthy and getting better.”
The field team will look largely the same, with Westfield’s three top throwers returning: co-captain Owen Paul, senior Jonathan Boufarah and junior Max Romano. Paul cemented himself as one of the best to ever do it during last winter’s Meet of Champions. Paul threw the seventh-furthest distance in Blue Devil History—it was only his first season throwing.
Westfield’s distance squad lost three of its top varsity members last season in Stock, Ben Hacker and Conor Daly. However, the Blue Devils will return several key seniors, and with a historic junior class, the boys will look to add onto their already accomplished tenure. Last winter, junior Avery Keith set a WHS record in the 3200 meter (2 miles) with a time of 9:19.
Senior co-captain Daniel Cortese said, “Our strength is in our depth. Watch out for us in the relays at the state meets and nationals.”
Last spring, the Blue Devils made history in the 4×800, setting numerous records. This season the team will be returning 3 of the 4 members, junior Jimmy Gildea and seniors Liam Maurillo and Johnny Scalia.
Another important contributor for the Blue Devils this season will be senior co-captain Joe Pierro, who will return after helping lead the Blue Devils to victory during last winter’s Group 4 Championship meet. Pierro, the only member returning from the 4×400 relay team of Justin Colby, Charlie Garretson and Stock, the squad clinched the championship for the Blue Devils, running 3:26.
For Head Coach Tafelski, he wants his team to stay focused, “If we stay committed to getting better every day and taking it one meet at a time, we can accomplish some good stuff.” The Blue Devils will look to go back-to-back and capture their seventh Group 4 State Title.
