A PAIR OF W's AND A TRIO OF ALL-STATE QUALIFIERS AS LHS OPENS OUTDOOR SEASON
Meet Information
Arlington Dual Meet
April 8 2023
Burlington Varsity Field - Burlington, MA
RESULTS
BURLINGTON, MA - After a highly successful Indoor campaign, The Minutemen were back outdoors for the start of the Spring Season. The defending Middlesex League Indoor Champions opened up the Outdoor Track & Field Season in a quad meet against the Arlington Spy Ponders, which also featured Burlington and Melrose. On the Boys' side, Arlington was simply no match for The Minutemen as LHS won by 100 points on the nose - 116 to 16. While the Girls were tested, they were able to keep the Spy Ponders at an arm's length the whole day as they won by a score of 76-60.
The Boys were led by the one-two punch of senior captain Jack Ngo and fellow classmate Kaden "the Sundance Kid" Cassidy. The MIAA created a new format for qualifying for the Meet of Champions (formerly the All-State Championships) this season, which allows any athlete who achieves the standard at any meet during the season to earn a trip to Fitchburg State to compete for the title of individual state champion. Ngo and Cassidy were the first two members of LHS's squad to make that mark as they threw 140'10" and 136'2" respectively in the Discus. Along with their big days, senior captain Michael Gerfen took care of business in the 110m Hurdles with a Division 1 qualifying time of 15.96 seconds. After their historic Indoor Season that saw them run #2 all-time 4x200m Relay in Massachusetts history, LHS's Sprint Squad looks like it is primed for more success this season. Running nearly a half second faster than they did at any point last spring, the 4x100m Relay of senior captain Alexios Kontothanassis, senior Branndon Uda-Thach, senior Jake Wheaton, and freshman Amari Mow cruised to victory in a Division 1 qualifying time of 44.14 seconds.
In the Girls' Meet there was no question who was the athlete of the meet. Junior Amandine Mangon ran over the ten 33-inch high barriers in the 100m Hurdles in a time only one Lexington High School girl has bested since the turn of the century. Her mark of 15.68 seconds was a massive PR in the event, and qualified her for the Meet of Champions. Along with Mangon's huge day, junior Quin Tandeih followed up her record performance in the Hammer last week with a solid start to her season in the Discus. She won the event with a best throw of 103'7". Another great performance was turned in by Samara McVey. The junior burst into the lead of the 800m as the pack approached the 400 mark, and then she poured it on over the final lap to win with a PR of 2:28.74. That marked the first win in McVey's career, and her time qualified her for the Middlesex League Championships.
Other Highlights for the Boys
Other Highlights for the Girls
Up Next
On the Girls' side, it is Rivalry Week as The Minutemen will go toe-to-toe with the Woburn Tanners next Saturday morning at Woburn Memorial High School. This will be the dual meet of the season for the Girls, as the Tanners have gone undefeated in 31 consecutive Outdoor Track & Field dual meets, leading them to five consecutive Middlesex League Liberty Division Titles. The meet is set to begin at 9am.
Arlington Dual Meet
April 8 2023
Burlington Varsity Field - Burlington, MA
RESULTS
BURLINGTON, MA - After a highly successful Indoor campaign, The Minutemen were back outdoors for the start of the Spring Season. The defending Middlesex League Indoor Champions opened up the Outdoor Track & Field Season in a quad meet against the Arlington Spy Ponders, which also featured Burlington and Melrose. On the Boys' side, Arlington was simply no match for The Minutemen as LHS won by 100 points on the nose - 116 to 16. While the Girls were tested, they were able to keep the Spy Ponders at an arm's length the whole day as they won by a score of 76-60.
The Boys were led by the one-two punch of senior captain Jack Ngo and fellow classmate Kaden "the Sundance Kid" Cassidy. The MIAA created a new format for qualifying for the Meet of Champions (formerly the All-State Championships) this season, which allows any athlete who achieves the standard at any meet during the season to earn a trip to Fitchburg State to compete for the title of individual state champion. Ngo and Cassidy were the first two members of LHS's squad to make that mark as they threw 140'10" and 136'2" respectively in the Discus. Along with their big days, senior captain Michael Gerfen took care of business in the 110m Hurdles with a Division 1 qualifying time of 15.96 seconds. After their historic Indoor Season that saw them run #2 all-time 4x200m Relay in Massachusetts history, LHS's Sprint Squad looks like it is primed for more success this season. Running nearly a half second faster than they did at any point last spring, the 4x100m Relay of senior captain Alexios Kontothanassis, senior Branndon Uda-Thach, senior Jake Wheaton, and freshman Amari Mow cruised to victory in a Division 1 qualifying time of 44.14 seconds.
In the Girls' Meet there was no question who was the athlete of the meet. Junior Amandine Mangon ran over the ten 33-inch high barriers in the 100m Hurdles in a time only one Lexington High School girl has bested since the turn of the century. Her mark of 15.68 seconds was a massive PR in the event, and qualified her for the Meet of Champions. Along with Mangon's huge day, junior Quin Tandeih followed up her record performance in the Hammer last week with a solid start to her season in the Discus. She won the event with a best throw of 103'7". Another great performance was turned in by Samara McVey. The junior burst into the lead of the 800m as the pack approached the 400 mark, and then she poured it on over the final lap to win with a PR of 2:28.74. That marked the first win in McVey's career, and her time qualified her for the Middlesex League Championships.
Other Highlights for the Boys
- Along with the 4x100m performance, Mow won the 100m in 11.60 seconds and the Long Jump with a leap of 20'6"; both marks qualified him for League.
- The 200m saw juniors Khai Uda-Thach and Victor Yu qualify for League Meet with times of 23.17 and 23.77 respectively.
- Junior Joey "the Candy Man" Ryan ran a controlled 10:02.99 to win going away in the 2 Mile; along with Ryan, senior Aidan McPhee also achieved the League standard with a time of 10:35.36.
- In his first time running the event, junior McKenna O'Hare Gibson qualified for League in the 400m Intermediate Hurdles with a time of 1:01.55.
- Kontothanassis leapt 41'7.25" to win the Triple Jump with a League qualifying mark of his own.
- After taking the win in the Discus, Ngo won the Shot Put with a throw of 47'1"', which qualified him for the League Championships.
Other Highlights for the Girls
- In the 200m, freshman Felice Haverly ran her way to a League qualifying time of 27.12 seconds.
- Senior Uma Sanker qualified for League in the Mile with a time of 5:32.87; she followed that up by winning the 400m with a League qualifying time of 1:02.52.
- The 2 Mile saw senior Jasmine Sun qualify for League with a time of 12:21.05.
- Captain Katie Atkins earned a League qualifying mark in the 100m Hurdles, as the junior ran 17.19 seconds.
- LHS's Sprint Squad broke out the golden broom in the 100m, as freshman Aubrey Deardorf (13.26), junior Noa Helmbrecht (13.30), and senior Rose O'Neill (13.84) swept the event.
- Junior captain Jada Solomon (27.78) picked up a key second place in the 200m, as did sophomore Claire Cunningham (2:36.97) in the 800m.
Up Next
On the Girls' side, it is Rivalry Week as The Minutemen will go toe-to-toe with the Woburn Tanners next Saturday morning at Woburn Memorial High School. This will be the dual meet of the season for the Girls, as the Tanners have gone undefeated in 31 consecutive Outdoor Track & Field dual meets, leading them to five consecutive Middlesex League Liberty Division Titles. The meet is set to begin at 9am.