BURCSU, DICERBO, ZHANG, AND EBERLE'S ALL-AMERICAN 4X800 HIGHLIGHTS NATIONALS
Meet Information
Nike Indoor Nationals
March 11-12, 2022
Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex - Staten Island, NY
RESULTS
STATEN ISLAND, NY - A season that began in late November came to a close this past weekend as a group of eight athletes from Lexington High School competed at Nike Indoor Nationals. The site of the 2022 USATF Indoor National Championships featured a 200m hydraulic track that allows for the banked turns to be raised and lowered for optimal conditions for fast times by some of the nation's top prep talent.
For The Minutemen the meet was highlight by the performance turned in in the 4x800m Relay. Sophomore Glenn Burcsu led things off by battling his way through a physical start to put his team in prime position. He continued to grind it out through his four lap leg, and handed off the baton to senior captain Ollie DiCerbo after running an FAT split of 2:01.75. DiCerbo then took the baton and breezed around the track, coming through the 400 in a cool 57 seconds. He continued to move his team up in the race over the final two laps before getting the baton to freshman Max Zhang. DiCerbo's split FAT of 2:00.71, in just his fourth time running the race, was a new PR. After a nearly botched handoff between DiCerbo and Zhang, the young harrier remained poised and cruised his way through 600m in 1:32. The 14-year old then hung on through the final 200 for an FAT split of 2:07.70 and got the baton to senior captain Evan Eberle in sixth place. As he has done all season, once he got the stick, Eberle went after it. Nearly 30m back of fourth and fifth place, Eberle charged around the track and passed the 400m mark in 56 seconds. He continued to pour it on over the next two laps, storming past the anchors from Beechwood (OH) and Satellite (FL). Coming down the homestretch he made one final push for his team to hold onto fourth place, a spot on the medal stand, and All-American honors. Eberle's FAT split of 1:55.87 was a personal best, and the best anchor leg in the field. The Minutemen's final time was 8:06.02, which was just off their season best from a week ago at New Englands.
Other Highlights from Nationals
While the Outdoor Season still looms, for Sabin, McBride, DiCerbo and Eberle this past weekend was the final time that they will don an LHS singlet indoors. Which means the program will soon be left in the extremely capable hands of the likes of Criniti, Fainelli, Burcsu, Zhang and others. However, it is worth noting that the example these seniors have set on and off the track through an extremely challenging past four years has been nothing sort of exemplary. The culture they have fostered within the team is one built on toughness, resilience, a significant amount of goofiness, but most importantly a willingness to come to practice each day and lay it all out there for their teammates. Through their four years the team has achieved numerous victories, championships, and school records, but most importantly the boys and girls teams have grown into a single program that supports each other through successes and failures. On behalf of the coaching staff, I would like to express how proud we are of the way this group competed this weekend and throughout the entire 2021-2022 Season. It has been a pleasure to go through the struggles and see you all persevere to achieve at the highest levels.
Up Next
With Indoor Track & Field now complete, The Minutemen will begin the Outdoor Season on Tuesday, April 5th when the Arlington Spy Ponders come to town. The meet - at the Lexington Center Track - will begin at 4pm.
Nike Indoor Nationals
March 11-12, 2022
Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex - Staten Island, NY
RESULTS
STATEN ISLAND, NY - A season that began in late November came to a close this past weekend as a group of eight athletes from Lexington High School competed at Nike Indoor Nationals. The site of the 2022 USATF Indoor National Championships featured a 200m hydraulic track that allows for the banked turns to be raised and lowered for optimal conditions for fast times by some of the nation's top prep talent.
For The Minutemen the meet was highlight by the performance turned in in the 4x800m Relay. Sophomore Glenn Burcsu led things off by battling his way through a physical start to put his team in prime position. He continued to grind it out through his four lap leg, and handed off the baton to senior captain Ollie DiCerbo after running an FAT split of 2:01.75. DiCerbo then took the baton and breezed around the track, coming through the 400 in a cool 57 seconds. He continued to move his team up in the race over the final two laps before getting the baton to freshman Max Zhang. DiCerbo's split FAT of 2:00.71, in just his fourth time running the race, was a new PR. After a nearly botched handoff between DiCerbo and Zhang, the young harrier remained poised and cruised his way through 600m in 1:32. The 14-year old then hung on through the final 200 for an FAT split of 2:07.70 and got the baton to senior captain Evan Eberle in sixth place. As he has done all season, once he got the stick, Eberle went after it. Nearly 30m back of fourth and fifth place, Eberle charged around the track and passed the 400m mark in 56 seconds. He continued to pour it on over the next two laps, storming past the anchors from Beechwood (OH) and Satellite (FL). Coming down the homestretch he made one final push for his team to hold onto fourth place, a spot on the medal stand, and All-American honors. Eberle's FAT split of 1:55.87 was a personal best, and the best anchor leg in the field. The Minutemen's final time was 8:06.02, which was just off their season best from a week ago at New Englands.
Other Highlights from Nationals
- The Lex Girls 4x400m squad of senior captain Elena Sabin (63.14), junior Ava Criniti (62.23), sophomore Gabby Fainelli (61.41) and senior captain Mari McBride (57.42) turned in a fantastic performance of their own by clocking a time of 4:04.19 to finish seventh overall.
- In the final race of his high school career on an indoor track, Eberle finished 11th overall with a time of 1:58.14 in the 800m.
- Also competing in the Mile, Criniti came in 11th overall with a time of 5:09.41.
- McBride capped off her indoor career as well in the High Jump with a leap of 1.60m to finish 12th in a stellar field.
While the Outdoor Season still looms, for Sabin, McBride, DiCerbo and Eberle this past weekend was the final time that they will don an LHS singlet indoors. Which means the program will soon be left in the extremely capable hands of the likes of Criniti, Fainelli, Burcsu, Zhang and others. However, it is worth noting that the example these seniors have set on and off the track through an extremely challenging past four years has been nothing sort of exemplary. The culture they have fostered within the team is one built on toughness, resilience, a significant amount of goofiness, but most importantly a willingness to come to practice each day and lay it all out there for their teammates. Through their four years the team has achieved numerous victories, championships, and school records, but most importantly the boys and girls teams have grown into a single program that supports each other through successes and failures. On behalf of the coaching staff, I would like to express how proud we are of the way this group competed this weekend and throughout the entire 2021-2022 Season. It has been a pleasure to go through the struggles and see you all persevere to achieve at the highest levels.
Up Next
With Indoor Track & Field now complete, The Minutemen will begin the Outdoor Season on Tuesday, April 5th when the Arlington Spy Ponders come to town. The meet - at the Lexington Center Track - will begin at 4pm.