LHS BOYS MAKE IT 6 STRAIGHT, WHILE GIRLS COMPLETE 3-PEAT AT LEAGUE CHAMPS

Meet Information
Middlesex League Championships
February 3, 2025
the TRACK at New Balance - Boston, MA.
RESULTS
BOSTON, MA - The Minutemen returned to the TRACK at New Balance on Monday for the Middlesex League Championships. After both teams secured the Liberty Division titles during the dual meet season, Monday's meet featured the league's 12 teams competing for the right to call themselves League Champs. LHS's boys' and girls' teams showed up with their best on Monday night, delivering school and meet records, national qualifiers, and most importantly picking up points wherever they could en route to a pair of dominant victories. The Lex girls matched the meet scoring record of 125 points, set by the 2020 LHS squad, and did not even compete one of the relays. Meanwhile, LHS's boys turned in 110.50 points on their way to a convincing victory of their own.
The saying goes, big time players, make big time plays, in big time games. That could not have been more true for LHS's star junior Aubrey Deardorf. She began her day in the 55m Dash, where a personal best time of 7.27 seconds qualified her first out of the prelims. In the finals, Deardorf was even better. The junior powered out of the blocks and blazed her way to a sensational time of 7.24 seconds, which won the title, broke the championship record, and qualified her for the New Balance Indoor Nationals in March. Deardorf then turned to the Long Jump runway. Already the LHS record holder in the event indoors and out, Deardorf wasted no time announcing her presence on Monday. On her first attempt, she flew 18'1.25". That mark broke her own school record, and held up to win the event by over a foot-and-a-half. Deardorf came to the League Meet with the goal of delivering 20 points for her team, and she did just that. While Deardorf was lighting it up on the track, fellow classmate Ainsley Cuthbertson was locked in a drama-filled Shot Put competition. The junior came in with a personal best of 35'6.50". However, on her second round throw she vaulted up into the lead with a throw of 36'10.25". After the top seed, Arlington's Bella Hayes, fouled her next throw, Cuthbertson dropped a bomb. The 8-pound ball flew out of her hand and crashed down at 38'7.50". Hayes went on to foul her next attempt, while the LHS junior continued to deliver big throw after big throw. To her credit, Hayes responded in the finals and delivered a throw of 39'0" that would go on to take the title and break the previous meet record. For her efforts, Cuthbertson earned the silver medal, and broke the LHS record in the event held by Jakiya Taylor (LHS '15). With that, she now holds the school record in both indoor throwing events. Back on the track, freshman phenom Amelia Whorton toed the line in the Mile against Belmont's Dana Lehr. The Belmont senior was fresh off a sensational 4:48 performance in the event over the weekend, but knew she would have a lot to handle in Whorton. When the gun fired, the two were out incredibly fast and came through the quarter mile in 71 and 72 seconds. From there Whorton battled to stay with Lehr, but in the end it was the senior who crossed the line first in a meet record of 4:57.74. Despite the runner-up finish, Whorton competed her heart out and delivered a huge personal best time of 5:02.54, which qualified her for Nationals in the event. However, the freshman was not done. Shortly thereafter, she was back on the line for the 1000m. In that race, Whorton took control early with a 69-second opening quarter, and never relinquished her lead. She crossed the line in 3:00.88, to win the event in a championship record and put a stamp on her 18-point performance with a second national qualifier. While Deardorf, Cuthbertson, and Whorton led the way, it took everything The Minutemen had to deliver the performance they did on Monday. The Lex girls scored at least four points in every event in which they competed, and put up double-digit points in 7 of 12 events on the night.
