Why not?
It certainly makes sense.
With the competitive portion of the outdoor season just around the corner, Brockton’s versatile senior Lucas Andrade has indicated that he’s going to start focusing a little more on the 110-meter hurdles this spring. It’s an event he only competed in just three times last season, while concentrating in the other events he also excels at, like the 100m, 200m and high jump.
But things have changed somewhat for Andrade, since winning the 100m dash at the Meet of Champions last June. He’s not only a two-time state champion, New England titlist and state and New England record-holder in the 55m hurdles, he’s also an All American and one of the best hurdlers in the country.
Andrade earned that distinction on Sunday during the final day of the New Balance Nationals. Capping off a mega-successful indoor campaign in his specialty, the University of Rhode Island-bound standout took third overall in the 60m hurdles where he was timed in 7.78 seconds.
“This is my senior year and I had to make it count,” said the Brockton hurdler, who ran an all-time best of 7.74 in the semis. “My coaches did a really good job (preparing me for this). So did my parents, helping me mentally, telling me I got this all the time, always helping me emotionally. I appreciate them a lot for that.”
Andrade’s progression to the No. 3 spot on the podium against the nation’s best went into overdrive the last month where he thrice broke the state record in the 55m hurdles, including his all-time best of 7.22 at the New England’s. That, in itself, gave him increased confidence when competing on the biggest stage of the season.
“Coming into today, when I was on that line for finals, I was very happy with my progression this year,” he said. “Everything that I went through, everything that I prayed for, it was all over there on the line and I was just smiling all day. I was very happy to be here.”
Below is more of what happened during the final two days of competition, held at the TRACK of New Balance.
SUNDAY
She missed most of the cross-country season and part of the indoor campaign due to an injury,. But it would be safe to say that Abigail Hennessey is back and the outdoor season could be a very special one for the Westford Academy junior.
Competing in the unseeded section of the Championship Mile, the final race before the lights are shut off and the sparks are flying for the seeded race, Hennessey gave the elite runners something to think about before the gun was fired. Making the race her own with three laps remaining, Hennessey breezed to a three-second best of 4:42.72. She missed the podium by just .59.
Hennessey ran negative splits the final half of the race, clocking a sub 2:20 for the last 800m. Her expectation going into the race was just to have a solid performance before switching into outdoor mode.
“I was really just looking at just outdoor and anything for indoor was going to be like the cherry on the top,” she said. “I was really happy with how I did today. I’ve been going into this with a lot of modified base building, a lot of aerobic work, tempos and long runs.. I am really excited to see how this base training will transition into outdoor. I have never really focused some much on aerobic work before. It will be interesting to see how I respond to that…and how it will impact my races later on.”
On Friday, Hennessey was also part of Westford Academy’s fourth-place sprint medley relay, which was timed in a near state record of 4:05.55. Hennessey split 2:11 for her 800m anchor leg on the squad, which also included Alexa Pantoja, Ashley Vinith, and Sydney Weiss.
***
North Reading fell just short of the podium in the girls’ shuttle hurdle relay with the foursome of Giuliana Ligor, Callie MacLellan, Katie Zimmerman and Hayden Maclellan combining for a time of 34.48 to place seventh overall.
***
For the third straight year, Brighton’s star para-athlete Delmace Mayo was victorious in the Wheelchair Mile. Mayo raced to a PR of 4:10.54. That effort annihilated his meet record of 4:35.60, set last year.
***
Natick’s Emmanuella Edozien was fourth in her heat and 16th overall in the semis for the 60m hurdles. The state 55m HH state record-holder was timed in 8.67 for the longer race.
***
Newton North became one of just five teams in MA that have ever broken 3:20 for the 4x400m. The quartet of Reese Connors, Alexander Hoffman, George Rumkin and Juan Talisayon combined for a time of 3:19.46. The race also featured Amherst-Pelham (3:25.81), Marshfield (3:25.60), Brockton (3:27.27) and Norwell (3:29.08).
On the girls’ side Amherst-Pelham dipped under four minutes, finishing at 3:58.21. The quartet included Claire Fortin, Skylar Fox, Emilia Luetjen and Moriah Luetjen. Wachusett clocked 4:03.06 for 42nd, while Milton was 45th in 4:03.80
***
In the Championship Mile, Natick’s John Bianchi was the state’s top finisher placing 23rd overall with a PR of 4:12.33. Boston College High’s Shamus Larnard was 57th in 4:16.88.
***
Haverhill’s Madeline Goncalves was 11th in the shot with a heave of 40-9.5.
***
SATURDAY
Peabody’s Alex Jackson earned a spot on the podium in the weight throw to achieve All American status for the second straight day. Jackson had a best by nearly three feet to take sixth overall with a distance of 73-0.5. The Tanner senior claimed the bronze in the shot on Friday with a heave of 65-3.5, his second furthest effort of the season.
***
Plymouth North’s Macey Shriner was second in her heat and 22nd overall among 100 entries in the 800m with a season best of 2:11.47. A day earlier, Shriner raced to a PR of 57.5 in her preliminary heat of the 400m.
Newton South’s Emily Frawley captured her heat in the 800m with an indoor best of 2:12.97.
In the boys’ 800m, Marshfield’s Matt McCabe and Peabody’s Declan Smith both broke two minutes. McCabe clocked 1:56.45, while Smith was timed in 1:57.71.
***
The finals for the 4x200m were held on Saturday where the Archbishop Carroll (DC) boys won with a national and meet record of 1:24.99! A day earlier, a few MA school posted some quick times in their preliminary heats. Amherst Pelham ran the state’s No. 2 time of 1:29.83 with the quartet of Joshua Dean, Maurice Richardson, Conway Evans and Jahir Carter. Xaverian Brothers (1:30.61), Milton (1:30.87), Lowell (1:30.98) and Quincy (1:31.13) were the next fastest.
For the girls, Amherst-Pelham’s quartet of Ololara Baptiste, Emilia Luetjen, Ruby Austin and Moriah Luetjen ran a state-leading 1:43.29. That effort placed them 33rd among 86 teams. Natick (1:45.61), Duxbury (1:45.81), Milton (1:46.28) and Newton North (1:46.61) also had strong efforts. Natick clocked a PR in its race with the remaining three close to their bests.
***
In the prelims of the girls’ 200m, Sharon’s Nina Kyei-Aboagye became our state’s second sprinter under 25 seconds with a PR of 24.72. Chloe Elder blazed to a state No. 3 of 25.04, which is also a best.
Walpole’s Austin Feener (22.19) and Winchester’s Daniel Killian (22.27) were the fastest for boys.
***
In the final event of the night, the unseeded section of the 4xMile, Weston and Braintree finished right next to each other with times of 22:36.2 and 22:37.30, respectively.
