Langes Eying State Long Jump Crown

Craig Langes has an impressive resume.

The senior sprinter and jumper, and sometimes thrower and hurdler, at was recently named league MVP. He holds school records in the dash and indoor long jump, and at last week’s Division 2 state championships, he won the long jump, anchored the school’s 4x200-meter relay team to a second-place finish and was fourth in the 55-meter dash.

Despite these accomplishments, and many more, one thing is still missing, according to Langes—an individual overall state title.

On Saturday, Langes will attempt to fill this void at the All-State Meet at 11 a.m. at the Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center in Boston.

“I want to win the long jump,” he said simply at a recent practice.

Langes’ physical stats are alarming.

He has jumped 22 feet, 5 inches, this season, the best mark in the state so far. Last spring, he jumped 22 feet, 7 inches, a mere 4 inches shy of the school’s 75-year-old record, set by Austin Garvey in 1936, and on a questionable foul went an astounding 23 feet, 9 inches, the exact same length as an NBA three-pointer.

“If we measured out 22 feet right now, it wouldn’t look like I’d be able to jump that far,” said Langes, who admitted to being impressed by his own abilities.

In the dash, Langes explodes from the starting blocks and has covered the 55 meters in 6.53 seconds this season.

“As soon as you get in the blocks, I don’t know, everything just kind of zones out,” he said. “I couldn’t even tell you what I remember (from races). I really just hear the gun go off, and I go. That’s about it.”

Langes also has cleared 6 feet, 3 inches, in the high jump this season. All three personal bests were also the top marks in the Middlesex League.

Despite all his success, Langes, a team captain, has stayed humble, according to his coach.

“What’s impressive about Craig is he has this quiet confidence about him,” Woburn coach Joe Curran said. “He doesn’t go around tooting his own horn.”

On Saturday, Langes will have to get past New Bedford’s Phito Gondre, the meet’s top seed at 22 feet even and a familiar foe.

“We’ve been going back-and-forth for about two years now,” Langes said.

Langes is seeded second at 21 feet, 10 inches, his winning jump at the Division 2 meet. His best jump of the season, however, is one inch longer than Gondre’s top mark.

The two will also battle in the dash, as Langes is seeded 11th at 6.70 seconds, Gondre third at 6.56 seconds.

Woburn junior Valerio Silva is seeded fourth in the dash at 6.59 seconds.

“Valerio and I push each other every day in practice,” Langes said. “I couldn’t ask for anything more.”

Langes and Silva will team up in the 4x200-meter relay with fellow sprinter Michael McAdams and senior Jake Rousakis, a distance runner who has shown some speed. The foursome is seeded fourth in 1 minute, 32.45 seconds, behind top-seeded New Bedford, Andover and Mansfield.

Mansfield narrowly defeated Woburn, by 0.26 seconds, at the Division 2 meet.

“There’s no doubt in my mind that we can win,” Langes said.

In addition to the competition, the 5-foot-11, 165-pound Langes will also be up against the tolls of a long season – a sore hamstring, a stress fracture in each shin and aching knees.

Curran said he hopes Langes performs up to his potential but understands how volatile high school track and field can be.

“They’re kids, they’re not machines,” he said. “Sometimes they have good days, sometimes they have bad days.”

After the All-State Meet, Langes, Silva and McAdams will compete at the state pentathlon on Monday, Feb. 28. The five-event competition, at 3:30 p.m. at the Reggie Lewis Track, features the 55-meter hurdles, high jump, shot put, long jump and 1,000-meter.

Then, after the New England Championships on Friday, March 4, Langes will enter the pentathlon at New Balance Indoor Nationals from March 11-13 at the Armory in New York City.

Langes, who plans to run for a Division I or II school next year, will then begin training for outdoor track and field, his resume an ever work in progress.