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BOSTON — A year ago, Denzel Kisseka finished 19th in the 300 meter dash at the MIAA Division 1 State Championship meet.
That didn’t sit well with him.
So he did what elite athletes are known to do —di work tirelessly to get better. He trained, he hit the weight room and got bigger, faster and stronger while gaining better endurance and more confidence.
Fast forward to Sunday afternoon and all of his offseason workouts paid off when the senior finished second in the 600 with a season-best time of 1:20.96 during the state meet held at the Track at New Balance.
“I trained all summer and lifted a lot of weights and that helped me so much,” he said. “I used to be a 300-runner but moved up to the 600 and knew I could (have success).”
Kisseka was disappointed with his start but was ecstatic with his finish.
“I got out slow and should’ve pushed harder in the beginning. I wanted to stay behind (Brookline’s Harry Flint, the winner), but I just couldn’t keep up because I didn’t get out too fast enough,” said Kisseka. “It means a lot to me to take second place. I finished with a personal record, so I’m just getting better every day. I’m looking forward to next week’s Meet of Champions.”
His performance helped lead the Red Raiders to a sixth place finish.
Beside Kisseka, Jordan Oge placed third in the 300 (35.44) and fifth in the long jump (20-10.50). He was also a part of the fifth-place 4×200 relay team (1:32.07) joining Jermaine Sherwood, James Njonde and Juanito DeLaCruz.
Parris Mbeca added a fifth place in the high jump (6-2).
The 4×800 relay team of Samuel De Souza, Jayden Ferreras, Timothy Schribman and Charles Mirabel finished fourth with a time of 8:16.74.
Central Catholic finished fourth as a team. Carlos Quintana won the high jump (6-6) with teammates Peter Thomas (6-4) and Max Lightfoot (6-2) placing third and sixth, respectively. Amado Ysalguez was second in the shot put (52-5), Quintana was fourth in the 55-meter hurdles (7.83) and Jeremiah Mateo Mora was seventh in the same event with a time of 7.92.
The Central 4×200 relay team of Jordan Baez, Mateo Mora, Yosuhar Diaz and Quintana finished sixth in 1:32.36.
The Lowell High girls team was led by Esther Ofodile, who placed third in the 55-meter dash (8.79) and sixth in the long jump (16-7.25). Ella Machado (3:03.73 in the 1,000), Keelyn Grady (4-10 in the high jump) and Stella Agyemang (16-5.25 in the long jump) picked up an eighth place.
The Red Raiders 4×200 relay team was fourth in 1:47.47 behind the efforts of Kelsey Malcolm, Agyemang, Ofodile and Cindy Soth, and the 4×800 relay team of Kadiatu Jalloh, Anna Samel, Sophia Aspilcueta and Ella Machado finished eighth in 10:12.79.
Central Catholic finished second as a team. The Raiders were led by freshman Avery Strickler, who won the long jump (17-7), was third in the 300 (41.04) and capped off her busy day as the anchor leg of the winning 4×400 relay team joining Lowell resident Kyla Breslin, Emma Finch and Leighton Hickey, who had a combined time of 4:01.44.
Arianna DiPetro was third in the long jump (17-4.25), which came after taking second in the 55-meter hurdles (8.28). In the 300, Finch was third (1:38.94) and Hickey was seventh (1:40.48), while Lowell Breslin picked up a seventh place in the mile (5:11.27).
Finally, the 4×200 relay team of Katelyn Renald, Finch, Addison Brosnihan and Lily McCarthy finished seventh with a combined time of 1:48.84.
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James Albert
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