EBERLE AND MCBRIDE LEAD THE RELAYS TO NATIONALS

Meet Information
New England Championships
March 5, 2022
Reggie Lewis Center - Boston, MA
RESULTS
BOSTON, MA - Saturday The Minutemen traveled to Reggie Lewis for the final time this Indoor Season for the New England Championships. After their top-six finishes at the MIAA Meet of Champions last week the Boys 4x800 and Girls 4x400 came to New Englands with one goal in mind, achieve the qualifying standard for Nike Indoor Nationals. And they did just that.
Starting off the meet was the 4x800m Relay. For The Minutemen it was the team of sophomore Glenn Burcsu, freshman Max Zhang, and senior captains Ollie DiCerbo and Evan Eberle who were tasked with extended their season another week. Leading things off, Burcsu was strong off the line and right up with the front pack through 400m, cruising through in a brisk 57 seconds. As he came around the final turn a pack of three teams had broken away from the field, but Burcsu was leading the chase pack to the first handoff with a PR split of 2:01.2. Zhang took the baton from there and proceeded to navigate the tight chase pack. The young harrier battled his way to a 2:06.2 split before handing off to DiCerbo who was anxiously waiting to bring his team back up towards the front. DiCerbo blasted out with a 56-second opening quarter. He continued to grind his way through the final two laps to turn in a PR 2:01.2 split of his own. However, going into the anchor leg the team would need Eberle to dip under 1:57 to be able to achieve the Nationals standard of 8:06.00. The only remaining member of the team that won this title and set the school record when it was last competed in 2020, Eberle got the baton right next to Conard (CT) All-American - and 4:06 miler - Gavin Sherry in seventh position. Eberle cruised through the first 400 in 57 seconds and continued to pour it on over the final two laps. As he came to the top of the final homestretch the clock had just passed the 8-minute mark. The senior captain made one final charge, passing Hall (CT) down the straightaway, to cross the line with a new season best time of 8:05.42 to qualify the relay for Nationals. Eberle's1:56.7 split was a new PR and earned his team All-New England honors with a sixth place finish.
While the boys kicked things off in style, the Lex Girls made sure they would not be left home when the van left for Nationals. Senior captain Elena Sabin led off the 4x400 with a strong opening leg (62.4 seconds), which put the Lex Girls in third position going into the second leg where junior Ava Criniti was waiting. After placing second in the Mile at the Meet of Champions and qualifying for Nationals in her signature event, Criniti was fresh and ready to go for her leg at New Englands. The junior turned in a 61.7-second split - a personal best - to keep the girls locked in third position. Next up was the youngest member of the relay, sophomore Gabby Fainelli. The sophomore matched Criniti's effort with another 61.7-second split to keep her team in podium position going into the anchor leg where senior captain Mari McBride was looming. Fainelli handed off the baton in third place with Wachusett in the lead, followed by Naugatuck (CT) who also held a nearly 30m lead over The Minutemen. However, McBride stormed out on the opening 200 to run down the Connecticut State Open Champions before heading into the final lap. She then continued to power around the track all the way to the finish crossing the line as the clock read 4:03.54, which was a season best and achieved the Nationals qualifying standard for her team. McBride's anchor leg was clocked at 57.8, marking the first time the senior has dipped under 58 seconds over 400m in her career. With the silver medal, the Lex Girls earned All-New England honors for their performance.
Other Highlights from the Track
Up Next
The Minutemen will now travel to the Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex in Staten Island, NY for Nike Indoor Nationals. Mari McBride in the High Jump and the Boys 4x800m Relay will compete Friday, March 11th, while Ava Criniti (Girls Mile), Evan Eberle (Boys 800m), and the Girls 4x400m Relays will toe the line on Saturday night. Also representing the Town of Lexington will be an athlete from the LHS Girls Head Coach Emmett O'Brien's Diamond Middle School program. 13-year old Patrick Noonan will compete in the Middle School 2 Mile on Saturday. All events can be streamed live for free here beginning Friday.
