FITCHBURG — The two mile run is a grueling event that can sometimes lack the excitement of a sprinting race or the pole vault. Despite this, it was the event to watch at opening day of the MIAA Meet of Champions.
That’s because St. John Prep’s Nathan Lopez, the two-time defending champ at the meet, came in with a chance to break a meet record that’s stood since 2004. That is exactly what the senior, a University of Michigan commit, did in a time of 8:59.29.
“Just to have my name in the record books, even if it’s just for a little bit, is something special,” Lopez said. “It definitely doesn’t outweigh the emotion that comes with winning this title for the third time. That was something that was super, super big on my list of things I wanted to accomplish to close out my senior year.”
As Lopez approached the finish line, he saved room for theatrics. The crowd was up from the start, and as Lopez approached the home stretch, a few fist bumps to the crowd preceded the final steps.
“I don’t even know how to describe it,” Lopez said. “It is something I will never forget. Having people cheering the whole way was something that just sucked me into the race.”
St. John’s Prep coach Zach Lankow said that while Lopez’s focus was on simply winning the event, earning a place in history is something that helps the program build as a whole.
“The number one priority was winning, and the meet record is nice,” Lankow said. “He ran nine flat last week and we knew he could certainly run faster. There were some really great athletes who went for the record and didn’t get it, so I’m really happy he could get it.”
“The alumni get really excited when someone breaks a record,” Lankow said. “Maybe someday somebody will be calling him to say that they broke that record, and he’ll be pretty excited.”
Other strong performances came from Tewksbury’s Jayani Santos and Wellesley’s Christopher Brooks, who took home the 200-meter championship in the girls and boys divisions, respectively.
In the girls pentathlon, Franklin’s Sarah Dumas took home the victory, winning three of the five total events. She said the rounded nature of the event is what helps her succeed.
“You have five opportunities to grow,” Dumas said. “It’s a great opportunity to get better in all five of those events, and that is what pushes me.”
The boys pentathlon was won by Weymouth’s Brandon Reilly. Although the event is not scored officially by the MIAA, the Eagles took home the boys lead for the day with 23 points, while the Billerica girls were first with 19.
