Philip Penza, Xaverian
		Penza's Xaverian team made Newton North sweat for a state championship many thought the Tigers win easily. In both the Division 1 and All-State meets, the Hawks took Newton North to the wire in the relays, losing by slim margins. Penza led Xaverian to a strong showing in the New Englands, where the 4 x 800 (8:05.79) and 4 x 400 (3.26.01) teams won their respective championships. Xaverian went 7-0-0 in the Catholic Conference this season. In his five years at Xaverian, Penza's teams have gone 24-4-0. He is also an assistant football coach at Xaverian. Penza is a 1967 graduate of the school and is a 1971 graduate of Boston College. He enjoys weightlifting, running, and skiing. He attributed his team's success this year to "great team senior leadership. There were no egos on a group which fulfilled all that was asked of them."

Chris Barnicle, Newton North
		You know there's something special going on when a coach has to practically beg his athlete not to annihilate school records just to keep him fresh. At the All-State meet, Newton North coach Jim Blackburn convinced Barnicle to "take it easy" in his bread-and-butter 2-mile event so Barnicle could be fresh for his leg of the 4 x 800 relay. Instead, Barnicle ran hard and broke the record by more than 16 seconds, running 9 minutes 1.45 seconds. Barnicle came back an hour later and helped the 4 x 800 squad win and secure Newton North's second consecutive title. He is the New England record-holder in the 2-mile and finished sixth at the Foot Locker National Cross-Country Championships. Barnicle will attend Arkansas.

Courtney Evans, Milton  LONG JUMP
		After Evans lost the long jump All-State championship in the outdoor season last spring by an inch, he came back this indoor season and was the clearly the class of the state. His season-best jump came at the All-State meet, where he jumped 22 feet 10 inches. A week before, Evans had a best leap of 22-1 to capture the Division 3 meet crown. Evans is also an accomplished sprinter, having taken home third place in the 100 meters in the Division 3 outdoor meet last spring. The 5-10 senior will be attending Rhode Island or Connecticut in the fall.

Brian Gagnon, Lowell  1,000
		Gagnon had big shoes to fill as the state's top 1,000-meter runner. All-everything Victor Gras graced this spot last year, but Gagnon more than lived up to the standards set by the former Belmont star. The Lowell senior swept four major meets this season, winning the State Coaches Elite meet (2:33.19), Division 1 (2:30.53), All-State (2:30.06) and New Englands (2:30.35). This season, the 5-foot-9-inch senior was named team MVP and Merrimack Valley Conference MVP. Gagnon has been a part of seven school track records. Between track and cross-country, this is his fourth selection to an All-Scholastic team. Gagnon has narrowed his college choices to Connecticut and Arkansas.

Steve Gerome, Waltham  PENTATHLON
		Gerome staked a claim as best all-around athlete in indoor track this season when he won the pentathlon. In his best event, the long jump, the 5-foot-10-inch senior won the Division 1 long jump championship for the second consecutive year with a best leap of 21 feet 2 inches; he also finished eighth in the 55-meter hurdles. Gerome was the Greater Boston League champion in both the long jump and the high jump. In his sophomore season, he was voted league Rookie of the Year and was named a league all-star. Gerome, who also plays football for Waltham, plans to run track in college and pursue a business degree.

Nate Hunter, Gloucester  SHOT PUT
		There's a simple way to look at Nate Hunter's season: When he entered the Reggie Lewis Center, he won. Hunter went from being one of the most dominating football players in the fall to an unbeatable track star this winter. Hunter's list of accomplishments this season includes wins at the Division 2 meet (56 feet 2 inches), the All-State meet (52-8), and, finally, the New England meet (55-11). In the fall, he played tackle and defensive end for the Fishermen and was named the Northeastern Conference Defensive Player of the Year. An honor roll student, he is a two-time conference football all-star.

Merzudin Ibric, Revere  300
		Ibric made an art of dominating races this season. Ibric, or "Zoom," as he's known to his friends, swept the 300 meters in the big three meets this season, winning the Division 2 (35.18), All-State (35.23), and New England (35.26) titles. He has also solidified his status as the best-ever 300-meter runner in the GBL, setting the league record (35.10) and never losing a race in his career. Ibric also holds the school record in the 400 with a time of 50.93 seconds. The senior also plays soccer and competes with the outdoor track squad. He is currently leaning toward a postgraduate year at Phillips Andover or Phillips Exeter.

