BOYS 4x200M MAKES HISTORY AT NATIONALS; LHS RECORD & #2 ALL-TIME IN BAY STATE
Meet Information
New Balance Indoor Nationals
March 10, 2023
The Track at New Balance - Boston, MA
RESULTS
BOSTON, MA - After over a month of meets at the Reggie Lewis Center, Friday The Minutemen returned "home" to the site where they competed throughout the Middlesex League Season. LHS - competing as Lexington Elite TC - took a giant leap up in competition, as The Track at New Balance was packed full of the nation's top prep talent for the New Balance Indoor Nationals. Perhaps the most anticipated event for The Minutemen on Friday was the Boys competing in the prelims of the 4x200m Relay.
All season long, LHS's vaunted sprint squad has established itself as the class of the Bay State when it comes to this event. They crossed the line first at the League, Divisional, and All-State Championships, and did so with each of those relays featuring different athletes. However, still one accolade eluded them when it came to claiming supremacy in the event. Newton North's time of 1:29.97 from late December still stood as the fastest time run by a Massachusetts team this winter, despite The Minutemen's best efforts. With that in mind, after the team of seniors Jayden Bai, Jake Wheaton, Branndon Uda-Thach, and Alexios Kontothanassis set an LHS Record of 1:30.03 at the All-State Meet two weeks ago, Lexington's best appeared to be primed to take down the Tigers' mark at the lightening fast site of Nationals. However, things took a turn for the worst last week at the New England Championships when Bai pulled up with an injury near the end of his opening leg split that kept him out of the lineup at Nationals. That meant that junior Khai Uda-Thach would be called upon to deliver for The Minutemen. He deliver he did.
The gun fired and Wheaton got off to a solid start, cruising around the 200m oval before handing off the baton in second place to Khai in an unofficial 22.7 split. Khai took the baton and charged after the leader - Toms River North (NJ) - with reckless abandon. His 22.3 unofficial split was a huge personal best, and put his team within a few meters of #25 team in the Country going into the second exchange where his older brother Branndon was calmly waiting. Branndon got the baton and blazed around the track, narrowing the gap with Toms River North, and turning in a personal best FAT split of 21.80. From there it was up to Kontothanassis to turn in one final epic performance. He flew around the first curve and dashed down the backstretch to pull up onto shoulder of fellow classmate Jordan Kiyler as the two entered the final turn. Despite Kontothanassis's best efforts - and a 22.08 FAT split - Kiyler did just enough to hold onto the victory with a time of 1:28.47. However, The Minutemen's time shattered the previous School Record as Kontothanassis crossed the line in 1:29.01, to finish 17th overall in a field worthy of any National Championship Meet. For their effort, that time puts The Minutemen at #2 all-time in Massachusetts High School Indoor Track & Field history in the event, only trailing Acton-Boxborough's 2021 State Record squad. Truly a historic performance from an electric group of student-athletes.
Other Highlights from Day 2
Up Next
The Minutemen will be back for Day 3 of competition at New Balance Indoor Nationals on Saturday, as the Shuttle Hurdle Relays and the Weight Throwers will take center stage. Action will get underway at The Track at New Balance at 8am, and can be streamed live HERE.
New Balance Indoor Nationals
March 10, 2023
The Track at New Balance - Boston, MA
RESULTS
BOSTON, MA - After over a month of meets at the Reggie Lewis Center, Friday The Minutemen returned "home" to the site where they competed throughout the Middlesex League Season. LHS - competing as Lexington Elite TC - took a giant leap up in competition, as The Track at New Balance was packed full of the nation's top prep talent for the New Balance Indoor Nationals. Perhaps the most anticipated event for The Minutemen on Friday was the Boys competing in the prelims of the 4x200m Relay.
All season long, LHS's vaunted sprint squad has established itself as the class of the Bay State when it comes to this event. They crossed the line first at the League, Divisional, and All-State Championships, and did so with each of those relays featuring different athletes. However, still one accolade eluded them when it came to claiming supremacy in the event. Newton North's time of 1:29.97 from late December still stood as the fastest time run by a Massachusetts team this winter, despite The Minutemen's best efforts. With that in mind, after the team of seniors Jayden Bai, Jake Wheaton, Branndon Uda-Thach, and Alexios Kontothanassis set an LHS Record of 1:30.03 at the All-State Meet two weeks ago, Lexington's best appeared to be primed to take down the Tigers' mark at the lightening fast site of Nationals. However, things took a turn for the worst last week at the New England Championships when Bai pulled up with an injury near the end of his opening leg split that kept him out of the lineup at Nationals. That meant that junior Khai Uda-Thach would be called upon to deliver for The Minutemen. He deliver he did.
The gun fired and Wheaton got off to a solid start, cruising around the 200m oval before handing off the baton in second place to Khai in an unofficial 22.7 split. Khai took the baton and charged after the leader - Toms River North (NJ) - with reckless abandon. His 22.3 unofficial split was a huge personal best, and put his team within a few meters of #25 team in the Country going into the second exchange where his older brother Branndon was calmly waiting. Branndon got the baton and blazed around the track, narrowing the gap with Toms River North, and turning in a personal best FAT split of 21.80. From there it was up to Kontothanassis to turn in one final epic performance. He flew around the first curve and dashed down the backstretch to pull up onto shoulder of fellow classmate Jordan Kiyler as the two entered the final turn. Despite Kontothanassis's best efforts - and a 22.08 FAT split - Kiyler did just enough to hold onto the victory with a time of 1:28.47. However, The Minutemen's time shattered the previous School Record as Kontothanassis crossed the line in 1:29.01, to finish 17th overall in a field worthy of any National Championship Meet. For their effort, that time puts The Minutemen at #2 all-time in Massachusetts High School Indoor Track & Field history in the event, only trailing Acton-Boxborough's 2021 State Record squad. Truly a historic performance from an electric group of student-athletes.
Other Highlights from Day 2
- Senior Ava Criniti finished off her illustrious career in the Indoor 2 Mile with a gritty race that landed her 54th overall with a time of 10:51.74.
- The Girls Distance Medley Relay of senior captain Uma Sanker, junior Adia Singh, senior Jasmine Sun, and Criniti finished 33rd with a time of 12:47.49.
Up Next
The Minutemen will be back for Day 3 of competition at New Balance Indoor Nationals on Saturday, as the Shuttle Hurdle Relays and the Weight Throwers will take center stage. Action will get underway at The Track at New Balance at 8am, and can be streamed live HERE.