LHS HURDLE SQUAD EMERGES AS ONE OF THE BAY STATE'S BEST AT D1 RELAYS
Meet Information
MSTCA Division 1 Relays
January 20, 2024
Reggie Lewis Center - Boston, MA
RESULTS
BOSTON, MA - The Minutemen were back at the Reggie Lewis Center on Saturday for the MSTCA Division 1 Relays. The annual contest serves as a test of team depth, while also offers athletes and coaches a preview of how they will stack up come Championship Season. The Boys Meet saw the team from Acton-Boxborough win four events on their way to victory with 44 points to St. John's Prep's 41. LHS finished fifth with 30.5 points overall. On the girls' side Franklin's dominance in the Shot Put - they placed first and second - landed them in a tie for first with perennial powerhouse Newton North at 36 points. While the Lex Girls finished sixth with 21 points of their own.
The Minutemen saw got off to a very hot start on Saturday morning, as the first event of the day was the Shuttle Hurdles. Traditionally, LHS has not been a factor on the state level in the high hurdles. In fact, prior to last year The Minutemen had only dipped under 27 seconds twice in the 200 yard event. However, back in 2020 a pair of athletes came to LHS and began to lay the foundation of success. The relentless drive and effort of Michael Gerfen (LHS '23) and Jayden Bai (LHS '23) throughout their careers helped to grow the team's "Burger Squad" into one of the finest hurdle groups in the Bay State. Now competing at Amherst College and Emory University respectfully, they left LHS, not only with their names attached to the Indoor and Outdoor Shuttle Hurdle Relay Records, but also with a legacy of greatness to uphold. That legacy is now being carried by a group led by sophomore Simon Tandeih, who dipped under the elusive 8-second barrier in the 55m Hurdles earlier this week. He, along with sophomore Aidan Raney, junior Ryan Zhang, and senior Jacob Pan showed a glimpse of their team's capabilities with a sizzling time of 25.53 seconds in the 50yd Shuttle Hurdles. That mark shattered the 2023 team's record by nearly a second, and dipped under the old meet record on their way to a silver medal in the event. The Burger Squad's performance was followed up by the 4x800m Relay of senior Nayan Das, juniors Zach Barry and Max Zhang, and senior captain Joey "The Candyman" Ryan. The 4x8 came to Reggie ready to make a statement, and make a statement they did. A 1:59.8 split by Das put The Minutemen in the lead after the first leg, and after a bit of back and forth with the likes of Brookline and Newton North his teammates took home the victory in a US #8 time of 8:02.83.
The highlight of the day for the Lex Girls was undoubtedly the performance of their young sprint squad. LHS showcased its depth on Saturday as they managed to place an 'A' and 'B' team in the top six to earn points. The 'A' Team featured the dynamic sophomore duo of Aubrey Deardorf and Brugers Sagues, along with senior captain Jada Solomon and freshman Alyssa McKee. The quartet dashed their way to a third place finish with a time of 25.34 seconds. The 'B' Team - in name only - featured freshmen Emily Hoefkens and Layla Farnham paired up with sophomore Anika Steinbrecher and junior Caitlin Lennox. They turned in an equally impressive fifth place finish in a time of 25.45. Last year, The Minutemen boasted a vaunted sprint squad loaded with high end talent and depth on the boys' side. After Saturday, it is clear the Girls Team has the makings of something special this year and beyond. After the boys did their thing in the hurdles, it was the girls' turn. The Girls Shuttle Hurdle relay featured senior captain Katie Atkins, sophomore Monjola Finnih, senior Amandine Mangon, and Hoefkens. LHS's 100m Hurdle Record Holder outdoors, Mangon ran a tremendous anchor leg to bring her team across the line in 30.80 seconds to place third overall.
Other Highlights for the Boys
Final Boys Team Scores (Top 10)
1. Acton-Boxborough - 44
2. Saint John's Prep - 41
3. Newton North - 32
4. Brockton - 31
5. Lexington - 30.5
6. Haverhill - 20
6. Brookline - 20
8. Xaverian Brothers - 16
9. Attleboro - 15
10. Lowell - 13
Other Highlights for the Girls
Final Girls Team Scores (Top 10)
1. Franklin - 36
1. Newton North - 36
3. Central Catholic - 30
4. Framingham - 26
5. Westford Academy - 23
6. Lexington - 21
7. Acton-Boxborough - 7
7. Needham - 20
9. Cambridge Rindge & Latin - 16
9. Brookline - 16
9. Wachusett - 16
Up Next
The Minutemen are back at The Track at New Balance on Thursday, January 25th, when the Junior Varsity Middlesex League Championships will take place. The meet is set to begin at 4pm.
MSTCA Division 1 Relays
January 20, 2024
Reggie Lewis Center - Boston, MA
RESULTS
BOSTON, MA - The Minutemen were back at the Reggie Lewis Center on Saturday for the MSTCA Division 1 Relays. The annual contest serves as a test of team depth, while also offers athletes and coaches a preview of how they will stack up come Championship Season. The Boys Meet saw the team from Acton-Boxborough win four events on their way to victory with 44 points to St. John's Prep's 41. LHS finished fifth with 30.5 points overall. On the girls' side Franklin's dominance in the Shot Put - they placed first and second - landed them in a tie for first with perennial powerhouse Newton North at 36 points. While the Lex Girls finished sixth with 21 points of their own.
