The Nashua North boys track team celebrates its second place finish in Saturday's Division I State Meet at Plymouth State. (Photo by Joe Marchilena/NH-HighSchoolSports.com.)

They weren’t exactly laying in the weeds, but the Nashua High School North boys track team has been keeping a low profile most of the winter.

Until Saturday, that is. The Titans had a successful day, finishing second in the Division I state championship meet with 48 points at Plymouth State University.

Pinkerton, led by speedster Matt Morrison, won the title with 71 points, but two other locals cracked the top five as Bishop Guertin grabbed third with 37 points (let by double state champ Matthew Giardina), just ahead of fourth place Nashua South’s 34. Londonderry was fifth at 32.

“This team showed up to practice every day and competed hard as a unit,” North coach Shane Gagnon said. “They really are a great group of kids. …

“I’m extremely proud of this team and what we were able to accomplish.”

Elsewhere locally, Alvirne was 11th at 14 and Merrimack was 15th with three.

In the girls meet, Bedford (72) outdistanced Concord (62) for the title, with Nashua North the top local in fourth at 49, behind third place Exeter’s 57 but a point ahead of fifth place Pinkerton at 48. Nashua South (15) was seventh, with BG 14th, Merrimack 16th and Alvinre 18th.

The North boys stole the show for the locals, but how did they do it? They rode the strength of shot put champion Darius Smith for sure. Smith won as expcted at 53-06.25, but Noah Pasterczyk got valuable points in second (48-00.50) and another key being ariel Cintron Arizmendi taking fifth at 45-00.25.

“Securing huge points in field events was the key,” Gagnon said.

And that included Titan Gavin Suchecki taking first in the high jump (6-02.00) and Luke Peters finishing second in the long jump (22-00.25).

Then the relays helped. North got a fourth place finish in the 4×400 (Aaron McNair, Mason Dandeneau, Yaxiel Vazquez and Suchecki) and grabbed third in the 4×800 (McNair, Yandel Velazquez, Chea Bunhour and Cole Burns, 8:34.37).

“Our relays all ran with heart afterwards to lock down some big track points,” Gagnon said.

Bishop Guertin got a state champion times two, of course, with Giardina winning the 1500 in 4:04.55 and then the 3000 in 8:49.45. In the two races they got other valuable points as well as Ethan Fischer was fifth (9:03.71) in the 3000 and Carson Fischer second in the 1500 (4:04.99, a close race between teammates)

The Cards’ Tyler Parshay was third in the 55 (6.53) and the relay team of Liam Ireland, Sam Prescott, Jack Mello and Carson Fischer took sixth in the 4×400.

The Panthers, as expected, got valuable points in the relays.

“We didn’t have the depth we would have hoped four in our individual events so we had to rely on the strength of our relays,” South coach Doug Booth said, “and they didn’t let us down.

“Im extremely proud that they continued to fight throughout the meet even when it was obvious late in the meet that we were out of contention to win.”

The foursome of Matthew Motherway, Sergio Lopez, Camden Brien and Revin Olsen captured the 4×400 in 3:35.42.

The Panthers (Motherway, Cam Patronick, Ryan DuVarney and Brien) were second (8:32.07) in the 4×800.

South took third in the 4×200 with the foursome of Leonel Lopez, Ryan Jansen, Tim Slaveley and Marcell Perry in at 1:34.62.

Jansen took fourth in the 300 (36.68), Perry was fourth in the 55 dash. South’s Ray Karuru was sixth in the shot and Motherway the same in the 1000. With that and his part in the relays, Motherway was the Panthers’ top athlete on the day.

Alvirne got a state champion with Shane Plumley winning the 600 in 1:25.28. The Broncos’ 4×200 relay team of Michael Landmeser, Joey Marcotte, Jaden Taylor and Plumley took fourth.

Merrimack’s Luca Kabel was fifth in the long jump and sixth in the 55.

GIRLS MEET

The Titans got a state championship relay team for the second straight year with the foursome of Charlotte Wilson, Allison Frye, Rosalie Neveu and Jhannelle Thomas running a 4:07.43.

Tiana Brown was second for North in the 55 hurdles (8.59) and third in the 55 dash (7.36) and 300 (42.58). North was third in the 4×200 (Brown, Sarah and Allison Frye,Thomas, 1:49.32).

North’s Laura White was third in the 1500 (5:00.83) and fifth in the 3000. Roaslie Neveu took fourth in the 600 Thomas was sixth in the 55.

For South, Nora Gautieri was third in the shot put (33-09.25) Camrin Ayi was fifth in the 300 and teammate Natalee Thomas sixth. South’s relay foursome of Alejandra Chavarin, Sarah Witta, Nevaeh Eppolito and Thomas too sixth in the 4×200.

The Panthers’ Ryenne Georgiana was fourth in the high jump and Chavarin sixth in the long jump.

Bishop Guerin’s foursome of Maddie Hope, Maddy McCarthy, Anna Sinclair and Gabby Gillette took fourth in the 4×200, and the relay team of Lyla Masson, Audrey Pyles, Sinclair and Gillette were sixth in the 4×400.

Merrimack’s Melanie Bedard was sixth in the 3000. Tomahawks Kaylin Amoo, Megan McWhirter, Desiree Kandel and Serenah Wright were fifth in the 4×400.

Alvirne’s Olivia Cartagena, Jennifer Herbert, Ava Martin and Sophia Berube were sixth in the 4×800.