One feat after another

More than 1,300 athletes from 64 schools competed yesterday in the Massachusetts State Track Coaches Association's 23d Red Auerbach Small Schools Freshman-Sophomore Meet at the Reggie Lewis Center.

A crowd estimated at more than 2,000 watched, cheered, and encouraged the competitors from the packed bleachers. The intensity did wonders for the competitors.

"I try to stay calm and focused," said Hamilton-Wenham sophomore Emily Lanois , who runs cross-country and indoor and outdoor track. "It can be hard if someone is behind me, but I always stay confident because negative thoughts don't do me any good."

Lanois, the defending champion, placed first in the girls' mile with a time of 5:17.02, seven seconds off the meet record set by Marian Birhle of Belmont in 1999.

Lanois is a Globe All-Scholastic and has been the Division 4 Eastern Mass cross-country champion the past two years. She also is the outdoor mile champion and hopes to claim that title once again.

"She's an outstanding runner for her age and an outstanding human being," said Steve Sawyer, Lanois's cross-country coach. "She's also very coachable. She knows how to train by herself and has set personal goals that she hopes to accomplish at the end of the season."

Lanois received the girls' Outstanding Runner Performance Award.

In the boys' high jump, sophomore Trent Baltzell of Sutton posted 6 feet 3 inches, only an inch off the meet record, to claim the win. Zach Zupanick of Foxboro was second at 5-11.

Baltzell was the defending champion. He also runs indoor and outdoor track and competes in the 4x400 relay, and yesterday. he received the Outstanding Field Event Performance Award.

"My older sister did track when she was in sixth grade, so I figured that I'd get into the sport, too," said the 15-year-old Baltzell, who is 6-3. "I actually played basketball in middle school, but when I started track, I realized how well I did in high jump, I knew that I had to pursue it more."

Sutton teacher Jan Boulé has known Baltzell since sixth grade.

"Trent is a very well-mannered gentleman and he is an asset to every team he's been on," said Boulé. "He's a very unassuming natural athlete."

Sophomore Joe Curreri of Oliver Ames received the boys' Outstanding Runner Performance Award for his win in the 1,000 meters. His time of 2:45.53 was only .4 seconds off the meet record set in 2001 by Aaron Reed of Wayland.

Sophomore Hanna Muir of Wellesley received the girls' Outstanding Field Event Performance Award after winning the high jump at 5-1. Last year, she set the meet record at 5-4.