New England Championships
March 5, 2022
Reggie Lewis Center - Boston, MA
RESULTS
BOSTON, MA - Saturday The Minutemen traveled to Reggie Lewis for the final time this Indoor Season for the New England Championships. After their top-six finishes at the MIAA Meet of Champions last week the Boys 4x800 and Girls 4x400 came to New Englands with one goal in mind, achieve the qualifying standard for Nike Indoor Nationals. And they did just that.
Starting off the meet was the 4x800m Relay. For The Minutemen it was the team of sophomore Glenn Burcsu, freshman Max Zhang, and senior captains Ollie DiCerbo and Evan Eberle who were tasked with extended their season another week. Leading things off, Burcsu was strong off the line and right up with the front pack through 400m, cruising through in a brisk 57 seconds. As he came around the final turn a pack of three teams had broken away from the field, but Burcsu was leading the chase pack to the first handoff with a PR split of 2:01.2. Zhang took the baton from there and proceeded to navigate the tight chase pack. The young harrier battled his way to a 2:06.2 split before handing off to DiCerbo who was anxiously waiting to bring his team back up towards the front. DiCerbo blasted out with a 56-second opening quarter. He continued to grind his way through the final two laps to turn in a PR 2:01.2 split of his own. However, going into the anchor leg the team would need Eberle to dip under 1:57 to be able to achieve the Nationals standard of 8:06.00. The only remaining member of the team that won this title and set the school record when it was last competed in 2020, Eberle got the baton right next to Conard (CT) All-American - and 4:06 miler - Gavin Sherry in seventh position. Eberle cruised through the first 400 in 57 seconds and continued to pour it on over the final two laps. As he came to the top of the final homestretch the clock had just passed the 8-minute mark. The senior captain made one final charge, passing Hall (CT) down the straightaway, to cross the line with a new season best time of 8:05.42 to qualify the relay for Nationals. Eberle's1:56.7 split was a new PR and earned his team All-New England honors with a sixth place finish.
While the boys kicked things off in style, the Lex Girls made sure they would not be left home when the van left for Nationals. Senior captain Elena Sabin led off the 4x400 with a strong opening leg (62.4 seconds), which put the Lex Girls in third position going into the second leg where junior Ava Criniti was waiting. After placing second in the Mile at the Meet of Champions and qualifying for Nationals in her signature event, Criniti was fresh and ready to go for her leg at New Englands. The junior turned in a 61.7-second split - a personal best - to keep the girls locked in third position. Next up was the youngest member of the relay, sophomore Gabby Fainelli. The sophomore matched Criniti's effort with another 61.7-second split to keep her team in podium position going into the anchor leg where senior captain Mari McBride was looming. Fainelli handed off the baton in third place with Wachusett in the lead, followed by Naugatuck (CT) who also held a nearly 30m lead over The Minutemen. However, McBride stormed out on the opening 200 to run down the Connecticut State Open Champions before heading into the final lap. She then continued to power around the track all the way to the finish crossing the line as the clock read 4:03.54, which was a season best and achieved the Nationals qualifying standard for her team. McBride's anchor leg was clocked at 57.8, marking the first time the senior has dipped under 58 seconds over 400m in her career. With the silver medal, the Lex Girls earned All-New England honors for their performance.
Other Highlights from the Track
- Before her electric anchor leg, McBride set a new season best - matching her PR - in the High Jump by clearing the bar at 5'5"; that mark would qualify her for the event at the National Championships, and placed fourth overall at New Englands.
- Eberle finished 17th overall in the 1000m with a time of 2:45.44.
Up Next
The Minutemen will now travel to the Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex in Staten Island, NY for Nike Indoor Nationals. Mari McBride in the High Jump and the Boys 4x800m Relay will compete Friday, March 11th, while Ava Criniti (Girls Mile), Evan Eberle (Boys 800m), and the Girls 4x400m Relays will toe the line on Saturday night. Also representing the Town of Lexington will be an athlete from the LHS Girls Head Coach Emmett O'Brien's Diamond Middle School program. 13-year old Patrick Noonan will compete in the Middle School 2 Mile on Saturday. All events can be streamed live for free here beginning Friday.