THE MINUTEMEN TAKE HOME BOTH ML-12 CHAMPIONSHIPS FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE '16
Meet Information
Middlesex League Championships
May 19, 2022
Burlington High School - Burlington, MA
RESULTS
BURLINGTON, MA - Thursday afternoon The Minutemen returned to Burlington High School for the 10th installment of Middlesex League Championships. Since 2012, this meet has crowned the League's individual and team Champions. The Lexington Boys are the most decorated time in the League, having won four titles. Woburn is next with three. Defending Champs Reading and the winner of the inaugural Championships Burlington both have won one. The Lex Girls came to the meet as defending Champs and lead the way having won five of nine titles. Woburn has won two titles, and Belmont and Melrose each won a title of their own.
On the Boys side, the 2022 edition of the League Championships saw LHS looking to make a clear statement that they were in fact the class of the League after dropping a dual meet, and in doing so losing out on the Liberty Division title to Reading. While the Lex Girls were out for revenge against Woburn, as the Tanners handily beat The Minutemen back in April and went on to win the Liberty Division crown as well. Despite being bested at home by Reading, the LHS Boys turned the League Championships into an absolute route. The Minutemen scored 159 points to nearly double up second place Winchester, while Reading finished third overall. In the Girls meet, the Lex Girls and the Tanners exchanged blows throughout the entire competition. And, as all great track meets do, coming down to the 4x400m Relay the Championship was still in doubt. However, the team of senior captain Elena Sabin, sophomores Gabby Fainelli and Adia Singh, and senior captain Mari McBride turned in a championship level performance to win the event in a time of 4:07.28. In the end The Minutemen won with 112 points to Woburn's 101.50, which marked the first time both the Lexington Boys and Girls took home the Middlesex League Outdoor Championships since 2016.
The Boys had a number of strong performances on the day, but no one stood taller than junior Jayden Bai who competed five races over three events. He began his day by running a massive PR in the 400m Intermediate Hurdles to narrowly edge Belmont senior George Pomer. His time of 56.40 seconds was the fastest time run in Massachusetts this season. In the very next event, Bai cruised his way through the trials of the 200m Dash with a time of 23.88 to qualify for the finals. He then qualified fourth in the trials of the 110m High Hurdles, before coming back for the finals of the 200m where he earned the bronze medal with a time of 23.04. In his final race of the day Bai gutted his way to a fourth place finish in the 110m Hurdles with a time of 16.34, to finish off scoring 21 points for his team. Bai's day was in fact spectacular, however his efforts were not uncommon as The Minutemen consistently put team over time on the day. Junior captain Michael Gerfen ran in the trials and finals of the 110m Hurdles and 100m Dash, which are next to each other in the order of events - with a cast on his wrist, wrapped in a plastic bag to keep it dry in the rain - to earn nine points for his team. He was second in the Hurdles and picked up eighth in the 100m. Both senior captain Josh Lee and junior Branndon Uda-Thach pulled off the 200/400 double, which involved the trials of the 200m Dash before running back-to-back finals as the 200 and 400 are next to each other in the meet. Uda-Thach won the 200 in a time of 22.76, and placed sixth in the 400 to earn 13 points for his team. Lee scored 10 points of his own by placing fourth in both events. It truly was a tremendous performance by the sprint and hurdle crew. The two groups combined to score 67 points for The Minutemen, and every athlete in those groups that competed, did so in multiple events along the way.
Superstar junior Ava Criniti led the way for the Lex Girls with a triple gold performance. To begin the meet, Criniti demolished the field by over a minute in the 2 Mile. Her time of 10:52.16 broke Danna Ofek's (LHS '20) Championship Record by nearly 20 seconds, and was the fastest time run in Massachusetts this year as well at US #3. In addition, that mark qualifies her for the Nike Outdoor Nationals in the 5000m. She then came back in the Mile to best Reading's Elizabeth Donahue by a half a second in the Mile. Her time of 5:12.22 just missed former Woburn great Gina D’Addario's Championship Record by five-hundredths of a second. Criniti finished off her day by anchoring the 4x800m Relay team of sophomores Maya Dubrovsky and Gabby Fainelli, and junior Uma Sanker to a victory with a season best time of 10:06.53. Matching Criniti's triple gold, McBride, who anchored the 4x4 to victory, won the High Jump with a leap of 5'2" and the 400m Dash in 59.56. Along with her leadoff leg on the 4x4, Sabin gutted her way through the 400m Hurdles, earning the silver medal with a time of 1:09.05. She then came back to qualify for the finals in the 100m Hurdles with a time of 17.17, before placing fifth with a time of 17.15 in the finals. Another standout performance came from sophomore Katie Atkins. While she finished just outside of the finals - ninth overall - in the 100m Hurdles, she turned in a lifetime best leap in the Pole Vault of 9'0" to earn the bronze medal in the event and improve her LHS Record. With that performance, Atkins is the first LHS student-athlete (boy or girl) to score or even compete the event at the League Championships.
