ROXBURY — With the big meets dwindling, Bree Robinson made up her mind.

She would compete in the New England Indoor Track Championships. It didn't matter that the Class L meet was on Super Bowl Sunday or that it meant an extra month of training.

"I look at it this way," she said, "I'm a senior and I'm playing soccer in college. I should take every chance I can get."

Pinkerton's Robinson, perhaps the region's most well-rounded athlete, made the most of the opportunity yesterday. She won the long jump (18-21/2) and placed seventh in the 55-meter dash (7.42).

The University of Hartford-bound Robinson had to sweat it out until about 9:15 p.m. — the long jump was the meet's final individual event — to record her winning leap.

"It's a long time to wait," her mother Linda said from the bleachers at the Reggie Lewis Center. "But she wanted to do it."

It wasn't a personal best (she hit an impressive 18-6 at last year's Class L outdoor meet) but it worked.

"I expected 18 feet out of her," said Carol Quarles, who worked with Robinson on her jumping this season. "She does have it in her." Quarles knows a bit about jumpers as her daughters Kiah and Camille, both former Eagle-Tribune MVPs, were champions at Pinkerton who are now starring at UNH.

Admittedly, Robinson wasn't sure how things would go.

"My confidence wasn't high," she said, "but I guess it was high enough."

The long layoff didn't seem to affect her. Her training regimen slowed slightly, she said, but there was little doubt in her mind that she'd be competing yesterday. If soccer is her first love, track is a close second for the defending state heptathlon champion.

The decision to pick college soccer, Linda said, wasn't easy.

"She really wanted both," Linda said. "It was a terrible time — very stressful for her."

But in the end, after no coaches relented, her daughter sided with soccer. That's not to say she won't savor her final months on the track.

"I'm going to miss it," she said. "As the meets keep going, I like track more. But my passion is soccer."

'Sky's the limit' for McConnell

Before heading into the city yesterday, Andover sprinters coach (and fifth grade teacher) Scott Price brought Chris McConnell into his classroom. There, the 16-year-old signed autographs for the grade schoolers, who figured they were in the presence of a celebrity.

"He's well thought of by the kids in Andover," said Price, one of the top sprinters in UMass history with a 21.46 200-meter clocking in 1998. "The sky's the limit for Chris McConnell."

McConnell, a sophomore, finished third in the 55-meter dash (6.48) yesterday. Afterward, a friend chimed in with a thought many people at Andover High share.

"He needs to do spring (track)," said Haverhill's Sam Stabile, who finished sixth (7.37) in the 55 on the girls' side.

The football and baseball player admitted it. He's curious to find out how he'd fare if he chose the oval instead of the diamond.

"I would like to know," he said. "We'll see."

Price reiterated his point several times: McConnell has tremendous potential, whether he picks up spring track or sticks with baseball.

"At the end of the day, the fact that a sophomore is running in the 6.40s is remarkable," Price said. "It's kind of scary to think about how good he's going to be if he puts the effort in."

Ruben Sosa, for one, is glad to have him around. The Lawrence senior, who said he wasn't even thinking about a top-six finish, was hot on McConnell's trail in the 55, placing fourth (6.52).

"He put me to the test," Sosa said. "I'm happy for him."

Still, McConnell had hoped for more.

"Not my best," he said.

The Massachusetts Division 1 champ was the top finisher from the Bay State, but failed to reach his personal best of 6.42 he notched last week. He plans on competing at the National Scholastic Indoor Championships March 14-16 at the Armory Track and Field Center in New York City.

"It keeps the fire blowing for next year," Andover coach Peter Comeau said.

And in the spring, Price said, "We expect him to steal 30 bases."

Warrior relays impress, again

The Andover girls followed up their championship at Monday's Division 1 All-State meet with another stellar showing.

The Andover quartet of Vanessa Singleton, Kayley Pettoruto, Laura Cody and Colleen Shannon took second in the 4x400 (4:00.37). Melissa Knapp, Christina Muccio, Emily Shields and Singleton took third in the 4x200 (1:45.42).