Lexington's boys were led by their captains. Senior Ryan Zhang has been simply elite in the 55m Hurdles during the latter half of this season. And, his poise and power was on full display at the League Championships as he opened up the meet by cruising to the top time in the prelims of the event. In the finals, he delivered a personal best of 7.67 seconds and won the title going away. Along with the 10 points, Zhang now ranks #2 all-time in LHS history in his signature event. Over on the Long Jump runway, the event was going well for junior captain Simon Tandeih. He popped a season best leap of 21'3.75" on his first attempt, which gave him a sizeable lead. Tandeih's second attempt was even better, as he landed at 21'6", and went into cruise-control during the next three rounds as he maintained his large lead. Then, in the final round of the competition, with Tandeih waiting on deck, Burlington junior Ryan Brooks delivered a big jump of 21'11.25", which snatched the victory from Tandeih's hands. However, the LHS junior had a chance to respond, and respond he did. Tandeih thundered down the runway and exploded off the board, landing 22'7" into the pit. Not only did that mark win the title and qualify him for Nationals, but it broke the championship record and the school record set by LHS legend Darius Walker (LHS '07) back in 2006. While Zhang and Tandeih had great days, winning a team title requires people to rise to the occasion. Sophomore Cayden Chambers did just that on Monday in the 55m Dash. Chambers had been stuck in the 6.8s all season, but knew it would take more than that to make the finals and score points for his team. In the prelims he was lined up next to Arlington's star sprinter, senior Nikolai Shubochkin. The two blasted out of the blocks and Chambers appeared to be holding his ground as he finish just behind Shubochkin. When the crowd looked up at the scoreboard, "6.69" flashed next to Chambers' name, which sent the LHS section into a frenzy. In the finals, Chambers nearly repeated the performance, as he earned fourth place and five key points with a time of 6.70 seconds. Another breakthrough performance came from LHS senior James Joseph in the 600m. Joseph laid off the hot pace early in the race, but began to move up in the field on the second lap. He crossed the line at the bell in fourth place with a 55-flat split, but still had a lot of work to do to catch the leaders. As the race reached the backstretch it was Reading's Cameron Gigler and Arlington's Nico Peukert running one-two. Joseph went wide on the final turn and slingshot around Peukert into second place. He was in full flight trying to close the gap on Gigler down the final stretch. Then, just as Joseph nearly pulled even, the Reading junior just found it in the tank to hold off the furious charge and take the win. Despite the silver, Joseph delivered a massive personal best time of 1:23.96.
Other Highlights for the Girls
Final Boys Team Scores
1. Lexington - 125
2. Woburn - 68
3. Arlington - 57
4. Melrose - 54
5. Winchester - 41
6. Reading - 37
7. Belmont - 23
8. Wilmington - 22
9. Wakefield - 18
10. Burlington - 16
11. Watertown - 14
12. Stoneham - 11
Other Highlights for the Boys
Final Boys Team Scores
1. Lexington - 110.50
2. Arlington - 71
3. Winchester - 70
4. Melrose - 47
5. Reading - 41
6. Woburn - 33
7. Wakefield - 29
8. Burlington - 26
9. Stoneham - 18.50
10. Belmont - 14
11. Wilmington - 8
Up Next
The ultimate prize of the MIAA Division 1 Championship is on the line next Wednesday, February 12th. Action will begin at Reggie Lewis beginning at 4:30pm.
Middlesex League Championships
February 3, 2025
the TRACK at New Balance - Boston, MA.
RESULTS
BOSTON, MA - The Minutemen returned to the TRACK at New Balance on Monday for the Middlesex League Championships. After both teams secured the Liberty Division titles during the dual meet season, Monday's meet featured the league's 12 teams competing for the right to call themselves League Champs. LHS's boys' and girls' teams showed up with their best on Monday night, delivering school and meet records, national qualifiers, and most importantly picking up points wherever they could en route to a pair of dominant victories. The Lex girls matched the meet scoring record of 125 points, set by the 2020 LHS squad, and did not even compete one of the relays. Meanwhile, LHS's boys turned in 110.50 points on their way to a convincing victory of their own.
