OR track preps for MIAA divisional meet

The Old Rochester Bulldogs will be competing at the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletics Association divisional track meet on June 17 and 19, where junior Jennifer Williams will be an athlete to look out for.

She’ll be competing in the high jump, 100-meter hurdles and 4x400-meter relay on Saturday, and looks to make it to the All-State meet, which takes the top-three athletes in each event at divisionals.

“I haven’t been a part of that, but it’s one of my biggest dreams of all time,” Williams said.

And she’s well on her way, having tied for first in the high jump and won the 100 hurdles and long jump at the South Coast Conference championships last week.

Coach and Athletic Director Bill Tilden said Williams would have competed in the long jump at divisionals too, but the event conflicts with the high jump.

“It’s definitely gonna be a really challenging meet,” Williams said.

On top of working to make the All-State meet in the hurdles and high jump, Williams is slated to be on a 4x400-meter relay that Tilden says has a chance of breaking the school record: 4:06.

“The thing is we haven’t really stacked a 4x4,” Tilden said.

This time, Tilden said the 4x400 relay will feature the team’s best runners: Williams, Emma Carrol, Maggie Brogioli and Julia Sheridan. He said he thinks they can run 4:06.

Because OR hasn’t yet put forth a best effort in the event, the team’s seed time will leave them with little competition in their heat.

“So we’re gonna have to do it ourselves in a slower heat,” Tilden said.

The meet will be held at Notre Dame Academy in Hingham. Distance events and the javelin will compete on June 17, and other throwing events, jumps and sprints will compete on June 19.