Christian Toro and Devan Kipyego each had different reasons for wanting to come out on top at the New Balance Nationals Saturday night.
After coming so close the last two national meets, finishing second in the hammer last June and taking third in the weight throw during the winter, coming up short again wasn’t an option for Toro. The Lincoln High standout was determined to make it happen this time.
“Back-to-back getting second and third at New Balance, ‘I was like I got to take it now,'” he said.”I don’t want to disappoint anyone again.”
For Kipyego, he’s already claimed a national crown, winning the 2K steeplechase at the 2022 meet. But this one was a little different. This would be the final competition of his high school career in an event that he’s essentially made his own the last two years. It was also in a city that had some meaning in his life.
“This is it,” Kipyegp said. “This is your last competitive mile. This is Philadelphia. This is where I was born. This is my hometown. I gotta come out here and win it.”
On a cool evening at Franklin Field, both got their wish on Day 3 of the four-day meet.
Continuing his consistency from the last few weeks, where he’s claimed a state and New England title in his specialty. Toro captured his first national title with a heave of 228-feet even. The Duke-bound thrower secured his crown on his fifth throw of the day.. At the time, he was trailning eventual second-place finisher Parker Kim of Syosset (NY), who had a best of 222-8.
Toro knew he uncorked a good one on his next attempt.
“I let out a big yell,. We all know,” he said. “It was a great feeling.”
Finishing fifth overall was Bishop Hendricken’s Keith Daigneau with a distance of 202-8. Lincoln’s Jillian Leahy matched her placement at the indoor nationals by taking runner-up honors in the girls’ hammer with PR of 167-8.
Competing in one of the final events of the night, Kipyego won a competitive mile with a time of 4 minutes, 4.78 seconds. The SRA star was among the lead pack rom the beginning, hitting 62 seconds for his opening 400m and passing through the 800m at 2:01.7 after a 59.8 split.
Kipyego had a goal of breaking four minutes prior to the race. He realized by 1,200m (3:03.33) that his chances were slim. He also knew it was at that point he had to take command.
“My third lap wasn’t as fast,” he said. “I had to just take it out. If I wasn’t going to get the sub four, I was going to get the national championship. That was important. I knew I had to do it.”
Ohio’s Connor Ackley of Hillard Davidson was second with a time of 4:06.06. Placing third was Marcus Reilly of Northbridge with a PR of 4:06.12.
West Warwick’s Lisa Raye came mere strides from breaking two state records in the Freshmen races. Raye won the 100m dash in 11.64, just one hundredth of a second from the 2015 mark o 11.63 by Hope alum Quashsira McIntosh. She came back and ran the second fastest time in the prelims of the 200m where she was timed in 23.85, just two tenths of a second behind McIntosh’s 23.64 effort from ‘15. She’ll match up against top seed Skyler Franklin of Florida in the finals on Sunday morning. Franklin clocked 23.59 in her heat.
