CLASS OF '24 BIDS GOODBYE TO LEXINGTON IN STYLE; VICTORY OVER WINCHESTER
Meet Information
Winchester Dual Meet
May 8, 2024
Lexington Center Track - Lexington, MA
RESULTS
LEXINGTON, MA - Wednesday's meet against Winchester was the final home meet of the 2023-2024 academic year. For the Class of 2024, it also signaled the beginning of the end of their time at Lexington High School. This year's seniors came to LHS in the fall of 2020, at a time when the concept of high school sports was totally up in the air due to the pandemic. From the beginning they were asked to be flexible, to adapt to new policies on a seemingly daily basis, and to find a way to learn and grow in as students, athletes, and humans throughout it all. For many, Wednesday's meet was the culmination of four years of conquering everything that the world could throw at them, and coming through with the finest performances they could for their team. As for the team, both the Boys (71-64) and the Girls (76-60) came through with narrow victories over the Winchester Red and Black.
Senior captain Sarah Weisberg is a student-athlete who embodies everything that LHS's Track & Field team preaches when it comes to "team over self." A captain of the Cross Country, Indoor and Outdoor teams, she has never been a top varsity contender. However, her value to the team comes from the leadership she provided over a program that includes nearly 10% of the LHS population. While her fierce dedication to the team is on display daily, on Wednesday, it was her talent on the track that took center stage. During the Indoor and Outdoor seasons, she competed in the Mile 10 times. Each one of those time she failed to break the elusive six-minute barrier. That finally changed against Winchester. Weisberg laid it all out there for four laps of the track, and came across the line with a tremendous time of 5:50.52 to put an emphatic stamp of success, on what has been a fantastic career with The Minutemen. Another huge performance came from senior Noa Helmbrecht. As a junior, Helmbrecht burst onto the scene for the Lex Girls and turned out to be one of the finest sprinters in the state, as she finished 10th at the MIAA Division 1 Championships last spring. Unfortunately, she suffered a torn ACL during the summer, and it appeared that her career would be over just as quickly as it started. However, Helmbrecht is one of those rare individuals who will find a way to succeed no matter obstacles are put in her path. She spent the year tirelessly rehabbing her injury in the hopes that she could somehow contribute to her team this spring. Due to her hard work, that opportunity came last week as she made her debut against Reading. Simply making it to the starting line was a massive win for her that day, but Helmbrecht is a competitor above everything else. And, with one more race, she wanted to extend her season a bit longer. Against Winchester, she competed in the varsity 100m, and managed to pick up a third place finish to help her team break out the golden broom and sweep the event. Along with her first varsity point in nearly a year, Helmbrecht also ran a time of 13.41 seconds that qualified her for the Middlesex League Championship next week. In other words, she's not done yet!
A former LHS Track & Field athlete coined the term "juice guy" when referring to members of a team who always keep the spirit and intensity up for their teammates. Clifton Reid Jr has embodied that throughout his time with The Minutemen. As an underclassmen he never really factored into the varsity discussion, however, his booming presence on the team could be heard at any practice or meet, as he rallied his teammates to support each other. This season, he took a massive step forward as an athlete in what has become his signature event, the 400m Hurdles. There, he achieved the Division 1 qualifying standard for the first time in his career. On Wednesday, he competed in the 200m for the final time. He ran a personal best time of 24.56 seconds, which broke the elusive 25-second barrier in his final opportunity to do it. His season is nowhere near finished, but the fact remains that in his final performance for The Minutemen in Lexington, he was at his best. Another member of the Class of 2024 who's season will continue beyond his final meet in Lexington is Khai Uda-Thach. The youngest of three extremely talents brothers who re-wrote the record books at LHS during their careers, Khai did the 400/200 double on Wednesday. He was just off his season best in the 400m, with a time of 52.37 seconds, but he saved his best for last. He won the 200m with a season best time of 22.86 seconds, a time that ranks him fourth in the event heading into the League Championships next week.
Other Highlights for the Girls
Other Highlights for the Boys
A select group of athletes will head to the MSTCA Twilight Invitational on Friday, May 10th in Foxborough. The meet is set to begin at 3:30pm.
Winchester Dual Meet
May 8, 2024
Lexington Center Track - Lexington, MA
RESULTS
LEXINGTON, MA - Wednesday's meet against Winchester was the final home meet of the 2023-2024 academic year. For the Class of 2024, it also signaled the beginning of the end of their time at Lexington High School. This year's seniors came to LHS in the fall of 2020, at a time when the concept of high school sports was totally up in the air due to the pandemic. From the beginning they were asked to be flexible, to adapt to new policies on a seemingly daily basis, and to find a way to learn and grow in as students, athletes, and humans throughout it all. For many, Wednesday's meet was the culmination of four years of conquering everything that the world could throw at them, and coming through with the finest performances they could for their team. As for the team, both the Boys (71-64) and the Girls (76-60) came through with narrow victories over the Winchester Red and Black.