Pentucket's Paige Sutherland also ran well, finishing sixth in the mile (5:06.39), breaking the school record (5:09.78) she had previously set. North Reading's Alexis Capozzi, who said she was battling a cold, finished fifth in the 55 meters (7.37).

The best individual performance of the meet came in the girls 2-mile. Bromfield (Mass.) junior Emily Jones destroyed the field, winning with a time of 10:33.99, almost 18 seconds faster than the second-place finisher. The Massachusetts record of 10:10.5 was set by future Olympic distance runner Lynn Jennings in 1978. She also ran for Bromfield.

Said Stabile of Jones: "She's amazing."

Boys New England Track Championships

at Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center

Winners and area top 6:

55 meters: 1. Marvin McClendon (Hillhouse, Conn.) 6.43, 3. Chris McConnell (Andover) 6.48, 4. Ruben Sosa (Lawrence) 6.52; 300: 1. Dominic Smith (Bloomfield, Conn.) 34.78; 600: 1. Matt Marriott (Staples, Conn.) 1:22.05; 1,000: 1. Parker Boudreau (Danbury, Conn.) 2:27.63; Mile: 1. Omar Aden (Charlestown) 4:14.70; 2-mile: 1. Robert Gibson (Brookline) 9:24.72; 55 HH: 1. Meghan Ferreira (Mansfield) 8.24; HJ: 1. Dwight Barbiasz (Milford, N.H.) 6-9; LJ: 1. Enoch Mills (Boston English) 22-103/4; SP: Dominic Filiano (Lebanon, N.H.) 56-111/2; 4x800: 1. Merrimack, N.H. (Alex Beaulieu, William Godfrey, Steve Harshman, Brian Paison), 8:01.45; 4x400: 1. St. John's-Shrewsbury (Kyle Morette, Jon Vignally, Tyler Masi, Sean Mitchell), 3:28.67; 4x200: 1. Woburn, Mass. (Brian Smith, Ryad Bencheikh, Brett Sullivan, Matt Pereira), 1:30.72

Girls New England Track Championships

at Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center

Winners and area top 6:

55 dash: 1. Shelby Walton (Danbury, Conn.) 7.18, 5. Alexis Capozzi (North Reading) 7.37, 6. Sam Stabile (Haverhill) 7.37; 300: 1. Anna Coffredi (Lebanon, N.H.) 39.94; 600: Eryn Wheeler (Coventry, R.I.) 1:33.79; 1,000: 1. Anna Shields (Lewis Mills, Conn.) 2:53.77, 5. Colleen Shannon (Andover) 3:00.16; mile: 1. Jeanne Mack (La Salle, R.I.) 5:01.44, 6. Paige Sutherland (Pentucket) 5:06.39; 2-mile: 1. Emily Jones (Bromfield, Mass.) 10:33.99; 55 HH: 1. Chris Conway (Bishop Feehan, Mass.) 7.49; HJ: 1. Hanna Muir (Wellesley, Mass.) 5-7; LJ: 1. Bree Robinson (Pinkerton) 18-21/2; SP: 1. Becky O'Brien (Greely, Maine) 48-10; 4x800: 1. Glastonbury, Conn. (Emily MacEwen, Kristin Mitchell, Christine Vogel, Kristen Malloy), 9:22.35; 4x400: 1. La Salle, R.I. (Lily Kessinger, Emily Barrett, Mack, Lauren Cardarelli), 3:59.01, 2. Andover (Vanessa Singleton, Kayley Pettoruto, Laura Cody, Shannon), 4:00.37; 4x200: 1. La Salle, R.I. (Kessinger, Barrett, Stefanie Raiola, Cardarelli), 1:44.51, 3. Andover (Melissa Knapp, Christina Muccio, Emily Shields, Singleton), 1:45.42