How do you follow up two Division III State Relay titles, Two Division III State Titles, an All State Meet record performance in the 300 Meter run, and a New England record in the 5000 Meters? Well that's easy, just break a 29 year old State record in the 4x800 Meter relay.
Last night in New York City the boys 4x800 Meter relay team broke a 29 year old Massachusetts state record by running 7:53. The team of Grant Whitney, Nicholas Nielsen, Duncan Burleigh, and William Lumbert eclipsed the 1984 Cambridge Rindge and Latin performance of 7:53.50. What makes this team so special is that it is a collection of four solid hard working runners without the big name superstar. The Cambridge squad back in 1984 was anchored by Rich Kelley, the best miler in the State at the time. This Hingham team relies on the extraordinary performances of all four runners, and the results are just that....extraordinary !
On Friday evening, Julie McConnville broke a New England record in the 5000 Meter run with a time of 16:40.
Hingham High School Coaches Fred and David Jewett will someday look back at this season and say that they not only had the best team is schools history, but they may be able to say they have the best collection of athletes ever assembled on one team in Massachusetts. The town may want to think about having a parade down Main Street, because they are a special group of athletes and it is well deserved.
Larry Newman: New England Track
Finally. after a 29-year run atop the Ma. 4 x 800 indoor leader board, a team came along to dethrone Cambridge Rindge and Latin. Hingham, with a stellar effort from all four runners, took fifth overall in a Ma. record time of 7:53.11. That allowed them to sneak past the Cambridge quartet whose 7:53.5 effort dates all the way back to 1984. The Cambridge foursome of Tim Hairston, Jerome Leonce, Ray Flores and Tim Kelley - who anchored at the State Coaches Relays in 1:53.3, had been the gold standard amongst Ma. teams. With their effort today, Hingham moves to #2 all-time New England, ahead of Deering (7:53.50) of Portland, Maine, while Rindge and Latin drops to #4 all-time New England. Earlier this year Hingham ran 7:56.32, moving up to #8 all-time New England and #5 Ma., until this weekend's record performance.
1) Grant Whitney 13 2) Nicholas Nielsen 13
3) Duncan Burleigh 13 4) William Lumbert 13
1:58.46 (1:58.46) 3:56.66 (1:58.20) 5:55.16 (1:58.50)
7:53.12 (1:57.96)
Boys 4 x 800 Meters [Indoors] All-Time – New England
7:50.25 Chariho, Wood River Junction, RI
7:53.11 Hingham, MA
7:53.50 Deering, Portland, ME
7:53.5 Rindge & Latin, Cambridge, MA
7:54.13 Xaverian Brothers, Westwood, MA
7:54.50 Danbury, CT
7:55.37 Gloucester, MA
7:55.86 Pembroke, MA
7:56.76 Acton Boxborough, Acton, MA
7:56.85 Hamden, CT
Boys 4 x 800 Meters [Indoors] All-Time – Massachusetts
7:53.11 Hingham
7:53.5 Rindge & Latin, Cambridge
7:54.13 Xaverian Brothers, Westwood
7:55.37 Gloucester
7:55.86 Pembroke
7:56.76 Acton Boxborough, Acton
7:57.45 Methuen
7:57.52 Veterans Memorial, Peabody
7:57.59 Westwood
7:58.14 Brockton