The saying goes, big time players, make big time plays, in big time games. That could not have been more true for LHS's star junior Aubrey Deardorf. She began her day in the 55m Dash, where a personal best time of 7.27 seconds qualified her first out of the prelims. In the finals, Deardorf was even better. The junior powered out of the blocks and blazed her way to a sensational time of 7.24 seconds, which won the title, broke the championship record, and qualified her for the New Balance Indoor Nationals in March. Deardorf then turned to the Long Jump runway. Already the LHS record holder in the event indoors and out, Deardorf wasted no time announcing her presence on Monday. On her first attempt, she flew 18'1.25". That mark broke her own school record, and held up to win the event by over a foot-and-a-half. Deardorf came to the League Meet with the goal of delivering 20 points for her team, and she did just that. While Deardorf was lighting it up on the track, fellow classmate Ainsley Cuthbertson was locked in a drama-filled Shot Put competition. The junior came in with a personal best of 35'6.50". However, on her second round throw she vaulted up into the lead with a throw of 36'10.25". After the top seed, Arlington's Bella Hayes, fouled her next throw, Cuthbertson dropped a bomb. The 8-pound ball flew out of her hand and crashed down at 38'7.50". Hayes went on to foul her next attempt, while the LHS junior continued to deliver big throw after big throw. To her credit, Hayes responded in the finals and delivered a throw of 39'0" that would go on to take the title and break the previous meet record. For her efforts, Cuthbertson earned the silver medal, and broke the LHS record in the event held by Jakiya Taylor (LHS '15). With that, she now holds the school record in both indoor throwing events. Back on the track, freshman phenom Amelia Whorton toed the line in the Mile against Belmont's Dana Lehr. The Belmont senior was fresh off a sensational 4:48 performance in the event over the weekend, but knew she would have a lot to handle in Whorton. When the gun fired, the two were out incredibly fast and came through the quarter mile in 71 and 72 seconds. From there Whorton battled to stay with Lehr, but in the end it was the senior who crossed the line first in a meet record of 4:57.74. Despite the runner-up finish, Whorton competed her heart out and delivered a huge personal best time of 5:02.54, which qualified her for Nationals in the event. However, the freshman was not done. Shortly thereafter, she was back on the line for the 1000m. In that race, Whorton took control early with a 69-second opening quarter, and never relinquished her lead. She crossed the line in 3:00.88, to win the event in a championship record and put a stamp on her 18-point performance with a second national qualifier. While Deardorf, Cuthbertson, and Whorton led the way, it took everything The Minutemen had to deliver the performance they did on Monday. The Lex girls scored at least four points in every event in which they competed, and put up double-digit points in 7 of 12 events on the night.
Lexington's boys were led by their captains. Senior Ryan Zhang has been simply elite in the 55m Hurdles during the latter half of this season. And, his poise and power was on full display at the League Championships as he opened up the meet by cruising to the top time in the prelims of the event. In the finals, he delivered a personal best of 7.67 seconds and won the title going away. Along with the 10 points, Zhang now ranks #2 all-time in LHS history in his signature event. Over on the Long Jump runway, the event was going well for junior captain Simon Tandeih. He popped a season best leap of 21'3.75" on his first attempt, which gave him a sizeable lead. Tandeih's second attempt was even better, as he landed at 21'6", and went into cruise-control during the next three rounds as he maintained his large lead. Then, in the final round of the competition, with Tandeih waiting on deck, Burlington junior Ryan Brooks delivered a big jump of 21'11.25", which snatched the victory from Tandeih's hands. However, the LHS junior had a chance to respond, and respond he did. Tandeih thundered down the runway and exploded off the board, landing 22'7" into the pit. Not only did that mark win the title and qualify him for Nationals, but it broke the championship record and the school record set by LHS legend Darius Walker (LHS '07) back in 2006. While Zhang and Tandeih had great days, winning a team title requires people to rise to the occasion. Sophomore Cayden Chambers did just that on Monday in the 55m Dash. Chambers had been stuck in the 6.8s all season, but knew it would take more than that to make the finals and score points for his team. In the prelims he was lined up next to Arlington's star sprinter, senior Nikolai Shubochkin. The two blasted out of the blocks and Chambers appeared to be holding his ground as he finish just behind Shubochkin. When the crowd looked up at the scoreboard, "6.69" flashed next to Chambers' name, which sent the LHS section into a frenzy. In the finals, Chambers nearly repeated the performance, as he earned fourth place and five key points with a time of 6.70 seconds. Another breakthrough performance came from LHS senior James Joseph in the 600m. Joseph laid off the hot pace early in the race, but began to move up in the field on the second lap. He crossed the line at the bell in fourth place with a 55-flat split, but still had a lot of work to do to catch the leaders. As the race reached the backstretch it was Reading's Cameron Gigler and Arlington's Nico Peukert running one-two. Joseph went wide on the final turn and slingshot around Peukert into second place. He was in full flight trying to close the gap on Gigler down the final stretch. Then, just as Joseph nearly pulled even, the Reading junior just found it in the tank to hold off the furious charge and take the win. Despite the silver, Joseph delivered a massive personal best time of 1:23.96.
