BAA Press Release
World class middle-distance running siblings are rare, though plentiful enough that all track fans can name a handful. But how about world class twins? That's a whole other proposition. But pay attention to your stats books in the coming years; the next set of sub-four twins may be on their way.
That's an easy conclusion to draw following the dominant display of Wellesley's Matt and Thomas D'Anieri in the B.A.A. Scholastic Boys' Mile. Coming into the race with respective PRs of 4:17.79 and 4:19, not only were they the top ranked competitors in the field by more than 10 seconds, they set out to prove so in demonstrable fashion.
Coached by former world class 5000m runner Tim Broe (who also coaches Ben True, second in today's B.A.A. 5K, the seniors took control from the outset and never gave any indication of relinquishing it.
Commented Matt, "At the end of the first lap, it was time to switch gears."
In other words, it was time to decide this race once and for all. Along the Newbury Street back stretch, Matt pressed, Thomas covered and inexorable daylight opened. After two laps, the gap was more than 10 meters, and the result was in. The only question remaining was, which D'Anieri would take the title (and could we tell them apart)? As it evolved, the outcome was a tie. Matt and Thomas surged toward the line, both comfortable, both crossing shoulder to shoulder in 4:33.1.
"I knew we would be our own best competition," asserted Thomas. "We didn't really need to go to the well today. We're both on a DMR team in four days time. Our plan was to work together and just separate from the others."
Third place went to Alex Montague from Newton, who crossed the line in a time of 4:40. Asked about his race, he commented, "I'm just happy there's not a triplet so I could make the podium."
In the Scholastic Girls' Mile, made up of two-woman teams representing the eight cities and towns-Hopkinton, Ashland, Framingham, Natick, Wellesley, Newton, Brookline, and Boston - along the Boston Marathon course, Rebecca Grusby of Newton South High School took control on the last lap to win in 5:29.1, with Kelsey Walak of Natick second in 5:30.9 and Eve Driver of Wellesley third in 5:33.0 to lead Wellesley to victory in the team competition.
Grusby, the 2016 Division 1 state champion indoors at two miles, is a three-time consensus Boston Globe and Boston Herald All-Scholastic athlete. Her 5:02 personal best for the mile was the fastest in the field.
"I wanted to go for it," said Grusby, a senior competing here for the first time. "This was my only chance to win."
Driver, who is headed to Harvard University, brought the second-fastest personal best (5:11.09) into the event, but she also brought some doubts: She didn't compete indoors this winter, and hadn't raced since November.
"I had no idea what to expect," she said, pleased and excited to have finished as runner-up in "the best-attended and most hyped-up race I've ever done."