BOYS CROWNED CHAMPIONS WHILE GIRLS MAKE A STATEMENT AGAINST READING
Meet Information
Reading Dual Meet
January 8, 2019
Boston University Indoor Track & Tennis Center - Boston, MA
RESULTS
BOSTON, MA - Tuesday night in the final meet of a stretch of three in five days The Minutemen went up against the Reading Rockets. After dispatching archrival Woburn on Friday, all the boys needed to do to clinch their first Middlesex League Liberty Division Championship since 2016 was take care of business against Reading. Lexington's boys did that and more, earning the victory in every event except one on their way to a 74-26 route of the Rockets.
The Minutemen have been led by their senior captains all year and Tuesday was no different. Alex Hiser began the meet by winning the 55m Dash in 6.89 seconds. He then won the Long Jump with a leap of 19'8.5" before running the opening leg of the 4x200m relay, which won in a season best time of 1:34.01. Along with Hiser's triple gold effort, fellow captain Eli Gappelberg qualified for the Division 1 Championships in the 1000m - his time of 2:38.92 placed him second. This marked the third individual event in which Gappelberg has qualified for Divisionals this season, having previously qualified in the Mile and 2 Mile, which is the most on the team. Gappelberg would return to be a part of Lexington's 4x400m team who won with the fastest time of the night (3:36.60). While the seniors led the way, they were not the only ones who came up with a championship level performance. Junior Josh Backert turned in a pair of victories for Lexington. The first came in the 600m, where Backert won easily in a time of 1:27.29. He then came back shortly thereafter to lead The Minutemen to a sweep of the 300m in a personal best time of 37.47 seconds.
While there was no title on the line for the girls, one would never have known it with they way they competed across the board. As was the case in the boys meet, the girls won every event save for one and competed with a level of toughness that has become the hallmark of this team. Nowhere was this better on display than in the final event of the night, the 4x400m relay. With the victory already sealed for The Minutemen, the team of sophomore Catherine Movsessian, freshman Elana Sabin, junior Lily Sheth, and sophomore Aleia Gisolfi-McCready dropped the hammer on the rest of the League by running the best time by any Middlesex League team this winter by over over four seconds. Their time of 4:08.23 also qualified the team for Divisionals in February and polished off a 69-31 victory for Lexington. Along with the relay's impressive performance, junior Danna Ofek won the Mile in a personal best and Division 1 qualifying time of 5:23.98. She would double back to pick up a third place in the 1000m as well.
Other Highlights for the Boys
Other Highlights for the Girls
Up Next
The Minutemen will return to the Reggie Lewis Center this Saturday for the MSTCA Division 1 Relay Meet. Whether on the track or in the field, the meet is as advertised, relays only, and offers teams the opportunity to test their depth against one and other before heading into postseason action next month. The meet is set to begin at 10:00am.
Reading Dual Meet
January 8, 2019
Boston University Indoor Track & Tennis Center - Boston, MA
RESULTS
BOSTON, MA - Tuesday night in the final meet of a stretch of three in five days The Minutemen went up against the Reading Rockets. After dispatching archrival Woburn on Friday, all the boys needed to do to clinch their first Middlesex League Liberty Division Championship since 2016 was take care of business against Reading. Lexington's boys did that and more, earning the victory in every event except one on their way to a 74-26 route of the Rockets.
The Minutemen have been led by their senior captains all year and Tuesday was no different. Alex Hiser began the meet by winning the 55m Dash in 6.89 seconds. He then won the Long Jump with a leap of 19'8.5" before running the opening leg of the 4x200m relay, which won in a season best time of 1:34.01. Along with Hiser's triple gold effort, fellow captain Eli Gappelberg qualified for the Division 1 Championships in the 1000m - his time of 2:38.92 placed him second. This marked the third individual event in which Gappelberg has qualified for Divisionals this season, having previously qualified in the Mile and 2 Mile, which is the most on the team. Gappelberg would return to be a part of Lexington's 4x400m team who won with the fastest time of the night (3:36.60). While the seniors led the way, they were not the only ones who came up with a championship level performance. Junior Josh Backert turned in a pair of victories for Lexington. The first came in the 600m, where Backert won easily in a time of 1:27.29. He then came back shortly thereafter to lead The Minutemen to a sweep of the 300m in a personal best time of 37.47 seconds.
