Chelsea High’s track and field program earned recognition this past weekend at the Division 2 state meet held at New Bedford Vocational Tech. Senior Ricky Maldonado, who was named the Most Valuable Performer in the Commonwealth Athletic Conference this past season, competed in the high jump and secured a medal with an eighth place finish, contributing a point to Chelsea High’s team total.
Maldonado cleared the bar at 5′-10″
to take the eighth spot. Medals are awarded in each event to the top eight finishers, who also earn points toward their team’s total. According to CHS head coach Don Fay,
“Ricky had a couple of good attempts at 6′-0″, but didn’t quite make it.” The talented senior will continue his athletic career next year at UMass-Boston, where he will be competing on the track and field team.
Girls 4 x 100 relay team narrowly misses medal; sets new CHS record
At the Division 4 State Meet, the Chelsea High girls 4 x 100 relay team came tantalizingly close to earning a medal. The quartet of sophomore Katherine Cabral, senior Joana Arevalo, senior Sarah Bourouis, and sophomore Mariama Kamara finished ninth overall, missing the top eight by just 0.04 seconds despite being seeded 16th. Their time of 51.76 not only fell short of a medal but also shattered the previous Chelsea High School record by over a second.
Individual performances were also noteworthy. Kamara posted a season-best 13.00 in the 100 meter dash for 11th place, while Bourouis recorded a personal best of 27.00 in the 200 meter dash to finish 13th. Bourouis also competed in the 100 dash, clocking 13.36 for 18th place.
CHS head coach Kimhuffer reflected on the meet:
“I’m proud of the girls’ performances at the state meet. The girls prepared well and gave a 100% effort on the track. The 4×100 relay team remained poised and posted an amazing time. Although we will say goodbye to the seniors, I’m looking forward to where this team will grow and improve next season.”