Track and field: Numbers say Saugus should break state record

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They’re back...

Just months after bagging its second consecutive Division I state title and a second-place finish at the Nike Team Nationals, a big chunk of the highly-successful Saugus girls’ cross-country team has established itself as the state’s best squad in the 4x-mile relay. And the Centurions are hoping some tough competition at the Arcadia Invitational on Friday will be enough to push them toward a state record.

Of course, a lot of that has to do with how close Saugus gets to that magical, five-minute mark. Katie Dunn (personal record of 4 minutes, 59.34 seconds) and freshman Kaylin Mahoney (4:59.28) cracked this barrier at the Pasadena Games last month. Teammates Anne Randall (5:06.08) and Nina Moore (5:08.45) aren’t far behind. If these four run their personal bests, they’ll easily beat Corona del Mar’s 2005 state record of 20:20.38.

If my math is correct, Saugus needs to post a per-runner-average of at least 5:05.09 to topple the Sea Queens’ mark. Their personal bests, when group together, stand right now at 20:13.15 -- more than seven seconds faster than the record. Keep in mind, some of these personal bests were set in individual mile races (no baton handoffs) and breaking or matching your PR is far from a guaranteed thing.

But come on, this is the Arcadia Invitational we’re talking about. The 7,000-plus fans along with the excitement and pressure of competing in one of the nation’s biggest track and field showcases has had a record-setting influence on athletes in the past.

I feel pretty confident the Cents will add another record to their historical year. Remember the course record they set at Mount SAC last fall?

-- Austin Knoblauch

-- Photo from http://www.hartdistrict.org/saugus