The Minutemen saw got off to a very hot start on Saturday morning, as the first event of the day was the Shuttle Hurdles. Traditionally, LHS has not been a factor on the state level in the high hurdles. In fact, prior to last year The Minutemen had only dipped under 27 seconds twice in the 200 yard event. However, back in 2020 a pair of athletes came to LHS and began to lay the foundation of success. The relentless drive and effort of Michael Gerfen (LHS '23) and Jayden Bai (LHS '23) throughout their careers helped to grow the team's "Burger Squad" into one of the finest hurdle groups in the Bay State. Now competing at Amherst College and Emory University respectfully, they left LHS, not only with their names attached to the Indoor and Outdoor Shuttle Hurdle Relay Records, but also with a legacy of greatness to uphold. That legacy is now being carried by a group led by sophomore Simon Tandeih, who dipped under the elusive 8-second barrier in the 55m Hurdles earlier this week. He, along with sophomore Aidan Raney, junior Ryan Zhang, and senior Jacob Pan showed a glimpse of their team's capabilities with a sizzling time of 25.53 seconds in the 50yd Shuttle Hurdles. That mark shattered the 2023 team's record by nearly a second, and dipped under the old meet record on their way to a silver medal in the event. The Burger Squad's performance was followed up by the 4x800m Relay of senior Nayan Das, juniors Zach Barry and Max Zhang, and senior captain Joey "The Candyman" Ryan. The 4x8 came to Reggie ready to make a statement, and make a statement they did. A 1:59.8 split by Das put The Minutemen in the lead after the first leg, and after a bit of back and forth with the likes of Brookline and Newton North his teammates took home the victory in a US #8 time of 8:02.83.
The highlight of the day for the Lex Girls was undoubtedly the performance of their young sprint squad. LHS showcased its depth on Saturday as they managed to place an 'A' and 'B' team in the top six to earn points. The 'A' Team featured the dynamic sophomore duo of Aubrey Deardorf and Brugers Sagues, along with senior captain Jada Solomon and freshman Alyssa McKee. The quartet dashed their way to a third place finish with a time of 25.34 seconds. The 'B' Team - in name only - featured freshmen Emily Hoefkens and Layla Farnham paired up with sophomore Anika Steinbrecher and junior Caitlin Lennox. They turned in an equally impressive fifth place finish in a time of 25.45. Last year, The Minutemen boasted a vaunted sprint squad loaded with high end talent and depth on the boys' side. After Saturday, it is clear the Girls Team has the makings of something special this year and beyond. After the boys did their thing in the hurdles, it was the girls' turn. The Girls Shuttle Hurdle relay featured senior captain Katie Atkins, sophomore Monjola Finnih, senior Amandine Mangon, and Hoefkens. LHS's 100m Hurdle Record Holder outdoors, Mangon ran a tremendous anchor leg to bring her team across the line in 30.80 seconds to place third overall.
Other Highlights for the Boys
- The 4x400m Relay of senior captain Khai Uda-Thach, Max Zhang, Das, and senior McKenna O'Hare Gibson turned in a season best and New Balance Indoor Nationals qualifying time of 3:27.72 to place third in the event.
- Senior Victor Yu, Uda-Thach, junior Tim George, and O'Hare Gibson ran their way to a fifth place finish in the 4x200m Relay with a time of 1:31.41.
- Freshman Cayden Chambers teamed up with George, Yu, and Uda-Thach and ran the second fastest time in LHS history - 22.14 seconds - in the Shuttle Dash to earn a sixth place finish.
- In the Distance Medley Relay (1200,400,800,1600) it was the team of junior Will Fletcher (3:22.2), Barry (55.2), freshman Arjun Raha (2:03.7), and freshman Patrick Noonan (4:34.0) who placed sixth overall.
- The High Jump Relay of O'Hare Gibson (5'8"), Tandeih (5'5"), and sophomore Cleavon Manor Jr (5'5") finished in a tie for sixth place overall.
Final Boys Team Scores (Top 10)
1. Acton-Boxborough - 44
2. Saint John's Prep - 41
3. Newton North - 32
4. Brockton - 31
5. Lexington - 30.5
6. Haverhill - 20
6. Brookline - 20
8. Xaverian Brothers - 16
9. Attleboro - 15
10. Lowell - 13
Other Highlights for the Girls
- In the Shot Put Relay it was the team of Atkins (29;1.25"), sophomore Ainsley Cuthbertson (31'7.25"), and senior Quin Tandeih (32'2.75") who earned a fourth place finish.
- The 4x800m Relay of freshman Callie Glenn, junior Lucy Kontos, sophomore Nadia Abdinoor, and senior Samara McVey ran their way to a fifth place finish in an MIAA Division 1 Championships qualifying time of 9:57.24.
- Deardorf, Sagues, senior Carson Cheng, and sophomore Felice Haverly finished seventh overall in the 4x200m Relay with a season best time of 1:49.65.
- In the 4x400m it was the team of Glenn, Kontos, Steinbrecher, and Haverly that placed ninth with a season best time of 4:16.03.
- The High Jump Relay saw Haverly (4'10.25"), Mangon (4'7"), and sophomore Sophie "Snacks" Johnson (4'4") finish ninth.
Final Girls Team Scores (Top 10)
1. Franklin - 36
1. Newton North - 36
3. Central Catholic - 30
4. Framingham - 26
5. Westford Academy - 23
6. Lexington - 21
7. Acton-Boxborough - 7
7. Needham - 20
9. Cambridge Rindge & Latin - 16
9. Brookline - 16
9. Wachusett - 16
Up Next
The Minutemen are back at The Track at New Balance on Thursday, January 25th, when the Junior Varsity Middlesex League Championships will take place. The meet is set to begin at 4pm.