How do you follow up a school-record performance in the 4×800-meter relay?
For Brookline, it’s a no-brainer. With a new state mark in the Distance Medley, of course.
Just two days after placing tenth in the 4x800m, Brookline became the state’s latest record-holder at the New Balance Nationals. In the last day of the four-day competition on Sunday, the Warriors grabbed the silver medal in the Distance Medley Relay. The foursome of Theodore Butty, Elijah Sweeney, Harry Flint and Altamo Aschkenasy combined for a time of 9 minutes, 55.24 seconds. Their runner-up effort broke the one-year-old mark of 9:57.63 by Westford Academy at the 2024 meet. Herriman (UT) won the race in 9:50.19.
How about these for impressive stats. Butty led off the quartet with a 3:05.75 split for his opening 1,200m leg. Sweeney blazed to a time of 49.71 for the 400m. He was followed by lightning-quick legs of 1:51.54 for the 800m from Flint and a 4:08.26 1,600m anchor from Aschkenasy. Weston was 21st overall in the race with a solid 10:23.41.
The Bay State had a couple more athletes earn All American during Day 4 at the University of Pennsylvania’s Franklin Field.
Peabody’s Alessandra Forgione saved her best for last in the javelin. The state’s No. 1 thrower this season hurled the metal spear a PR of 144 feet, 3 inches. Prior to her throw, Forgione was sitting in sixth. She was just three feet short of the winning toss of 147-3 by Eliana Schneider of Lebanon (PA). Weymouth’s Ainsley Weber came less than four feet from making the podium, finishing eighth with a best of 134-7.
Two weeks after winning the state title in the long jump, Lexington’s Aubrey Deardoff came through with the best performance of her career, leaping 19-9 to secure fifth overall in her specialty. The talented junior had a strong day with leaps of19-2 and 18-11.75 also in her series.
In the boys’ 4x110m shuttle hurdle relay, Old Rochester and Methuen were among the top 10. Old Rochester’s quartet of Wesner Archelus, Calder Eaton, Malik Washburn, and Sebastian Harrigan were timed in 59.88, good for seventh overall. Right behind in eighth was Methuen’s foursome of John Ryan, Jeremiah Mateo Mora, Carlos Quintana, and Ryan Demers, who combined for a time of 1:00.21.
A day after her record-setting performance in the mile, Westford Academy’s Abby Hennessy placed third in her heat and 12th overall in the 800m with a time of 2:08.22. Finishing among the top 50 in this immensely-talented field were Plymouth North’s Macey Shriner (33rd, 2:11.14), Framingham’s Sasha Lamakina (44th, 2:12.08) and Newton South’s Emily Frawley (46th, 2:12.25).
Lexington’s gifted underclassmen shined in the Freshmen 800m. In the girls’ race, Amelia Whorton was second overall in 2:11.25. 11. Matteo Sanchez de Rojas was 11th in the boys’ race at 1:56.91
Weymouth was 20th among 52 schools in the girls’ DMR with the squad of Isabella Galusha, Casey Dempsey, Gracie Richard, and Emma Daley running a time of 12:19.50.
In the javelin, St. John’s Prep’s Kye McClory was 16th overall with a distance of 173-0. Central Catholic’s Drew Aslup was 22nd at 169-11.
Arlington’s Nico Peukert and Phillip Academy’s Tamrat Gavenas went sub 1:55 in the 800m. Peukert was timed in 1:54.03, while Gavenas crossed the line in 1:54.36.