Point Scorers for the Boys
Final Boys Team Scores
1. Lexington - 159
2. Winchester - 83
3. Reading - 81
4. Burlington - 75
5. Wakefield - 58
6. Arlington - 51
7. Woburn - 46
8. Wilmington - 43
9. Belmont - 39
10. Watertown - 17
10. Stoneham - 17
10. Melrose - 17
Point Scorers for the Girls
Final Girls Team Scores
1. Lexington - 112
2. Woburn - 101.50
3. Melrose - 90.50
4. Burlington - 85
5. Wilmington - 79.50
6. Arlington - 71
7. Wakefield - 52
8. Reading - 38.50
9. Belmont - 27
10. Winchester - 20
11. Watertown - 15
12. Stoneham - 10
Up Next
With the League Championships under their belts, The Minutemen now will look towards the MIAA Division 1 Championships. A new format will see the meet competed over two days, with Day 1 beginning Friday, May 27th at 3pm and Day 2 going on Sunday, May 29th. Full details on timing and schedule of events can be found HERE.
Middlesex League Championships
May 19, 2022
Burlington High School - Burlington, MA
RESULTS
BURLINGTON, MA - Thursday afternoon The Minutemen returned to Burlington High School for the 10th installment of Middlesex League Championships. Since 2012, this meet has crowned the League's individual and team Champions. The Lexington Boys are the most decorated time in the League, having won four titles. Woburn is next with three. Defending Champs Reading and the winner of the inaugural Championships Burlington both have won one. The Lex Girls came to the meet as defending Champs and lead the way having won five of nine titles. Woburn has won two titles, and Belmont and Melrose each won a title of their own.
On the Boys side, the 2022 edition of the League Championships saw LHS looking to make a clear statement that they were in fact the class of the League after dropping a dual meet, and in doing so losing out on the Liberty Division title to Reading. While the Lex Girls were out for revenge against Woburn, as the Tanners handily beat The Minutemen back in April and went on to win the Liberty Division crown as well. Despite being bested at home by Reading, the LHS Boys turned the League Championships into an absolute route. The Minutemen scored 159 points to nearly double up second place Winchester, while Reading finished third overall. In the Girls meet, the Lex Girls and the Tanners exchanged blows throughout the entire competition. And, as all great track meets do, coming down to the 4x400m Relay the Championship was still in doubt. However, the team of senior captain Elena Sabin, sophomores Gabby Fainelli and Adia Singh, and senior captain Mari McBride turned in a championship level performance to win the event in a time of 4:07.28. In the end The Minutemen won with 112 points to Woburn's 101.50, which marked the first time both the Lexington Boys and Girls took home the Middlesex League Outdoor Championships since 2016.
The Boys had a number of strong performances on the day, but no one stood taller than junior Jayden Bai who competed five races over three events. He began his day by running a massive PR in the 400m Intermediate Hurdles to narrowly edge Belmont senior George Pomer. His time of 56.40 seconds was the fastest time run in Massachusetts this season. In the very next event, Bai cruised his way through the trials of the 200m Dash with a time of 23.88 to qualify for the finals. He then qualified fourth in the trials of the 110m High Hurdles, before coming back for the finals of the 200m where he earned the bronze medal with a time of 23.04. In his final race of the day Bai gutted his way to a fourth place finish in the 110m Hurdles with a time of 16.34, to finish off scoring 21 points for his team. Bai's day was in fact spectacular, however his efforts were not uncommon as The Minutemen consistently put team over time on the day. Junior captain Michael Gerfen ran in the trials and finals of the 110m Hurdles and 100m Dash, which are next to each other in the order of events - with a cast on his wrist, wrapped in a plastic bag to keep it dry in the rain - to earn nine points for his team. He was second in the Hurdles and picked up eighth in the 100m. Both senior captain Josh Lee and junior Branndon Uda-Thach pulled off the 200/400 double, which involved the trials of the 200m Dash before running back-to-back finals as the 200 and 400 are next to each other in the meet. Uda-Thach won the 200 in a time of 22.76, and placed sixth in the 400 to earn 13 points for his team. Lee scored 10 points of his own by placing fourth in both events. It truly was a tremendous performance by the sprint and hurdle crew. The two groups combined to score 67 points for The Minutemen, and every athlete in those groups that competed, did so in multiple events along the way.