Other Highlights for the Girls
- Junior Felice Haverly delivered a huge win in the High Jump as she cleared the bar at 5'2".
- Along with Whorton, freshman Mackenzie Callahan (3:04.17) made it a one-two podium finish for LHS in the 1000m as she earned silver in the event; sophomore Callie Glenn (3:08.38) also placed fifth; freshman Natalie Bielat (3:12.09) earned seventh.
- In the 2 Mile, freshman Janie Conrad (11:18.85) earned a runner-up finish; junior Meghan Caldera (12:00.45) placed fourth; junior captain Thayer DiCerbo turned in a big performance of 12:11.93 to earn seventh.
- The 600 saw freshman C.C. Kvaal run a huge PR of 1:42.07 to grab bronze; junior Rose Neely (1:43.29) delivered a PR to place sixth; freshman Addie Haiar (1:44.95) turned in a big personal best of her own to pickup one point with her eighth place finish.
- Sophomore Marissa Hao delivered a personal best of 43.40 to earn fourth place in the 300m.
- Glenn delivered a fourth place finish in the Mile with a time of 5:16.41.
- In the 55m Hurdles, it was sophomore Emily Hoefkens who placed fifth with a time of 9.43 seconds.
- The 4x400m Relay of Kvaal, Haiar, Callahan, and junior Anika Steinbrecher earned bronze in a time of 4:18.26.
- While the Weight Throw was not scored, Cuthbertson delivered five throws over the mark for Nationals, with her best going 45'9.75" to win the event; junior Ella Wolosoff (31'8") was third; fellow classmate Emily Wondolowski (30'7.75") was fourth.
- Senior Caitlin Lennox (31'3.50") was first in the Triple Jump, which also was competed as an unscored event.
Final Boys Team Scores
1. Lexington - 125
2. Woburn - 68
3. Arlington - 57
4. Melrose - 54
5. Winchester - 41
6. Reading - 37
7. Belmont - 23
8. Wilmington - 22
9. Wakefield - 18
10. Burlington - 16
11. Watertown - 14
12. Stoneham - 11
Other Highlights for the Boys
- In the 1000m, senior Zach Barry earned silver with a time of 2:34.32; senior Max Zhang won bronze in 2:36.20; sophomore Arjun Raha placed fifth in 2:39.16; sophomore Eric House placed eighth in 2:40.96.
- Junior Cleavon Manor Jr. used a sixth round jump of 20'11.75" to grab the bronze medal in the Long Jump.
- Tandeih was third in the 55m Hurdles in a time of 7.98 seconds; junior Panos Kokkinias was eight in 8.44 seconds.
- The Mile featured sophomore Patrick Noonan place third in 4:34.69.
- It was sophomore Trevor Stevens who placed fourth in the 2 Mile with a time of 9:51.35; Noonan was seventh in 10:03.76; sophomore Holden Cassity (10:07.73) was eighth.
- In the Shot Put, junior Franz Schoeder threw 43'9" to earn fourth place.
- Sophomore Sheryas Hanchinamani earned sixth in the 300m with a time of 37.16 seconds.
- Senior Nathan Cunningham (1:27.51) was sixth in the 600m.
- Tandeih tied for eighth in the High Jump with a leap of 5'6".
- The 4x200m Relay of Chambers, Hanchinamani, sophomore Luis Linares Gutierrez, and senior Tim George won in a season best time of 1:33.03.
- The 4x400m Relay was won by the team of Max Zhang, Barry, Cunningham, and Joseph in a season best time of 3:33.22.
- Schoeder dropped a bomb of 56'5.50" on his final attempt in the Weight Throw to win the event with a big PR; junior Christian Brown (43'8") was second; junior Matheo Gomes (39'5.50") was fourth overall.
Final Boys Team Scores
1. Lexington - 110.50
2. Arlington - 71
3. Winchester - 70
4. Melrose - 47
5. Reading - 41
6. Woburn - 33
7. Wakefield - 29
8. Burlington - 26
9. Stoneham - 18.50
10. Belmont - 14
11. Wilmington - 8
Up Next
The ultimate prize of the MIAA Division 1 Championship is on the line next Wednesday, February 12th. Action will begin at Reggie Lewis beginning at 4:30pm.