Malden runner sprints off the starting block of the 55m dash against competitors.
Despite all of the weather complications over the past month and a half , the Malden High School boys indoor track team were able to come out on top with their second consecutive Greater Boston League title this season. The team is lead by coach David Londino and assistant coaches Jason Payeur and Chris Kalbfleisch. The boys have had an undefeated season with a record of 5-0, with strong defeats against Somerville, Everett, and Medford.
Other than the various snow days that resulted in cancellations of multiple meets and practices, the team faced another piece of adversity. Many of the runners became sick in the duration of the season. Senior shot put thrower Mark Ortiz claimed that “many of [the] best athletes were out for a while, but [the team] managed to hold off and step up to fill [their] positions.”
The majority of the boys agreed that the highlight of the season was their meet against Somerville. The Highlanders gave the Tornadoes tough competition resulting in an extremely close meet that came down to the last event. The 4×400 meter relay was the winning event for MHS. The relay consisted of senior Kingdolph Julien, junior Gutémberg Peixoto Dos Santos, and sophomores Hamza and Haroun Ahmed. Santos stated that “[he] was confident” going into the race, “[he] knew what [he] had to do to win.”
After the initial season was over, the season was not over for six of the boys. The state meet was held Feb.12, 2015 at the Reggie Lewis Center in Boston. Ortiz placed 5th in the boys shot put and junior Allen Liang placed 17th. The 4×200 meter relay consisting of Ahmed, Julien, senior Jodens Didie, and junior Mirkens Paul placed 19th. Ortiz moved onto All-States, which “came as a major surprise [to him].”
Saturday, Feb. 22, 2015 Ortiz performed at the All-State meet, where he broke his personal record by over three feet and qualified for New Englands. When asked on his coach’s advice Ortiz explained how “Coach K has helped me throughout the whole season adjusting my throw, making me stronger, and just being there for me.” The guidance of K has helped Ortiz “tap into [his] full potential.” As Ortiz moves onto New Englands that take place this Friday, Feb. 27, 2015, the entire team
is behind him supporting and cheering him on.
As for the team, the season was one that they will never forget, as they continue to be as successful as ever. With high hopes to continue their reign of GBL champs into the outdoor season, the majority of the runners and throwers continue to practice for the upcoming spring season.