Jason Nardella, Brookline  55 HURDLES
		Nardella's junior season was lost to a leg injury which kept him out of the divisional, state, and New England meets. This winter, as a senior, he showed the state what it missed. He won the Division 1 55-meter hurdles (7.54) and the All-State championship (7.69) and finished third at the New England meet with a time of 7.63 seconds. Nardella was also the top hurdler at the State Coaches Elite meet (7.61) and a two-time Bay State Conference All-Star. The 6-foot senior also plays lacrosse (2002-04) and football (2002, 2004) for Brookline. He is an honor roll student and is undecided about his college future. Nardella counts listening to music as his favorite hobby.

Meikle Paschal, Lexington  HIGH JUMP
		Paschal, only a sophomore, is the youngest of the trio of high jumpers on this page, but wasn't fazed by the spotlight when the stakes grew larger as the season progressed. He began the season by winning the Auerbach Freshman/Sophomore crown in the high jump and then took home the high jump title at both the State Coaches Elite meet (6 feet 5 inches) and the Division 1 meet (6-7). He was beaten by the slimmest of margins at the All-State meet when a tiebreaker gave the championship to William Stillman of Xaverian. Paschal also plays football for Lexington. He enjoys running, reading, and playing the video game "Dance Dance Revolution." Paschal hopes to run in college and plans to pursue a degree in psychology.

David Polgar, Newton North  MILE
		Polgar seemed to simply roll off the great Newton North distance runner assembly line last year when he stepped into the Tigers' state champion 4 x 800 realy as a sophomore. Though he'll find his face at the bottom of this page again for the 4 x 800, his individual accomplishments also were of note for the two-time defending champion Newton North. Polgar's wins in the mile at both the Division 1 (4:31.76) and the All-State (4:25.24) were instrumental in the Tigers' slim victories over Xaverian in both meets. Polgar has been a part of four consecutive state team champions, winning two indoor titles, the 2005 cross-country championship, and the 2004 outdoor title.

Johan Rafael, Lawrence  55
		Rafael was Lawrence's linchpin this season. The senior was a consistent point-getter in the major meets. Witness his performance at the Division 1 meet, where won the 55-meter sprint (6.54) and ran the anchor leg in Lawrence's winning 4 x 200 meter relay team (1:33.91). The next week, Rafael shook off a disappointing fifth-place finish in the 55 and rallied the 4 x 200 relay team to the All-State championship. Rafael was also the winner of the 55 meters at the State Coaches Invitational (6.58) and was the top local finisher (fourth) at the New England meet. Rafael enjoys listening to music and taking walks. He hopes to continue his running career in college in the fall.

William Stillman, Xaverian  HIGH JUMP
		Stillman was part of the three-headed monster that dominated the high jump in the state this season. Stillman, along with Meikle Paschal and Marquis Thomas, traded wins at the major meets. Stillman won the All-State meet, jumping 6 feet 7 inches, barely edging Paschal. Stillman was also the fourth-place finisher in the pentathlon. The 6-foot junior is a member of the National Honor Society and also runs outdoor track. In his career at Xaverian, he has earned five varsity letters for the track and soccer teams. Stillman is an Eagle Scout and enjoys hiking in his spare time. He hopes to attend the Naval Academy when he graduates.

Marquis Thomas, Snowden  HIGH JUMP
		Thomas made the switch from basketball to indoor track this winter, hoping to copy his top-class form of last year's outdoor track season, when he won the Boston City League title in the high jump. He did just that and more, winning the city league title, the Division 2 meet (6 feet 5 inches), and the New England championship (6-5). Thomas also took second at the All-State meet to fellow All-Scholastics Bill Stillman and Meikle Paschal. Thomas had played varsity basketball for three years before taking up indoor track. He is the senior class president at Snowden and is undecided about college.

