SPRINT MEDLEY RELAY QUALIFIES FOR NATIONALS AT NEW BALANCE GRAND PRIX
Meet Information
New Balance Indoor Grand Prix
January 26, 2019
The Reggie Lewis Center - Boston, MA
RESULTS
BOSTON, MA - Saturday night four members of the Lexington High School boys team got the chance to not only see some of the world's best track and field athletes, but compete at the same meet. In a meet that featured, among others, NCAA Champions Gabby Thomas and Syndey McLaughlin (pictured right), 17-time NCAA Champion Edward Cheserek, 2-time NCAA record holder Rai Benjamin, World Champions Emma Colburn and Yomif Kejelcha, reigning Olympic Bronze Medalists Clayton Murphy and Jenny Simpson, and two time Olympic Medalist Nick Willis, The Minutemen raced against top prep teams from the area in the Sprint Medley Relay.
Lexington's SMR featured junior Andrew McGovern running the opening 800m leg before handing off to senior captains Alex Hiser and Kazu Uda-Thach who both ran 200m. Uda-Thach then passed the baton to junior Josh Backert who would anchor the relay with a 400m leg. Along with vying for the title, the team was also hoping to achieve the New Balance Indoor Nationals standard of 3:37.00 in the event. When the gun fired, McGovern pushed through a physical start and charged to the lead. He took the baton through 800m in an unofficial 1:58.8 split which had The Minutemen in third behind Newton North and Northampton. Hiser (unofficial 23.9 seconds) and Uda-Thach (unofficial 22.7 seconds) both ran well to keep The Minutemen in the race, but when Backert got the baton he needed to turn in a season best split for the team to get under the qualifying standard. As Backert came around the final turn a runner from Brockton came up on his shoulder to challenge for the final podium place. However, Backert was not to be denied as he thundered down the homestretch to an unofficial split of 50.8 seconds, which not only held off Brockton by one-hundredth of a second but was good enough for a final time of 3:36.23 and a trip to Nationals.
Up Next
McGovern, Hiser, Uda-Thach, Backert and the rest of The Minutemen return to action February 4th to go up against the best the Middlesex League has to offer at the Middlesex League Championships. The meet is set to start at 4pm.
New Balance Indoor Grand Prix
January 26, 2019
The Reggie Lewis Center - Boston, MA
RESULTS
BOSTON, MA - Saturday night four members of the Lexington High School boys team got the chance to not only see some of the world's best track and field athletes, but compete at the same meet. In a meet that featured, among others, NCAA Champions Gabby Thomas and Syndey McLaughlin (pictured right), 17-time NCAA Champion Edward Cheserek, 2-time NCAA record holder Rai Benjamin, World Champions Emma Colburn and Yomif Kejelcha, reigning Olympic Bronze Medalists Clayton Murphy and Jenny Simpson, and two time Olympic Medalist Nick Willis, The Minutemen raced against top prep teams from the area in the Sprint Medley Relay.
Lexington's SMR featured junior Andrew McGovern running the opening 800m leg before handing off to senior captains Alex Hiser and Kazu Uda-Thach who both ran 200m. Uda-Thach then passed the baton to junior Josh Backert who would anchor the relay with a 400m leg. Along with vying for the title, the team was also hoping to achieve the New Balance Indoor Nationals standard of 3:37.00 in the event. When the gun fired, McGovern pushed through a physical start and charged to the lead. He took the baton through 800m in an unofficial 1:58.8 split which had The Minutemen in third behind Newton North and Northampton. Hiser (unofficial 23.9 seconds) and Uda-Thach (unofficial 22.7 seconds) both ran well to keep The Minutemen in the race, but when Backert got the baton he needed to turn in a season best split for the team to get under the qualifying standard. As Backert came around the final turn a runner from Brockton came up on his shoulder to challenge for the final podium place. However, Backert was not to be denied as he thundered down the homestretch to an unofficial split of 50.8 seconds, which not only held off Brockton by one-hundredth of a second but was good enough for a final time of 3:36.23 and a trip to Nationals.
Up Next
McGovern, Hiser, Uda-Thach, Backert and the rest of The Minutemen return to action February 4th to go up against the best the Middlesex League has to offer at the Middlesex League Championships. The meet is set to start at 4pm.