Winning a sectional championship is a major accomplishment for any team. However, when that win is the first in school history, it becomes more than a wooden trophy or a number on a banner. On Feb. 16, the Blue Devils not only won the North 2, Group 4 sectional championship for the first time, but they made their mark on history.
To kick off the day, the distance girls took command of the track in the 1600-meter race. Senior and Bucknell University commit Anna Kylish started off her historic day with a 5 minute and 17.75 second finish, placing second in the event. Closely behind her followed senior Olivia Thornton, who secured sixth place with a time of 5:21.36. Their combined nine points gave the Blue Devils an early rush of confidence to start off the meet strong.
On the straightaway, it was time for the sprinters to keep the Blue Devils’ momentum going. Senior Lilly Petrie and freshmen Lidia Wright teamed up in the 55-meter hurdle final and secured fourth and fifth place for the girls. Their times of 8.61 and 8.73 were also enough to get the team a total of six points and was a good sign for the sprinters going forward.
Despite a second place finish in the 1600, Kylish’s work was nowhere near finished. From the moment the gun fired, Kylish led the 800 and never looked back. She not only sprinted to a 2:24.87 in the event, but was crowned the 800-meter sectional champion. After her win, Kylish remarked how scoring eight points for her team was “incredibly rewarding.” She also noted that “we all put in so much effort to compete, and I was so grateful to contribute to our victory and give it my best.”
However, the Blue Devils dominance of the track didn’t stop there. In the 3200, sophomores Anna Youssef and Jessica Zhou set a fast pace and kept it for the remainder of the 16 laps. Youssef’s 11:48.82 rewarded her a crucial eight points while Zhou’s 12:27.60 was enough for a sixth place finish and one point.
However, championships are not just won on the track. After only practicing the high jump for one week at WHS, Wright defeated all odds and captured a second place finish and eight points with a final jump of 5 feet. Senior Kyra Lentzner dominated the pole vault and placed first with a jump of 8-0.
On the throwing side, seniors Livia Reyes, Ashley Cunningham and Quinlan Doherty threw the shot put to distances of 34-1 1/2, 33-7 and 31-2 1/2 respectively. Their efforts placed them second, third and fifth, gathering a much-needed 15 points for Westfield.
As the final event of the day rolled around, victory was almost guaranteed. However, the Blue Devils are not the kind of team to back down. The 4×400 meter relay was simply the cherry on top to a seemingly perfect day. Senior Alexis Ray, junior Maya Nair, Wright and Kylish zoomed to a 4:11.58 final time and a second place finish as a team.
After all of the day’s efforts were tallied, the Blue Devils had won by 28 points over second place Elizabeth, exceeding everyone’s expectations. “Winning outdoor sectionals was such a big deal for all of us and it was great to win again and make school history twice in a row,” said Petrie after the meet. “It was a really great moment for the team.”
However, what made this win all the more special was the years of disappointment that preceded the victory. Back in 2024, Westfield lost to Ridge by a heartbreaking five points. Even before that, the Blue Devils had always just fallen short of victory. “We have had some close [losses] over the years that didn’t quite go away, so to have this [meet] really going in our favor and busting through that door is just awesome,” said head coach Joseph Berardi.
The Blue Devils not only dominated the day, but warned the rest of the state what is to be expected in the Group 4 championships on Feb. 23.
