Last weekend, Westfield competed at the New Balance Indoor Nationals, finishing its impressive season with three All-American relays. In the distance medley relay, Westfield placed sixth with a time of 10:12. The 4xmile and the 4×800 finished sixth as well, running 17:52 and 7:50, respectively.
“The boys showed up,” said head coach Chris Tafelski, when describing the team’s performance. It was a fitting end to a season in which Westfield won counties, sectionals, and an impressive Group 4 state championship.
At counties, Westfield put up a total of 83 points. The team saw impressive performances from Johnny Scalia, Liam Maurillo and Jimmy Gildea, who all ran under two minutes in the 800. However, Westfield was just getting started, scoring 93 points in the sectional meet. This dominant performance highlighted the strength of Westfield in numbers, seeing contributions from nearly every event. In total, Westfield had 15 point-scorers, an unprecedented number at a championship meet.
That’s something Tafelski is very proud of: “We are a complete track and field team. There are a lot of teams out there that are very good in a few event areas. But we have depth and have the ability to do damage in a lot of different areas.”
At the Group 4 state championship, Westfield narrowly eclipsed Union for the team title, winning by just two points. The Blue Devils were led by three sub-4:20 runners in the 1600. Westfield’s showing at the Meet of Champions was highlighted by junior Avery Keith setting the new 3200 WHS record with a time of 9:09. In a race filled with New Jersey’s best runners, Keith was right at home battling for the fourth spot.
As a result, Westfield will turn its sights to the spring season where it will look to build on the momentum from the winter. If this season is any indication of what Westfield can do in the spring, then the Blue Devils are just getting started.
