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WESTFIELD — Through all of his track records and accomplishments, Andover star Christopher McConnell had never earned outdoor All-State track gold.

They've heard the stories, seen the clippings and chased the ghosts.

It was a momentous day for some top local tracksters highlighted by a national title by Andover’s Moira Cronin. The junior has gone higher a few times but she won a pressure-packed jump-off to claim the championship at the New Balance Nationals yesterday in Greensboro, N.C. Her winning height was 5-8 3/4 to edge Chelsea Utley of Virginia, who cleared 5-8 1/2. Cronin won the jump-off by clearing 5-8 on her first try. “It was a terrible day for high jumping and Moira just came through. She was amazing,’’ said coach Peter Comeau. Methuen’s talented distance corps closed out their seasons with a bang, demolishing the five-year-old state record by 17 seconds in the infrequently run 4xmile with a 17:33.79 clocking. Haddonfield, N.J., won the race in 17:20.21. Bishop Guertin of Nashua, led by Windham’s Francis Hernandez, was fourth in the 17:29.35. Andrew Stamatopulos (UMass Lowell) ran a 4.25.2 opening leg, Jared Reddy (UMass Amherst) ran a big 4:20.7 leg then Ranger valedictorian Ben Pare (BC) ran a terrific 4:19.8. Junior Cam Kelley came through with a career best 4:27.3 to bring it home. “They have wanted this for two years,’’ said an overjoyed Methuen assistant Scott Ouellet.  “They knew that 17:50 was out there and they knew they could get it. When we learned they were in the seeded heat that gave them a shot of adrenaline. They knew they could run with those guys.’’ In the 100, Andover’s Christopher McConnell placed 14th in 10.82 while Andover’s 4x200 team of Pat Farnham, McConnell, Troy Cayon and Mark Vetere took fourth in 1:28.23 and Andover vaulter Mark Vetere broke his own school outdoor record with a 15-0 1/4 for 14th. Vetere, his brother Adam Vetere, Kerrick Stevens and Connor O’Neill placed 12th in the 4x400 in 3:18.08, slicing nearly a full second off their area record from earlier in the season. Haverhill’s Rebecca Stabile broke her own area mark with a 63.59 for 23rd in the 400 hurdles and she ran a season best 58.30 to place 22nd in the emerging elite 400. Emerging elite is the unseeded performers. Several locals shined in the emerging elite races. The Andover girls (Kayla Baldwin, Terra Organisciak, Vanessa Singleton, Eve Bishop) were third in the 4x200 in 1:42.30 and Andover’s boys 4x800 was runner-up in 7:57.25 and Eve Bishop was 13th in the 200 in a speedy 25.31, one of the top times ever in the area. North Andover’s Darryl Varney placed 10th in the mile in 4:21.89. Pentucket’s Alanna Poretta had an off day and was 19th in the girls mile in 5:24.30.

The Central girls track and field team took second place at the Massachusetts relays with 44 points. Tewksbury finished in first with 54 points while North Andover came in eighth with 25 points. Ashleigh Marks, Mackenzie Arndt, Melissa Mackey and Katie LaFrance led Central to a victory in the 4x100 hurdles.

Andover set state records in the high jump (Moira Cronin, Jess Salley, Alyssa Cummings) and the pole vault (triple winner Eve Bishop, Cummings, Abbey Pettoruto) and the 4x100 (Terra Organisciak, Vanessa Singleton, Bishop, Kayla Baldwin) mark just has to be verified. That was enough to earn the Blue and Gold a second-place finish at the Division 1 state relays.

Vanessa Singleton won the 400 with an area-best 60.8, Moira Cronin took the high jump and they teamed with Jess Salley and Rae Brokenkant to win the 4x400 as Andover downed Central Catholic 77-68. Kayla Baldwin added a 12.2 in the 100 for the Golden Warriors (5-0), who handed the Raiders their first loss (5-1) of the season.

ANDOVER — Rebecca Stabile cringed when asked if she considered running the 800 meters.
It was if she were asked to give up her Blackberry.
Although the only time she ever ran the 800 she set the school record (2:16.43 this winter), the Haverhill junior has taken to the 400 hurdles.
Stabile ran away with the event yesterday at the 50th annual Collins-McIntyre Andover Boosters meet.
“I love running the 400 hurdles,’’ she said.
Two years ago as a freshman, Stabile ran a 45.86 in the 300 hurdles, which ranks her ninth all-time in the region. Last spring, Massachusetts adopted the longer low hurdles event, but Stabile was sidelined with a painful hip injury.
The 400 meters would be another option for the multi-talented Stabile, whose parents both starred here on the Eugene V. Lovely field track as members of the Golden Warriors.
“The 400 you are thinking about how your body hurts,’’ she said. “In the 400 hurdles, you are thinking about the next hurdle. I think it’s easier. That might be weird.’’
The athletic Stabile clan is noted for its toughness and Rebecca is as tough as they come. That extra 100 meters can be a killer, but it suits Stabile’s skills perfectly.
“Since I’m an 800, 400 runner, it’s a better fit,’’ said Stabile, who placed fifth in the 600 meters this winter at All-States.
Stabile’s 65.12 yesterday clipped 0.38 seconds off her personal best from last week, which was the fastest time ever by a local in the two-year-old event.
“This is my new record and it’s very exciting,’’ she said.
The state coaches’ Web site has Stabile ranked third in the state behind Medfield’s Alex Stanton (63.30) and Mansfield’s Jennifer Esposito (63.87).
She could move up as she gains experience and shakes off the rust from the hip injury, which flared up again early in the season.
“She’s just rounding into form,’’ noted Hillie coach Mike Maguire.
Stabile came back to run a speedy 59-second opening leg on the Hillies’ 4x400 team, which came out of the unseeded heat to place third.
When she was apprised of their place, Stabile remarked, “Oh, my God! Good job girls.’’

Maggie Mullins won the mile (5:36.1) and 800 (2:26.9) and Kayla Baldwin took the 100 (12.7) and 200 (26.4) as Andover cruised past Billerica 100-45

Central runners won seven individual events and two relays at the MVC freshman/sophomore meet at Lawrence on Saturday. Individual Central winners were Chelsea Carver in the shot put (29-5), Brianna Gagnon in the long jump (15-10), Ali Sanz in the high jump (4-8), Ashleigh Marks in the 100 hurdles (16.5), Maggie Carey in the 400 (61.5); Alexa Poulin in the 400 hurdles (68.9), Lanie Jowett in the 800 (2:25.7).

In her first time competing in the event, Eve Bishop won the pole vault with a 9-0, and complimented that with a 12.5 win in the dash as Andover downed Chelmsford 99-45.