HOKA Male Athlete Of The Week: Sam Burgess, Framingham

Throughout the year, Bay State Running will recognize our top boys’ and girls’ athletes each and every week. Without further adieu, we’d like to congratulate Framingham’s Sam Burgess, who we nominate as the HOKA Male Athlete of the Week.

In a race that turned out to be what most expected at Saturday’s MIAA Meet of Champions, Burgess claimed the individual title in a classic two-mile on the Reggie Lewix oval. The Harvard-bound senior held off gallant efforts from St. John’s Prep’s Nathan Lopez and Westford Academy’s Paul Bergeron to win his second straight title with a season best of 8 minutes, 59.27 seconds, an effort that currently ranks. No. 4 in the country. Lopez would finish second (9:01.32) and Bergeron took third (9:04.38) on of the most competitive two-mile since Franklyn Sanchez (Lynn Voke) and Andy Powell (Oliver Ames) duked it out in 1999 with Sanchez capturing the title in a state record of 8:49.60 to Powell’s 8:50.29.