While there was no title on the line for the girls, one would never have known it with they way they competed across the board. As was the case in the boys meet, the girls won every event save for one and competed with a level of toughness that has become the hallmark of this team. Nowhere was this better on display than in the final event of the night, the 4x400m relay. With the victory already sealed for The Minutemen, the team of sophomore Catherine Movsessian, freshman Elana Sabin, junior Lily Sheth, and sophomore Aleia Gisolfi-McCready dropped the hammer on the rest of the League by running the best time by any Middlesex League team this winter by over over four seconds. Their time of 4:08.23 also qualified the team for Divisionals in February and polished off a 69-31 victory for Lexington. Along with the relay's impressive performance, junior Danna Ofek won the Mile in a personal best and Division 1 qualifying time of 5:23.98. She would double back to pick up a third place in the 1000m as well.
Other Highlights for the Boys
- The Mile group of junior Selvin Backert (4:36.16), senior Jeb Jacob (4:42.33), and sophomore Nick Porter (4:55.32) brought home the first sweep of three sweeps for Lexington.
- While Gappelberg picked up second in the 1000m, junior Andrew McGovern won the event (2:38.39) and sophomore Maxim Slobodchikov carried the golden broom across the finish for a third place and League Qualifying time of 2:43.81.
- Sophomore Brian Her (37.68 seconds) and senior Joe Tibbles (38.29 seconds) finished off the final sweep for The Minutemen, this one in the 300m.
- In the 2 Mile it was junior Seth Cutler (10:23.64) and sophomore Nate Croke (10:23.77) going 1-2.
- Junior Liam Cotter got the meet off to a fast start by running a personal best time of 8.42 seconds to win the 55m High Hurdles. Fellow junior Shymon Samsel was third in 8.56 seconds.
- The Shot Put saw another pair of LHS juniors go 1-3. This time it was Michael Gupta (44'10") and Yanni Zavagliakos (41'10").
- McGovern also picked up third in the High Jump with a leap of 5'5".
- Senior Riley Walsh managed third in the 600m with his time of 1:30.42.
Other Highlights for the Girls
- Continuing to impose their will on the League, the girls "Bomb Squad" busted out the golden broom in the Shot Put. Junior Chrisondra Awomah (33'5"), senior captain Janna Lee (29'9"), and freshman Beryl Awomah (29'1") went 1-2-3.
- Sophomore Rachel Caldwell-Glixon tied her personal best (9.64 seconds) on her way to winning the Hurdles. Freshman Carolyn Lane picked up second in 9.86 seconds.
- While Sheth won the 600m (1:43.02), sophomore Aylin Bruce battled down the homestretch to take second place in a time of 1:46.01.
- In the High Jump Caldwell-Glixon (5'0") and sophomore Hanna Jiang (4'4") picked up first and third.
- Gisolfi-McCready and fellow sophomore Eileen Cannon also went 1-3. Running 42.29 seconds and 44.73 seconds respectively in the 300m.
- In the Dash it was junior Keena Gao who took the tape in 8.03 seconds. Gao also place third in the Long Jump with a leap of 13'7.25".
- Junior Pauline Steines qualified for the League Meet by winning the 1000m in 3:15.37.
- Running a season best in the 2 Mile was senior captain Kesinia Sortor. Her time of 11:53.62 was good enough for first.
- Caldwell-Glixon, Gao, Cannon and freshman Mari McBride ran the fastest 4x200m time on the night (1:50.54).
Up Next
The Minutemen will return to the Reggie Lewis Center this Saturday for the MSTCA Division 1 Relay Meet. Whether on the track or in the field, the meet is as advertised, relays only, and offers teams the opportunity to test their depth against one and other before heading into postseason action next month. The meet is set to begin at 10:00am.