"HAYWARD MAGIC" HITS THE MINUTEMEN ONCE AGAIN; LEX ATHLETES SHINE AT NATS
Meet Information
Nike Outdoor Nationals
June 16-19, 2021
Hayward Field - Eugene, OR
RESULTS
EUGENE, OR - It had been nearly 12 months since The Minutemen last competed at Historic Hayward Field on the campus of the University of Oregon in what is aptly known as "Track Town USA." Last year, the site of the 2022 IAAF World Athletics Championships saw Lexington's best set a pair of school records on their way to two All-American winning performances. It is a testament to the hard work and depth of talent that an almost entirely new crop of student-athletes from Lexington High School earned the right to compete at this year's Nationals Championships. While senior captains Mari McBride, Evan Eberle, and Joshua Lee were the only returners from last year's group that made it to Historic Hayward Field, seven other Lex athletes toed the line at Nike Outdoor Nationals. In the end, The Minutemen came away with 8 medals, 6 All-American honors, and 4 LHS records to put an exclamation point on another tremendous year for arguably the most successful program at Lexington High School.
Highlights from Thursday
The Championships got off to a tremendous start for The Minutemen on the very first day of competition. Junior harrier Ava Criniti toed the line in the 5000m for the first time, having qualified with her 2 Mile time from the League Championships earlier this spring. Criniti grinded her way through the 12 and a half laps that make up the longest distance in High School Track & Field. Over the final quarter mile, Criniti unleashed her patented finishing kick to break away from Kayla Aalpoel (WA) and, after a 79-second final lap, crossed the line with a time of 17:51.27. That time would hold up to place 11th overall, and established a new LHS record in the event.
Highlights from Friday
On Friday, The Minutemen sent out their two best boys and girls for the Mixed 4x400m Relay. Competed at the Olympics for the first time at the Tokyo Games, the event allows teams to set their lineup of boys and girls any way they choose, which creates high drama as boys and girls often battle it out on the same relay legs. Lexington Elite TC - the team name athletes from Lexington High School are forced to compete under due to MIAA restrictions - set its lineup with Lee leading off, followed by sophomore Maya Dubrovsky, McBride, and junior Branndon Uda-Thach. Lee got things off to a strong start with a 50.1 split before handing off to Dubrovsky. Her split of 62.6 kept The Minutemen in contention before McBride unleashed one final stellar 400m split to close out her high school career on the track. McBride handed off the baton after running a 57.1 split. It was then up to Uda-Thach to bring it home, which he did in 48.9 seconds for a final time of 3:39.00. That time was over six seconds faster than the team's previous best, and was a new LHS record.
Highlights from Saturday
The final school record to fall at Historic Hayward Field actually fell twice in less than eight minutes on Saturday. Eberle came to Eugene as the 2000m Steeplechase record holder, having broken the record with a time of 6:13.84 at New York Relays in April. However, fellow classmate and captain Ollie DiCerbo was running in the first of two heats in the event, which meant he would have a chance to take down Eberle's record while he watched from the waiting area. DiCerbo comes from a family of Steeplechasers, and looked like a smooth savant as he cruised over the 36-inch barriers throughout the race. After clearing the final water jump, DiCerbo turned on the jets over the final 100m, cleared one final barrier and crossed the in 6:12.46 to earn the title of LHS record holder. A title he held for exactly 7 minutes and 59 seconds as Eberle followed the lead of Portland Oregon's Benjamin Balazes - who broke the facility record in the event by running an electric time of 5:47.14 - to reclaim his record. His time of 6:08.48, was enough to land him in 11th place overall. Along with the Steeplechase, McBride ended her career by nearly reaching her personal best in the High Jump. Her leap of 1.64m (5'4.50") was enough to finish 13th.
Highlights from Sunday
As all greats track & field meets do, the National Championships came down - at least for The Mintuemen - to the relay. The Boys 4x400m Relay of Lee, juniors Jayden Bai and Alexios Kontothanassis, and Uda-Thach were fresh off a runner-up finish at the New England Championships in the event and hoping to test their metal against some of the nation's best. Lee and Bai got the boys off to a blazing start and they were cruising in second place going into the the second exchange. However the teams from Brandon Valley (SD) and Spring Lake (MI) had monster third legs that put The Minutemen in fourth position despite Kontothanassis's best efforts. On the anchor leg, Uda-Thach ran with everything his body would let him use. He turned in a 48.67 FAT split to lead his team across the line in 3:20.41, which earned them fourth place and All-American honors. This is now the second time in as many trips to Nike Outdoor Nationals that an LHS 4x4 has placed fourth overall.
Up Next
With the Outdoor Track & Field season coming to its completion, The Minutemen now turn their eyes back to the trails. the 2022 Fall Cross Country Season will begin at Maudslay State Park in Newburyport, Massachusetts on September 10th for the annual Clipper Relays.
