THE LHS boys’ track high jump relay team took first place at the Div. 5 MSTCA state relays on Friday at the Reggie Lewis Center. Pictured from left to right, Ethan Francis, Dillon Reilly and Eli Mendese, jumped a combined height of 17’4” for gold. (LHS Boys’ Track Photo)
By STEPHEN MARTELLUCCI
BOSTON — It was an impressive showing for the Lynnfield High boys’ indoor track and field team on Friday at the Reggie Lewis Center in Boston in the MSTCA Division 5 state relays.
The Pioneers cane in 10th place out of over 40 schools with a total score of 11 points.
“We had some fantastic performances,” stated Lynnfield head coach Christine Smith. “I was over the moon with how we did.”
The highlight came in the high jump relay as the Pioneers came in first with a total combined height of 17-4.
Eli Mendese, Ethan Francis and Dillon Reilly were the threesome for that event.
The 4×110 hurdles shuttle also medaled by coming in sixth (the top six in each event medal). The team of Mendese, Francis, Davius Chan and Nick Groussis had a time of 29.67 seconds.
That was a school-record time.
Although they finished in 13th place, the 4×50 dash team had a school-record time of 23.67. Jessie Dorman, Dillon Reilly, Charlie Morgan and Joe Cucciniello made up that foursome.
On Jan. 6, the team participated up in New Hampshire at the Dartmouth Relays.
Mendese was the lone Pioneer to medal as he had a third-place finish in the high jump at 5-10. Two team members did qualify for the states with their times that day.
Dorman had a time of seven seconds flat in the 55-meter hurdles while Cucciniello had a time of 38.22 in the 300-meters.
“The boys had a solid performance overall up there,” said Smith.
Mendese also competed in the Pentathlon at the Reggie Lewis Center on Dec. 28. The junior placed third in the high jump at 1.78 meters to set the school record.
He finished the event with 2,437 points to capture 17th out of 38 total participants.
On Jan. 16, the Pioneers were slated to take on Ipswich at The Track at New Balance in Brighton, however, that meet was postponed due to the snow and the Pioneers will now have a tri-meet against Ipswich and regularly-scheduled Manchester-Essex on Jan. 30 back at The Track. That event will start at 5:30 p.m.
Lynnfield entered this week with a record of 1-0 in the dual-meet season.
On Jan. 28, some of the Pioneers will be back at the Reggie Lewis Center as they will compete in the State Coaches Invitational.