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Andover's Cronin wins title on jump-off at New Balance Nationals

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.