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Travaglini, Andover win showdown at wire

ANDOVER — Two of the state’s best boys track squads came down to the final stride of the final event.  
Jeremy Travaglini had just enough to pull it out and Andover won the battle of unbeatens by an eyelash. The Golden Warriors (4-0) were clocked in 3:32.51 to North Andover’s 3:32.71.
North Andover’s Chris Dalke, who just 25 minutes earlier gutted out a tough 800 meters win, poured his heart and soul into it. He fought off the talented Golden Warrior sophomore for about 50 yards before Travaglini beat him in the last 1-2 strides.
“That kid (Dalke) competed like a champion,” said a drained Andover coach Peter Comeau, whose team won the All-State team title indoors. “Travaglini is tough as nails.”
Andover’s third runner Ray Gorzela cut the lead from about 25 yards to 10 yards as he, like Travaglini, were both clocked in 51.1.
Comeau called the atmosphere “electric.”
A large contingent of North Andoverites made the trip and the vocal Andover lacrosse team lent its support to give the highly-anticipated showdown a state title feel.
Andover just has to beat rebuilding Chelmsford next Wednesday to win the Merrimack Valley Division 1 crown outright.
To get to the final relay, Andover needed clutch efforts throughout. Joe Vetere posted career bests in the pole vault (13-6) and javelin (159-5).
Andover was vulnerable as relay whiz Hamza Naveed had already run his events and wouldn’t be doing the relay. But the Knights were doubling up and had more distance runners than sprinters.
And as Nugent wearily noted, when it comes to Andover the 4x400, “There is something in the water there.”
The girls matchup also was a battle of unbeatens but as expected Andover was too strong in a 98-47 win. Hannah Chapman (long jump/triple jump) and Brianna Deloury (5-5 high jump, 100 hurdles) were the stars of the day.