The New Balance High School Indoor Nationals took place from March 7 to March 10 at the TRACK in Allston-Brighton for the second year in a row, as well as the Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center in Roxbury. Nine Boston Latin School athletes competed: Ethan Andersson (I), Max Deane (I), Colin Fisher (I), Liam Fitzgibbon (I), Sam Burnett (II), Hayden Cooper-Dupont (II), Bilal Elhaji (II), Brendan Nolan (II) and Ianna Blenman (IV).
New Balance typically changes the location of indoor nationals every year, but the Boston area has become more established as the optimal spot for the tournament since the TRACK’s opening. The TRACK, which opened in 2022, features a 200-meter track, areas for field events such as discus, high jump, long jump, and shot put and a capacity of up to 5,000 spectators. Its unique curved shape allows runners to turn more easily and quicker, setting the TRACK apart from other indoor facilities. This modern technology has allowed multiple world records to be set here, and makes it an instant favorite with almost all runners. When asked about Boston’s top spot in the track scene, sprinter and high jumper Amelia Brown (IV) shares that it is “definitely […] a top destination for runners,” and also adds that “my overall running experience in the city has been pretty good.”
When speaking about his experience running at the TRACK, distance runner Liam Fitzgibbon (I) states, “When you walk into the TRACK, the atmosphere is amazing. More specifically, the lighting and the crowd, both of which are better than any other facility I have been to. It is also a plus that it is just a train ride away.” For athletes and spectators alike, the TRACK is one of the best venues in the country and it is no wonder why New Balance has chosen it as host in back-to-back years.
Overall, the Wolfpack performed well that weekend, with an especially strong showing by the boys’ Sprint Medley Relay team, finishing second in their heat, narrowly beating Somerville High School at the finish. Although Fitzgibbon and the Distance Medley Relay team did not have the best result, largely due to illness, having so many BLS athletes at Nationals establishes hope for the future, setting the precedent for more athletes wearing Wolfpack jerseys to compete at Nationals in the next few years.
In addition to high school division events, the TRACK also hosted the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I nationals that same weekend. Notably for the distance events, Nico Young of Northern Arizona University swept the 3000-meter and 5000-meter races, cementing him as a name to remember for this summer’s Olympic Trials. Maia Ramsden of Harvard College, additionally, won the mile less than a week after she ran the same event at the 2024 Indoor Track World Championships in Glasgow, Scotland, finishing tenth. For the sprints, Terrance Jones of Texas Tech University claimed the 60-meter championship, defending his national title, and Amber Anning of the University of Arkansas led a podium sweep in the 400-meter.
Texas Tech University took home the men’s team title in the final event of the meet, the 4×400-meter relay, and the University of Arkansas continued as queens of indoor track, retaining its women’s team title.
Colin Fisher (I) adds, “I think it’s awesome that the number of international track meets in Boston is rising, because it has attracted some of the best runners in the world, which has inspired more people in our community to start running.”
With so many eyes on the TRACK, the Boston area is quickly becoming a hub for track and field competitions.
