LHS'S BOMB SQUAD, PROVES TO BE A POWERHOUSE, BURSTS ONTO THE NATIONAL SCENE
Meet Information
MSTCA Northeast Invitational, Day 1
January 13, 2023
Reggie Lewis Center - Boston, MA
RESULTS
BOSTON, MA - The Minutemen were back at Reggie Lewis on Friday evening for Day 1 of the MSTCA Northeast Invitational. The three day meet will bring together over 4,000 athletes from across the New England and the surrounding states competing in just about every event that Indoor Track & Field has to offer across the country. One of those seldom-competed-in-Massachusetts events is the Weight Throw. An event competed at the NCAA level, and in a numbers of states across the U.S., the Girls 20lb. and Boys 25lb. Weight Throw are challenging events that takes athletes with a unique blend of speed, power, and coordination, paired with a coach who can properly implement the necessary technique to bring it all together. LHS has that and then some under the direction of Head Coach James Hall. Since he began coaching the event in 2019, the Massachusetts State Track Coaches Association has held the Weight Throw at 5 meets. Coach Hall's male and female athletes have won 9 of the 10 titles up for grabs in those competitions. Over the last four years, he has been building a program that is unmatched in both top end and depth of talent, and it was all on display for the Northeast to see on Friday night.
The Girls Weight Throw was first on Friday, and junior Cleo McBride kept the winning ways going for LHS's Bomb Squad. On her second throw of the competition, she sent the 20lb. implement 34'8" into the sector to land herself in first place. That mark would hold up throughout all four rounds of competition to earn McBride her first individual title of her high school career. Along with McBride, freshman Ainsley Cuthbertson sent her final throw of the meet 27'3" to place eighth overall. While McBride and Cuthbertson got things going, it was the Boys Weight Throw that made a statement that when it comes to the Weight Throw, LHS is the powerhouse of the Bay State. Going into the final round of competition, the trio of seniors Allen Jiang (59'0.50"), Jack Ngo (57'0"), and Kaden "the Sundance Kid" Cassidy (55'9") were in first, second, and third respectively. On Cassidy's last throw he unleashed the 25lb. Weight 59'1", besting Jiang by one-half inch, and earning him a spot with his teammates at the National Championships. But it was Jiang who had the final say. On his last throw, Jiang dropped an absolute bomb that landed at 62'0.50" from the circle. That throw gave him an emphatic victory in his signature event. Along with the big three's performances, sophomore Raphel LeDonne (44'2.25") placed 5th overall with a PR. Junior "Downtown" Elijah Brown was 11th with a PR of 40'3.50". And, fellow classmate Christian Arrington turned in a big PR of his own, with a throw of 37'11" to land in 16th overall. To give a full picture into how dominant Jiang, Cassidy, and Ngo were on Friday night, Massachusetts' top three throwers now rank US #16, US #22, US #28 in the event. They bested the rest of the field by nearly 11-feet. Of the 12 best throws in the competition, they accounted for 11 of them. To put it simply, to this point in the 2023 Indoor Track & Field Season, LHS's Bomb Squad is the unquestioned mark by which all others are measured.
Other Highlights from Friday:
Up Next
The Minutemen are back at Reggie Lewis at 10am Saturday for Day 2 of the Northeast Invitational. Live results can be found here.
MSTCA Northeast Invitational, Day 1
January 13, 2023
Reggie Lewis Center - Boston, MA
RESULTS
BOSTON, MA - The Minutemen were back at Reggie Lewis on Friday evening for Day 1 of the MSTCA Northeast Invitational. The three day meet will bring together over 4,000 athletes from across the New England and the surrounding states competing in just about every event that Indoor Track & Field has to offer across the country. One of those seldom-competed-in-Massachusetts events is the Weight Throw. An event competed at the NCAA level, and in a numbers of states across the U.S., the Girls 20lb. and Boys 25lb. Weight Throw are challenging events that takes athletes with a unique blend of speed, power, and coordination, paired with a coach who can properly implement the necessary technique to bring it all together. LHS has that and then some under the direction of Head Coach James Hall. Since he began coaching the event in 2019, the Massachusetts State Track Coaches Association has held the Weight Throw at 5 meets. Coach Hall's male and female athletes have won 9 of the 10 titles up for grabs in those competitions. Over the last four years, he has been building a program that is unmatched in both top end and depth of talent, and it was all on display for the Northeast to see on Friday night.
The Girls Weight Throw was first on Friday, and junior Cleo McBride kept the winning ways going for LHS's Bomb Squad. On her second throw of the competition, she sent the 20lb. implement 34'8" into the sector to land herself in first place. That mark would hold up throughout all four rounds of competition to earn McBride her first individual title of her high school career. Along with McBride, freshman Ainsley Cuthbertson sent her final throw of the meet 27'3" to place eighth overall. While McBride and Cuthbertson got things going, it was the Boys Weight Throw that made a statement that when it comes to the Weight Throw, LHS is the powerhouse of the Bay State. Going into the final round of competition, the trio of seniors Allen Jiang (59'0.50"), Jack Ngo (57'0"), and Kaden "the Sundance Kid" Cassidy (55'9") were in first, second, and third respectively. On Cassidy's last throw he unleashed the 25lb. Weight 59'1", besting Jiang by one-half inch, and earning him a spot with his teammates at the National Championships. But it was Jiang who had the final say. On his last throw, Jiang dropped an absolute bomb that landed at 62'0.50" from the circle. That throw gave him an emphatic victory in his signature event. Along with the big three's performances, sophomore Raphel LeDonne (44'2.25") placed 5th overall with a PR. Junior "Downtown" Elijah Brown was 11th with a PR of 40'3.50". And, fellow classmate Christian Arrington turned in a big PR of his own, with a throw of 37'11" to land in 16th overall. To give a full picture into how dominant Jiang, Cassidy, and Ngo were on Friday night, Massachusetts' top three throwers now rank US #16, US #22, US #28 in the event. They bested the rest of the field by nearly 11-feet. Of the 12 best throws in the competition, they accounted for 11 of them. To put it simply, to this point in the 2023 Indoor Track & Field Season, LHS's Bomb Squad is the unquestioned mark by which all others are measured.
Other Highlights from Friday:
- The Girls Mile was highlighted by senior captain Uma Sankers' bronze medal finish with a new PR of 5:11.88; along with Sanker, every Lex Girl who raced, achieved a PR in the event; senior Jasmine Sun (5:28.66) was 14th, junior Samara McVey qualified for the Divisional Championships with a time of 5:42.13, and sophomore Claire Cunningham (5:46.76) and senior Ashley Taylor (5:47.19) both hit the Middlesex League Championship standard.
- Joey "Candy Man" Ryan navigated from last to first in a crowded heat of the Mile to finish 16th overall in the event with a new PR and Divisional qualifying time of 4:39.95.
- Senior captain Alexios Kontothanassis placed fifth in the Boys Triple Jump with a leap of 41'0".
- In the Girls Pole Vault, junior Katie Atkins (9'6") placed sixth overall.
Up Next
The Minutemen are back at Reggie Lewis at 10am Saturday for Day 2 of the Northeast Invitational. Live results can be found here.