Senior captain Sarah Weisberg is a student-athlete who embodies everything that LHS's Track & Field team preaches when it comes to "team over self." A captain of the Cross Country, Indoor and Outdoor teams, she has never been a top varsity contender. However, her value to the team comes from the leadership she provided over a program that includes nearly 10% of the LHS population. While her fierce dedication to the team is on display daily, on Wednesday, it was her talent on the track that took center stage. During the Indoor and Outdoor seasons, she competed in the Mile 10 times. Each one of those time she failed to break the elusive six-minute barrier. That finally changed against Winchester. Weisberg laid it all out there for four laps of the track, and came across the line with a tremendous time of 5:50.52 to put an emphatic stamp of success, on what has been a fantastic career with The Minutemen. Another huge performance came from senior Noa Helmbrecht. As a junior, Helmbrecht burst onto the scene for the Lex Girls and turned out to be one of the finest sprinters in the state, as she finished 10th at the MIAA Division 1 Championships last spring. Unfortunately, she suffered a torn ACL during the summer, and it appeared that her career would be over just as quickly as it started. However, Helmbrecht is one of those rare individuals who will find a way to succeed no matter obstacles are put in her path. She spent the year tirelessly rehabbing her injury in the hopes that she could somehow contribute to her team this spring. Due to her hard work, that opportunity came last week as she made her debut against Reading. Simply making it to the starting line was a massive win for her that day, but Helmbrecht is a competitor above everything else. And, with one more race, she wanted to extend her season a bit longer. Against Winchester, she competed in the varsity 100m, and managed to pick up a third place finish to help her team break out the golden broom and sweep the event. Along with her first varsity point in nearly a year, Helmbrecht also ran a time of 13.41 seconds that qualified her for the Middlesex League Championship next week. In other words, she's not done yet!
A former LHS Track & Field athlete coined the term "juice guy" when referring to members of a team who always keep the spirit and intensity up for their teammates. Clifton Reid Jr has embodied that throughout his time with The Minutemen. As an underclassmen he never really factored into the varsity discussion, however, his booming presence on the team could be heard at any practice or meet, as he rallied his teammates to support each other. This season, he took a massive step forward as an athlete in what has become his signature event, the 400m Hurdles. There, he achieved the Division 1 qualifying standard for the first time in his career. On Wednesday, he competed in the 200m for the final time. He ran a personal best time of 24.56 seconds, which broke the elusive 25-second barrier in his final opportunity to do it. His season is nowhere near finished, but the fact remains that in his final performance for The Minutemen in Lexington, he was at his best. Another member of the Class of 2024 who's season will continue beyond his final meet in Lexington is Khai Uda-Thach. The youngest of three extremely talents brothers who re-wrote the record books at LHS during their careers, Khai did the 400/200 double on Wednesday. He was just off his season best in the 400m, with a time of 52.37 seconds, but he saved his best for last. He won the 200m with a season best time of 22.86 seconds, a time that ranks him fourth in the event heading into the League Championships next week.
Other Highlights for the Girls
- Sophomore Ainsley Cuthbertson was simply sensational; she broke the LHS record in the Hammer Throw with a toss of 118'8"; then was back in the Discus where she threw a PR of 109'7" that ranks her MA #2 in her class.
- Senior captain Jada Solomon continued her incredible mid-season push as she qualified for Divisionals in the 100m with a PR of 13.02 seconds; she followed that up with a PR and League qualifying mark of 1:03.21 in the 400m.
- In the 200m, sophomore Aubrey "Bubbles" Deardorf hit the Divisional standard with a time of 27.05 seconds; fellow classmate Anika Steinbrecher (27.58) hit the League mark.
- The Mile saw freshman Josie Bettencourt qualify for the League Championships with a PR of 5:41.46.
- Freshman Alycia Charest won the 2 Mile with a PR and Divisional qualifying time of 12:07.10.
- Senior captain Katie Atkins matched her PR of 10'6" in the Pole Vault to begin her day, then headed over to Javelin where she won the event with a throw of 89'7"; she then earned her own personal golden broom with a win in the 100m Hurdles in a personal best time of 16.37 seconds.
- In the 400m Hurdles, sophomore Monjola Finnih hit the League standard with a time of 1:16.52.
- Senior Amandine Mangon (33'1.50") turned in a personal best in the Triple Jump to improve her League qualifying mark.
Other Highlights for the Boys
- Freshman Aaron Yu (23.76) hit the League Championship standard in the 200m in his final opportunity of the season.
- In the 400m, junior James Joseph (52.56) ran a PR and League qualifier.
- Juniors Will Fletcher (2:02.46) and Daniel Ryans (2:04.81), and freshman Arjun Raha (2:05.31) all ran personal bests and League qualifying times in the 800m.
- Senior captain Joey "The Candyman" Ryan ran a PR of 4:22.70 in the Mile, which ranks MA #9; juniors Nathan Cunningham (4:36.37) and Zach Barry (4:38.43) both turned in personal bests and League qualifiers in the event.
- The 2 Mile saw the freshman trio of Alden Hall (10:14.16), Holden Cassity (10:16.78), and Owen Ross (10:19.75) all run personal bests and League qualifying times.
- In the 400m Hurldes, junior captain Kabir Gokarn (1:02.31) and sophomore captain Simon Tandeih (1:03.94) both ran PRs and League qualifiers.
- Sophomore Aiden Raney now ranks MA #10 with his jump of 12'3" in the Pole Vault; junior Garbins Bernard turned in a PR of 8'0" in the event as well.
- Senior Mark Nyakahuma (20'1.50") broke the 20-foot barrier in the Long Jump for the first time, as he improved his League mark.
- In the Shot Put, sophomore Nick Roell turned in a League qualifying mark of 41'2.50".
- Junior Colin Maguire hit the Division 1 standard in the Discus with a throw of 121'8".
- Sophomore Franz Schroeder (121'4") turned in a personal best in the Hammer Throw.
A select group of athletes will head to the MSTCA Twilight Invitational on Friday, May 10th in Foxborough. The meet is set to begin at 3:30pm.