Lawrence  4 x 200

For the second consecutive year, Lawrence was the pick for the 4 x 200 relay. All-Scholastic senior Johan Rafael and junior Enrique Cuesta are back from last year's team, which won both the Division 1 and All-State championship. This year Cuesta and Rafael were aided by juniors Raymond Targbe and Eroby Hiraldo and senior Jonathan Speing and the results were on par with last year. Lawrence won the Division 1 (1:31.91) and the All-State titles (1:31.93) and came in third in the New Englands (1:31.42). At the Dartmouth Relays, the Lancers set the meet record, running 1:34.27. Losing Rafael, an accomplished sprinter, will be difficult. However, Targbe finished second to Rafael at the Division 1 meet in the 55 sprint, giving Lawrence hope for next season. Speing will be participating in the Junior Olympics in the summer and will attend UMass in the fall and will be majoring in psychology. Hiraldo was the Lawrence football team MVP and an honorable mention Merrimack Valley Conference selection. Targbe is also a member of the football team and voted the team's most improved player. Cuesta competes with the Merrimack Valley Striders in the offseason.

Newton North  4 x 400

The 4 x 400 relay is the last event run at an MIAA divisional and state meet. For two consecutive weeks, Newton North's hopes of both a divisional and state championship came down to the 4 x 400 relay and its team delivered. Holding off charges from Xaverian in both the Division 1 meet (3:27.00) and the All-State (3:27.28) meet, the team of David Silfer, Anthony Ambrosi, Thomas Foote, and Jed Carpenter literally won the championships for the Tigers. For the season, the team was undefeated. Carpenter was the unheralded engine that kept the Newton North machine humming. His coach, Jim Blackburn, said after winning the Division 1 meet that, "you can't win championships without guys like Jed." Take away the points he earned from his second-place finish in the 600 and third-place finish in the high jump, and the Tigers would not have won the Division 1 title. Ambrosi, a junior, will be back next season. Carpenter, Silfer, and Foote are all undecided about college.

Newton North  4 x 800

Whenever the building-block runners of a relay team are, perhaps, the two best distance runners in the state, the team's chances to be great rise precipitously. Built on the backs of Chris Barnicle and David Polgar, the state's best 2-miler and miler, respectively, Newton North swept through the State Coaches Elite meet (8:15.64), Division 1 (8:06.1), and All-State (8:07.37) meets. The other two members of the team, Evan Morse and Noah Jampol, are no slouches: Morse is a Bay State Conference All-Star and Jampol is an accomplished cross-country runner for the state champion Tigers. Jampol, a junior, is an honors student who hopes to run for an Ivy League school when he graduates. He counts watching the Red Sox and playing Ping Pong and tennis as his hobbies. Polgar, also a junior, will be back next season to help the Tigers try to win their fourth championship in five years. Barnicle has verbally commited to Arkansas and Morse is undecided.

ATLANTIC COAST: Corey Amaral, Mashpee; Eric Ashe, Brandan Daley, Caleb Fall, Brandon Josselyn, and Jeff Moreau, Whitman-Hanson; Alex Boris, Robby Jaegar, Matt Makein, Rafael Miranda, and Andrew O'Donnell, Plymouth North; Tom Dacey, Justin Ladner, Rory McGuire amd Mike Stone, Falmouth; Alex Jorgenson and Anthony Walsh, Quincy-No. Quincy; Ryan Nolette and Shane Paull, Plymouth South; Payton Preston, Dennis-Yarmouth.

BAY STATE: Justin Lutz and Chris O'Day, Braintree; Jason Nardella, Matt Stewart, and Roman Zarakhovsky, Brookline; Rex Radloff and Dan Withrow, Dedham; Courtney Evans, Milton; Mark Anderson, Mike Laurence, Brandon Lovelace, and Dave Taylor, Natick; Anthony Ambrosi, Chris Barnicle, Doug Brecher, Jed Carpenter, Dan Chebot, Tim Columba, Thomas Foote, Evan Morse, David Polgar, and David Slifer, Newton North; Mike Zampi, Weymouth; James Mwangi, Weymouth.

