FINALLY, THE MINUTEMEN RETURN HOME TO LEXINGTON... AND DO SO IN STYLE
Meet Information
Arlington Dual Meet
April 11, 2024
Lexington Center Track - Lexington, MA
RESULTS
LEXINGTON, MA - It had been 705 days since The Minutemen were able to hold a track & field meet in the Town of Lexington. LHS has not hosted a varsity indoor track & field meet since 2015 because its 59-year old field house - which is in drastic need of replacement - is too small and does not meet the state's requirements to host high school meets. Outdoors, the track at Lexington's Center Recreation Complex was built with throwing facilities that were not safe for practice or competition. However, due to the tireless efforts of Lexington's Superintendent Dr. Julie Hackett and Athletic Director Naomi Martin, a proper thrower facility was built at LHS this past fall. And so, finally, the 232 student-athletes that make up the Lexington High School Outdoor Track & Field team were able to come home, to compete in front of friends, family, and the Lexington community. After four hours of competition in front of a charged up crowd, The Minutemen walked away with 68 varsity letters earned, 47 Middlesex League Championship qualifiers, 21 MIAA Division 1 State Championship qualifying performances, and the most important stat of all, two victories. The Boys by a score of 106-28, and the Lex Girls, 77-59.
As was the case indoors, sophomore Aubrey Deardorf was outstanding in her season debut. She began her day by winning the 100m with a time of 13.02, and then returned later to win the 200m in 27.32. Both times qualified her for the Division 1 Championships. Another big day was turned in by fellow classmate Felice Haverly. The star sophomore competed as well as she has in her entire career on Thursday, as she was second to Deardorf in the 100m, with a PR and Divisional qualifier of 13.07 seconds. In the 400m, Haverly was in full control of the race from the moment she pushed out from her starting blocks. The sophomore charged around the track to the tune of 1:01.13, and won the race with another Divisional mark. In what can only be described as the breakout performance of the meet, junior Alkisti Kokkinia turned a number of heads when she crossed the line in the 400m Hurdles with a Division 1 qualifying time of 1:11.61 in her debut in the event. With that, the "Burger Squad" was rolling early, and when senior Amandine Mangon stepped out of the blocks in the 100m Hurdles, things really heated up. Mangon cruised through her signature event with a very strong season opener of 15.52 seconds to win the event by nearly two-seconds and qualify for Divisionals in the process.
On the boys' side, The Minutemen were led by senior McKenna O'Hare Gibson's electric performances in the 400m and 200m. In the 400m, O'Hare Gibson put himself in rarefied air, as he became just the seventh LHS athlete to break the elusive 50-second barrier this century with a time of 49.99 seconds. He then was back shortly thereafter to drop another PR of 22.35 seconds in the 200m. Both marks were the fastest run in this young season anywhere in Massachusetts. Senior captain Joey "The Candyman" Ryan showed that he too is in fine form as the Outdoor Season begins. He opened his day with a solid 4:27.11 to win the Mile, before he easily dispatched the field in the 2 Mile with a time of 9:31.55. Those two marks qualified him in both events at Divisionals. Another outstanding performance came from Simon Tandeih. The first sophomore in anyone's memory to be selected as a captain in the XC/Track & Field program, Tandeih has seamlessly risen to his newfound responsibilities to lead his teammates and to perform for his team. Thursday, he began his day with a massive PR of 21'1.75" in the Long Jump. Then, he came back in the 110m Hurdles to win with a new PR of 15.57 seconds. As was the case with O'Hare Gibson, and The Candyman, both of his open events saw him qualify for Divisionals. Then, to finish off his day, Tandeih led off the 4x400m Relay with a 54.5 split, which along with juniors James Joseph, Zach Barry, and Max Zhang won the event with a time of 3:34.28.
Other Highlights for the Girls
Other Highlights for the Boys
Up Next
The Minutemen are back at it next week for the rescheduled dual meet against Belmont. The meet will now be held in Burlington on Wednesday, April 17th. Action gets underway at 9:00am.
Arlington Dual Meet
April 11, 2024
Lexington Center Track - Lexington, MA
RESULTS
LEXINGTON, MA - It had been 705 days since The Minutemen were able to hold a track & field meet in the Town of Lexington. LHS has not hosted a varsity indoor track & field meet since 2015 because its 59-year old field house - which is in drastic need of replacement - is too small and does not meet the state's requirements to host high school meets. Outdoors, the track at Lexington's Center Recreation Complex was built with throwing facilities that were not safe for practice or competition. However, due to the tireless efforts of Lexington's Superintendent Dr. Julie Hackett and Athletic Director Naomi Martin, a proper thrower facility was built at LHS this past fall. And so, finally, the 232 student-athletes that make up the Lexington High School Outdoor Track & Field team were able to come home, to compete in front of friends, family, and the Lexington community. After four hours of competition in front of a charged up crowd, The Minutemen walked away with 68 varsity letters earned, 47 Middlesex League Championship qualifiers, 21 MIAA Division 1 State Championship qualifying performances, and the most important stat of all, two victories. The Boys by a score of 106-28, and the Lex Girls, 77-59.