Superstar junior Ava Criniti led the way for the Lex Girls with a triple gold performance. To begin the meet, Criniti demolished the field by over a minute in the 2 Mile. Her time of 10:52.16 broke Danna Ofek's (LHS '20) Championship Record by nearly 20 seconds, and was the fastest time run in Massachusetts this year as well at US #3. In addition, that mark qualifies her for the Nike Outdoor Nationals in the 5000m. She then came back in the Mile to best Reading's Elizabeth Donahue by a half a second in the Mile. Her time of 5:12.22 just missed former Woburn great Gina D’Addario's Championship Record by five-hundredths of a second. Criniti finished off her day by anchoring the 4x800m Relay team of sophomores Maya Dubrovsky and Gabby Fainelli, and junior Uma Sanker to a victory with a season best time of 10:06.53. Matching Criniti's triple gold, McBride, who anchored the 4x4 to victory, won the High Jump with a leap of 5'2" and the 400m Dash in 59.56. Along with her leadoff leg on the 4x4, Sabin gutted her way through the 400m Hurdles, earning the silver medal with a time of 1:09.05. She then came back to qualify for the finals in the 100m Hurdles with a time of 17.17, before placing fifth with a time of 17.15 in the finals. Another standout performance came from sophomore Katie Atkins. While she finished just outside of the finals - ninth overall - in the 100m Hurdles, she turned in a lifetime best leap in the Pole Vault of 9'0" to earn the bronze medal in the event and improve her LHS Record. With that performance, Atkins is the first LHS student-athlete (boy or girl) to score or even compete the event at the League Championships.
Point Scorers for the Boys
- The 4x400m Relay of junior Aviv Spitz, senior Andreas Padilla, junior Sam Simon, and junior Alexios Kontothanassis took the title of League Champs with a time of 3:34.78.
- LHS's "Bomb Squad" was well represented on the Boys side; in the Shot Put juniors Allen Jiang (47'2"), Jack Ngo (47'1.50"), and Kaden Cassidy (44'10") went two-three-six; in the Discus Ngo continued LHS's dominance in the event at League, winning with a throw of 136'7", Cassidy (131'3") and Jiang (122'2") were third and fifth respectively; the surprise performance of the day came in the form of an eight foot PR by junior Andrew McDonnell (126'11") in the Javelin, which placed him sixth overall.
- Senior captain Evan Eberle took gold in the Mile with a PR of 4:23.10.
- In the 4x800m Relay, freshman Max Zhang teamed up with seniors Graham Bracken, Nick Lam, and captain Ollie DiCerbo to run a season best 8:21.57 and grab the silver medal in the process.
- Kontothanassis also earned the silver medal in the Triple Jump with a lifetime best leap of 42'0"; and placed fifth with a PR of 1:00.09 in the 400m Hurdles.
- Running a PR in the 800m of 2:00.64, Zhang placed fourth overall; junior Antonio Lopez placed eighth in 2:06.13.
- In the Long Jump it was juniors Jerry Gong (20'5") and Aidan Courduvelis (19'6.50") who both turned in season bests to place fifth and eighth respectively.
- Junior Jake Wheaton placed fifth in the 100m Dash with a time of 11.85 seconds; he was sixth in the finals of the 200m with a time of 24.06 seconds, and PRed in the prelims with a time of 23.88.
- The 2 Mile saw DiCerbo (9:56.66) and senior Thomas Lane (10:05.39) run PRs en route to placing sixth and seventh respectively.
- Also in the 200m, sophomore Khai Uda-Thach placed seventh in 24.19 seconds.
- After qualifying with a 17.54 in the trials of the 110m Hurdles, junior Naresh "B.K." Vytheswaran picked up a point for his team by placing eighth in the finals.
Final Boys Team Scores
1. Lexington - 159
2. Winchester - 83
3. Reading - 81
4. Burlington - 75
5. Wakefield - 58
6. Arlington - 51
7. Woburn - 46
8. Wilmington - 43
9. Belmont - 39
10. Watertown - 17
10. Stoneham - 17
10. Melrose - 17
Point Scorers for the Girls
- The 4x100m Relay of Atkins, junior Ella Lucente, sophomore Jada Solomon, and junior Rose O'Neil earned the silver medal with a time of 51.51 seconds.
- Competing in her final League Championships, senior captain Raquel Batista-Vieira placed fourth in the Discus with a throw of 99'1"; sophomore Quin Tandeih was sixth in 92'10".
- In the 2 Mile, junior Jasmine Sun turned in a huge PR of 12:14.97 to place fifth overall.
- Senior Anna Yang was fifth with a season best leap of 16'6.50" in the Long Jump; she also placed seventh in the Triple Jump with a PR of 33'4".
- O'Neil placed sixth in the 100m Dash with a time of 13.55 seconds.
- Also placing sixth was senior captain Clara Fu, who's Mile time of 5:29.20 was a season best.
- Junior Maddie Parks was seventh in the High Jump with a leap of 4'8".
Final Girls Team Scores
1. Lexington - 112
2. Woburn - 101.50
3. Melrose - 90.50
4. Burlington - 85
5. Wilmington - 79.50
6. Arlington - 71
7. Wakefield - 52
8. Reading - 38.50
9. Belmont - 27
10. Winchester - 20
11. Watertown - 15
12. Stoneham - 10
Up Next
With the League Championships under their belts, The Minutemen now will look towards the MIAA Division 1 Championships. A new format will see the meet competed over two days, with Day 1 beginning Friday, May 27th at 3pm and Day 2 going on Sunday, May 29th. Full details on timing and schedule of events can be found HERE.