Nike Outdoor Nationals
June 16-19, 2021
Hayward Field - Eugene, OR
RESULTS
EUGENE, OR - It had been nearly 12 months since The Minutemen last competed at Historic Hayward Field on the campus of the University of Oregon in what is aptly known as "Track Town USA." Last year, the site of the 2022 IAAF World Athletics Championships saw Lexington's best set a pair of school records on their way to two All-American winning performances. It is a testament to the hard work and depth of talent that an almost entirely new crop of student-athletes from Lexington High School earned the right to compete at this year's Nationals Championships. While senior captains Mari McBride, Evan Eberle, and Joshua Lee were the only returners from last year's group that made it to Historic Hayward Field, seven other Lex athletes toed the line at Nike Outdoor Nationals. In the end, The Minutemen came away with 8 medals, 6 All-American honors, and 4 LHS records to put an exclamation point on another tremendous year for arguably the most successful program at Lexington High School.
Highlights from Thursday
The Championships got off to a tremendous start for The Minutemen on the very first day of competition. Junior harrier Ava Criniti toed the line in the 5000m for the first time, having qualified with her 2 Mile time from the League Championships earlier this spring. Criniti grinded her way through the 12 and a half laps that make up the longest distance in High School Track & Field. Over the final quarter mile, Criniti unleashed her patented finishing kick to break away from Kayla Aalpoel (WA) and, after a 79-second final lap, crossed the line with a time of 17:51.27. That time would hold up to place 11th overall, and established a new LHS record in the event.
Highlights from Friday
On Friday, The Minutemen sent out their two best boys and girls for the Mixed 4x400m Relay. Competed at the Olympics for the first time at the Tokyo Games, the event allows teams to set their lineup of boys and girls any way they choose, which creates high drama as boys and girls often battle it out on the same relay legs. Lexington Elite TC - the team name athletes from Lexington High School are forced to compete under due to MIAA restrictions - set its lineup with Lee leading off, followed by sophomore Maya Dubrovsky, McBride, and junior Branndon Uda-Thach. Lee got things off to a strong start with a 50.1 split before handing off to Dubrovsky. Her split of 62.6 kept The Minutemen in contention before McBride unleashed one final stellar 400m split to close out her high school career on the track. McBride handed off the baton after running a 57.1 split. It was then up to Uda-Thach to bring it home, which he did in 48.9 seconds for a final time of 3:39.00. That time was over six seconds faster than the team's previous best, and was a new LHS record.
Highlights from Saturday
The final school record to fall at Historic Hayward Field actually fell twice in less than eight minutes on Saturday. Eberle came to Eugene as the 2000m Steeplechase record holder, having broken the record with a time of 6:13.84 at New York Relays in April. However, fellow classmate and captain Ollie DiCerbo was running in the first of two heats in the event, which meant he would have a chance to take down Eberle's record while he watched from the waiting area. DiCerbo comes from a family of Steeplechasers, and looked like a smooth savant as he cruised over the 36-inch barriers throughout the race. After clearing the final water jump, DiCerbo turned on the jets over the final 100m, cleared one final barrier and crossed the in 6:12.46 to earn the title of LHS record holder. A title he held for exactly 7 minutes and 59 seconds as Eberle followed the lead of Portland Oregon's Benjamin Balazes - who broke the facility record in the event by running an electric time of 5:47.14 - to reclaim his record. His time of 6:08.48, was enough to land him in 11th place overall. Along with the Steeplechase, McBride ended her career by nearly reaching her personal best in the High Jump. Her leap of 1.64m (5'4.50") was enough to finish 13th.
Highlights from Sunday
As all greats track & field meets do, the National Championships came down - at least for The Mintuemen - to the relay. The Boys 4x400m Relay of Lee, juniors Jayden Bai and Alexios Kontothanassis, and Uda-Thach were fresh off a runner-up finish at the New England Championships in the event and hoping to test their metal against some of the nation's best. Lee and Bai got the boys off to a blazing start and they were cruising in second place going into the the second exchange. However the teams from Brandon Valley (SD) and Spring Lake (MI) had monster third legs that put The Minutemen in fourth position despite Kontothanassis's best efforts. On the anchor leg, Uda-Thach ran with everything his body would let him use. He turned in a 48.67 FAT split to lead his team across the line in 3:20.41, which earned them fourth place and All-American honors. This is now the second time in as many trips to Nike Outdoor Nationals that an LHS 4x4 has placed fourth overall.
Up Next
With the Outdoor Track & Field season coming to its completion, The Minutemen now turn their eyes back to the trails. the 2022 Fall Cross Country Season will begin at Maudslay State Park in Newburyport, Massachusetts on September 10th for the annual Clipper Relays.