Sprinters, Jumpers Carry Boys' Track Past Lexington

In a battle between the last two undefeated teams in the Middlesex League, the boys’ track and field team narrowly edged out Lexington 70-66 Thursday at home.

Valerio Silva clinched the win for Woburn in the 200-meter dash, the meet’s third-to-last event. Silva, a junior, ran a school-record 21.9 seconds, beating Lexington’s Matt Hunter by 0.1, as the two ran two of the fastest times in the state so far this season. Had Hunter won, the teams would’ve tied, 68-68.

“That was a phenomenal meet,” Woburn coach Mike Fowle said. “There were incredible performances all over the place.”

Now, only three-loss Winchester stands between 8-0 Woburn and the league title. The two teams will face off sometime next week. Lexington, 7-1, the league’s indoor champion, will finish the dual-meet season against three-loss Stoneham.

On Thursday, Woburn’s sprinters swept the 100-meter dash and won the 200-meter and 400-meter dashes. The team’s jumpers swept the triple jump and took first and second in the long.

In the 100-meter dash, senior Craig Langes crossed the line first in 11.0 seconds, followed by Silva in 11.4 and Taylor Jean-Giles in 11.6. Then, in the 400-meter dash, junior Michael McAdams took first in 51.2 seconds, ahead of Lexington senior Thomas Ballenthin, 52.7, and teammate Jake Rousakis, 52.8.

In the meet’s first event, McAdams set a school-record in the 400-meter hurdles, as he won the event in 56.2 seconds, defeating Lexington’s Peter Katsarakas, 57.7, and teammate and former school-record holder Rodrigo Costa, 57.8. It was McAdams first time competing in the event.

McAdams also won the high jump, clearing 6 feet. Lexington's Evan Finch and Xavier Mursalin-Alexandre tied for second at 5 feet, 10 inches.

Costa led the Woburn sweep in the triple jump with a hop, skip and a jump of 41 feet, 4 inches. Teammates Bobby Smith and Jules Voltaire finished second and third, respectively.

Langes also took first in the long jump, with a leap of 22 feet, 4 inches, on his third and final attempt. Smith again took second with Lexington’s Hunter in third.

Langes was second in the shot put as well, to Lexington’s Dennis Nesline, who won the event with a heave of 42 feet, 4.25 inches. Nesline, a senior, also won the discus in 113 feet, 11 inches, while Woburn’s Eddie Cetrone won the javelin in 128 feet, 11 inches.

As expected, Lexington had a strong showing in the distance events, taking the top two spots in the two mile and mile and winning the 800-meter.

Senior Amanual Abate won the two mile in 10:19.4, with freshman teammate Arnold Joseph not far behind in 10:32.6. Woburn senior Tyler Brady came from behind to finish third in 10:51.8.

In the mile, Lexington senior Sam Jones and sophomore Nathaniel Adams were first and second, respectively, in 4:34.1 and 4:34.8, just ahead of Woburn’s Rousakis, 4:36.5.

Lexington senior Peter Schirripa held off late kicks by Woburn’s David Cooper and Dylan Crowley in the 800-meter in 2:02.2.

In the 110-meter hurdles, Lexington’s Hunter set a school record and ran the fastest time in the state so far this season. He won the event in 14.4 seconds, defeating teammate Ben Sharma, 15.1, and Woburn’s Costa, 15.2.

Woburn won the 4x100-meter relay, Lexington the 4x400-meter relay.