ATKINS EARNS ALL-NEW ENGLAND HONORS; LEAVES LEGACY OF EXCELLENCE AT LHS
Meet Information
New England Championships
June 8, 2024
Wildcat Stadium - Durham, NH
RESULTS
DURHAM, NH - Since her first competition back in January of 2022, senior captain Katie Atkins competed in 23 pole vault competitions for LHS. Saturday, at the New England Championships, The Minutemen's senior captain had one final chance to don the blue and gold to cap off her high school career. After a first attempt clearance at 10'3" to open her competition, Atkins needed three attempts to get over 10'9". However, she came back with a clearance at 11'3" on her first jump that sent her up the standings to sixth place. As the competition came to a close, Atkins' 11'3" jump held up to earn her the sixth place medal and First-Team All-New England honors. And, with that, the career of one of LHS's all-time greats come to an end. However, she leaves a legacy in Lexington that will not soon be forgotten.
Atkins has made an impact on the Lexington High School Track & Field program that few can match. As a leader, she is one of the finest the team has ever had, serving as captain in both her junior and senior years. Atkins' versatility as an athlete is also notable. Over the past three Outdoor Seasons, she competed at a high level in the 100m hurdles, javelin, and the pole vault in just about every meet. However, it is the vault where the LHS senior has left her greatest impact on the program.
Prior to her sophomore year, Atkins took it upon herself to apply her experience in gymnastics to what is perhaps the most technically challenging event in the sport of track & field. At that time, Lexington had no facilities at which she could practice, no coaches to help guide her, and had not produced a pole vaulter in almost 25 years. Despite the challenges she faced, Atkins' dedication to her craft never waivered. Her sophomore year, she traveled around the state to various pole vault clubs to develop her skills, which culminated in a seventh place medal with a jump of 9'0" at the MIAA Division 1 Championships in the spring. Atkins' efforts and successes as sophomore helped usher in a new era of track & field in Lexington that included an investment in outdoor pole vault facilities and coaching. Her groundbreaking work laid the foundation for a whole crop of young LHS student-athletes to join her in competing in pole vault. As a junior she continued to develop, and cleared 10'6" to earn the silver medal at Divisionals. This year, Atkins has been one of the finest vaulters in the state. While a lack of indoor vaulting facilities meant she still needed to train with club coaches during the winter, things all came together for her under new LHS vault coach Karleigh Manfredi this spring. Atkins hit a new personal best of 11'0" to finish second at the Middlesex League Championships, and matched that performance at Divisionals. At last week's MIAA Meet of Champions, the Rochester University commit added another silver medal to her collection as she cleared a new personal best height of 11'6".
Atkins leaves Lexington High School with six school records to her name. She is the Indoor and Outdoor pole vault record holder, and a member of the record holding pole vault relay, javelin relay, and two shuttle hurdle relays. In addition, Atkins was also just the second LHS female student-athlete to only compete in track & field since 2000 to win the school's Edward "Doc" Abell Outstanding Athlete Award, which is given annually to one senior male and one senior female athlete who has displayed outstanding overall athletic ability, leadership, cooperation, and positive spirit in more than one sports activity. Quite simply, Katie Atkins leaves behind a legacy of excellence on and off the track that is a standard to which all others can aspire.
Up Next
The Minutemen will be head down to Franklin Field on the campus of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia for the New Balance Outdoor Nationals. The site of The Penn Relays, which is the oldest and largest Track & Field Meet in the United States, was built in 1895. In addition to the legendary Relay Carnival, it has hosted such events as the 1936 Democratic National Convention that nominated Franklin D. Roosevelt, the 1960 NFL Championship Game that saw the Philadelphia Eagles hand Vince Lombardi his only career playoff loss, and 18 Army-Navy Games. The Minutemen will be be competing as Lexington Elite TC, and will have athletes competing in all four days of competition beginning this Thursday at 11:00am. Each day the meet can be livestreamed for free HERE.
New England Championships
June 8, 2024
Wildcat Stadium - Durham, NH
RESULTS
DURHAM, NH - Since her first competition back in January of 2022, senior captain Katie Atkins competed in 23 pole vault competitions for LHS. Saturday, at the New England Championships, The Minutemen's senior captain had one final chance to don the blue and gold to cap off her high school career. After a first attempt clearance at 10'3" to open her competition, Atkins needed three attempts to get over 10'9". However, she came back with a clearance at 11'3" on her first jump that sent her up the standings to sixth place. As the competition came to a close, Atkins' 11'3" jump held up to earn her the sixth place medal and First-Team All-New England honors. And, with that, the career of one of LHS's all-time greats come to an end. However, she leaves a legacy in Lexington that will not soon be forgotten.
Atkins has made an impact on the Lexington High School Track & Field program that few can match. As a leader, she is one of the finest the team has ever had, serving as captain in both her junior and senior years. Atkins' versatility as an athlete is also notable. Over the past three Outdoor Seasons, she competed at a high level in the 100m hurdles, javelin, and the pole vault in just about every meet. However, it is the vault where the LHS senior has left her greatest impact on the program.
Prior to her sophomore year, Atkins took it upon herself to apply her experience in gymnastics to what is perhaps the most technically challenging event in the sport of track & field. At that time, Lexington had no facilities at which she could practice, no coaches to help guide her, and had not produced a pole vaulter in almost 25 years. Despite the challenges she faced, Atkins' dedication to her craft never waivered. Her sophomore year, she traveled around the state to various pole vault clubs to develop her skills, which culminated in a seventh place medal with a jump of 9'0" at the MIAA Division 1 Championships in the spring. Atkins' efforts and successes as sophomore helped usher in a new era of track & field in Lexington that included an investment in outdoor pole vault facilities and coaching. Her groundbreaking work laid the foundation for a whole crop of young LHS student-athletes to join her in competing in pole vault. As a junior she continued to develop, and cleared 10'6" to earn the silver medal at Divisionals. This year, Atkins has been one of the finest vaulters in the state. While a lack of indoor vaulting facilities meant she still needed to train with club coaches during the winter, things all came together for her under new LHS vault coach Karleigh Manfredi this spring. Atkins hit a new personal best of 11'0" to finish second at the Middlesex League Championships, and matched that performance at Divisionals. At last week's MIAA Meet of Champions, the Rochester University commit added another silver medal to her collection as she cleared a new personal best height of 11'6".
Atkins leaves Lexington High School with six school records to her name. She is the Indoor and Outdoor pole vault record holder, and a member of the record holding pole vault relay, javelin relay, and two shuttle hurdle relays. In addition, Atkins was also just the second LHS female student-athlete to only compete in track & field since 2000 to win the school's Edward "Doc" Abell Outstanding Athlete Award, which is given annually to one senior male and one senior female athlete who has displayed outstanding overall athletic ability, leadership, cooperation, and positive spirit in more than one sports activity. Quite simply, Katie Atkins leaves behind a legacy of excellence on and off the track that is a standard to which all others can aspire.
Up Next
The Minutemen will be head down to Franklin Field on the campus of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia for the New Balance Outdoor Nationals. The site of The Penn Relays, which is the oldest and largest Track & Field Meet in the United States, was built in 1895. In addition to the legendary Relay Carnival, it has hosted such events as the 1936 Democratic National Convention that nominated Franklin D. Roosevelt, the 1960 NFL Championship Game that saw the Philadelphia Eagles hand Vince Lombardi his only career playoff loss, and 18 Army-Navy Games. The Minutemen will be be competing as Lexington Elite TC, and will have athletes competing in all four days of competition beginning this Thursday at 11:00am. Each day the meet can be livestreamed for free HERE.