As was the case indoors, sophomore Aubrey Deardorf was outstanding in her season debut. She began her day by winning the 100m with a time of 13.02, and then returned later to win the 200m in 27.32. Both times qualified her for the Division 1 Championships. Another big day was turned in by fellow classmate Felice Haverly. The star sophomore competed as well as she has in her entire career on Thursday, as she was second to Deardorf in the 100m, with a PR and Divisional qualifier of 13.07 seconds. In the 400m, Haverly was in full control of the race from the moment she pushed out from her starting blocks. The sophomore charged around the track to the tune of 1:01.13, and won the race with another Divisional mark. In what can only be described as the breakout performance of the meet, junior Alkisti Kokkinia turned a number of heads when she crossed the line in the 400m Hurdles with a Division 1 qualifying time of 1:11.61 in her debut in the event. With that, the "Burger Squad" was rolling early, and when senior Amandine Mangon stepped out of the blocks in the 100m Hurdles, things really heated up. Mangon cruised through her signature event with a very strong season opener of 15.52 seconds to win the event by nearly two-seconds and qualify for Divisionals in the process.
On the boys' side, The Minutemen were led by senior McKenna O'Hare Gibson's electric performances in the 400m and 200m. In the 400m, O'Hare Gibson put himself in rarefied air, as he became just the seventh LHS athlete to break the elusive 50-second barrier this century with a time of 49.99 seconds. He then was back shortly thereafter to drop another PR of 22.35 seconds in the 200m. Both marks were the fastest run in this young season anywhere in Massachusetts. Senior captain Joey "The Candyman" Ryan showed that he too is in fine form as the Outdoor Season begins. He opened his day with a solid 4:27.11 to win the Mile, before he easily dispatched the field in the 2 Mile with a time of 9:31.55. Those two marks qualified him in both events at Divisionals. Another outstanding performance came from Simon Tandeih. The first sophomore in anyone's memory to be selected as a captain in the XC/Track & Field program, Tandeih has seamlessly risen to his newfound responsibilities to lead his teammates and to perform for his team. Thursday, he began his day with a massive PR of 21'1.75" in the Long Jump. Then, he came back in the 110m Hurdles to win with a new PR of 15.57 seconds. As was the case with O'Hare Gibson, and The Candyman, both of his open events saw him qualify for Divisionals. Then, to finish off his day, Tandeih led off the 4x400m Relay with a 54.5 split, which along with juniors James Joseph, Zach Barry, and Max Zhang won the event with a time of 3:34.28.
Other Highlights for the Girls
- Junior Lucy Kontos had a stellar debut in the open 800m, as she crossed the line in 2:22.27 to win the race and qualify for the Division 1 Championships; sophomore Rose Neely turned in a great debut of her own, with a PR and League Championship qualifier of 2:25.83; senior Samara McVey also hit the League mark with a time of 2:32.38.
- Senior captain Katie Atkins qualified for Divisionals in the Javelin with a throw of 92'2"; she did the same in the 100m Hurdles, as she crossed the line in 17.30 seconds.
- The 4x400m Relay of Neely, McVey, junior Caroline Kvaal, and Kontos combined to qualify Divisionals with a time of 4:18.88.
- In the Shot Put, sophomore Ainsley Cuthbertson (31'9.75") had a solid debut in the event and qualified for the D1 Championships in the process; she also hit the League standard in the Discus with a throw of 86'4".
- The 400m saw Kvaal (1:04.49) run a PR and League qualifying time from the JV heats; sophomore Anika Steinbrecher also hit the League mark with a time of 1:04.57.
- After a season that wasn't indoors, junior Thayer DiCerbo returned from injury to qualify for League with a PR of 12:27.22 in the 2 Mile.
- In the 200m, sophomore Julianna Mathurin qualified for League with a time of 27.99 seconds.
Other Highlights for the Boys
- Freshman phenom Patrick Noonan (4:32.55) followed Ryan to a Divisional qualifying mark in the Mile; behind them were a pair of League qualifiers, freshmen Alden Hall (4:42.20) and Owen Ross (4:42.97); Barry (4:42.45) also hit the League mark from the JV heats.
- Senior Khai Uda-Thach turned in a 400/200 double of his own, as he went 52.03 seconds and 22.96 seconds in the respective events; his 400m time earned him the Division 1 qualifying standard, while his 200m mark was good enough to punch his ticket to League.
- In the 110m Hurdles, junior Ryan Zhang (15.83) ran a Divisional qualifying mark as he finished second behind Tandeih.
- After two mediocre throws, sophomore Nick Roell uncorked a throw of 120'10" in the Discus to qualify for Divisionals.
- The 800m saw four LHS athletes achieve the League standard; Joseph (2:02.10) was first, followed by Noonan (2:02.73), and juniors Will Fletcher (2:03.10) and Nathan Cunningham (2:04.99).
- Senior Clifton Reid Jr. blazed through the first half of the 400m Hurdles on this way to a League qualifying time of 1:04.21.
- Freshman Cayden Chambers earned his first high school victory, as he took the 100m with a League Championship qualifying time of 11.65 seconds.
- From the JV heats of the 400m, Max Zhang (53.22) qualified for League.
- In the Long Jump, senior Jacob Pan (19'6.50") qualified for League.
Up Next
The Minutemen are back at it next week for the rescheduled dual meet against Belmont. The meet will now be held in Burlington on Wednesday, April 17th. Action gets underway at 9:00am.