BIG THREE: Jeff Lopes, Jon Medeiros, Ross Roballo, Jason DeConti, and Stefan Gomes, New Bedford; Keon Valcourt, Evans Jacques, Kevin Gill, Brandon Thorpe, Jules Guerrier, David Lopes, and Geovani Timberlake, Brockton; Raymond Devarie, Durfee.

BOSTON: Phillip Zambrolini, Latin Academy; Jorid Poreci, South Boston; Bruno Pizzarolo, Ruben Sanca, and Kelechi Omigbo, O'Bryant; Jermaine Bell, Brighton; Gary Elliot, James Caldwell, and Angel Lacourt, Madison Park; Marquis Thomas, Snowden.

EASTERN ATHLETIC: Kyle Spieler, Matthew Brousseau, Matthew Gulino, Tyler Hathaway, James Pelletier, Kyle Bouley, and Adam Austin, Attleboro; Michael Pierce, Somerset; Eric Fullerton, Daniel Espinosa, Ronald Conway, Christopher Rizzo, Colin Rand, and Nicholas Messinger, Bishop Feehan; Keith Rowe, Coyle-Cassidy; Todd Protami, Dartmouth.

HOCKOMOCK: Adrian Li and Nate Sharpe, Canton; David Lint, Fjodor Melnikov, David Robbins, and Chris Sawin, Foxboro; Adam Derfelt, Franklin; Kevin Lechak, King Philip; Joe Antonucci, Ryan Collins, Jeremy Langton, Matt Meagher, Mansfield; Aaron Fears, North Attleboro; Steve Marsh and Matt Zussman, Oliver Ames; Dan Darcy, Sharon; Anthony Steele and Guillaume Thevenin, Stoughton.

MERRIMACK VALLEY: Robert Kaufman, Andover; Kevin Ianetta and Peter Fortunato, Tewksbury; Raymond Targbe and Johan Rafael, Lawrence; Andrew Grange, Chris Valence, Brian Ford, Zack Perron, Robert Caulk, and Juan Calixto, Central Catholic; Chris Forbes and Cory Murray, Methuen; Pat Martin, Kyle Schermerhorn, David D'Urbano, Brian Gagnon, Steven Iem, and John Gallagher, Lowell.

MIDDLESEX: Steve Barnard, Adam Burt, Jenkin Pang, Jesse Fuller, Matt Tirrell, and Greg Nelson, Burlington; Jon Cunha, Paul Morris, Willi Ballenthin, Bryan Longo, and Meikle Paschal, Lexington; Eugene Hill and Sean Driscoll, Melrose; AJ Cann, Jon Gregorowicz, Ian O'Leary, Hunter Wright, Kev Debenedetto, Dan Finigan, Lindsey Gamble, and Sam Horn, Reading; Kyle Ingersoll, Andrew Leahy, Rich O'Donnell, Joe Staub, and Anthony Sacco, Stoneham; Marc Fiore and Adam Kuks, Wakefield; John Carver-Gustin, Watertown; Justin LaLiberte and Paul Richard, Winchester; Mark Johnson and Rashed Miles-Terrell, Woburn.

SOUTH COAST: Brandon Arbec, Fairhaven; Nick Ferreira, Case; Mike Pimental, Brad Charpentier, J.D. Beaulieu, Seekonk; Matt Magal, Apponequet; Jon Orander, Wareham; Enrique Monteiro, Greater New Bedford; Zach Stebbings, D-R.

TRI-COUNTY: Chris Maranelli, BC High; Richard Johnson, Brockton; Dave Katzman and Sam Whitney, St. John's Prep; Marc Amirault, Zack Asack, Alec Bleday, Chris Fox, Dan Higgins, Abu Irahim, Chris Kennedy, Ryan Keough, Ian MacIsaac, Shane McCarthy, Rich McNeil, Brian Murtagh, Ben O'Connor, Brad Ricketson, and William Stillman, Xaverian; JT Harold and Chris Pedi, Austin Prep; MacKenzie Laine and Wayne Springfield, Cathedral; Ryan McGovern, Cardinal Spellman; Peter Caccavale, Jared Cassagrande, Tim Connor, Tim Halloran, Peter Martinez, Tyler Mayo, Pat McAllister, Tom Miller and Tom Sleeper, Marian.