Hopkinton High boys hurdle relay team wins national championship
HOPKINTON - The Hopkinton High School boys 55 Meter Shuttle Hurdle Relay team has a lot to be proud of. They've been crowned national champions at the New Balance Nationals Indoor race.
They are the best in the country. "I really didn't believe it at first," first leg runner Declan Mick smiled.
Mick, along with teammates Sean Golembiewski, Andrew Bialobrzeki, and Paul Litscher say they've worked hard all season and say crossing that finish line was worth all their sacrifice.
"I've been running track since 8th grade and hurdling since 9th and to show all that work pay off on the national stage is amazing," Golembiewski said.
Hurdle coach Michael Webb says the team has come a long way in a year. "You're there at this meet with the best runners in the country and to be able to put four of them together and accomplish that, that's really special," Webb said.
The group was disqualified last year for a technical issue. "They were just a little early and got disqualified from being the second best team in the nation, so my heart sank," Webb said.
But they didn't let last year's defeat stop them from being the best. In fact, they used it as fuel to improve, working on every aspect of the race. "A lot of hours every week, really mastering what we've been working on," Mick said.
And it paid off, winning the race and becoming All-Americans, surprising even themselves. "We knew we could place highly but we didn't know that we would come in first. It was good to get a second chance," Bialobrzeki said.
The four share a special bond that will stick with them forever and this sport has taught them in life there will be hurdles to overcome. "You can't quit. Obviously there is going to be some adversity. You can't stop trying," Mick said.
The school will eventually hang up a banner for the national champions alongside the dozens of state champion banners. "I love these guys, they are like my brothers, they have been and always will be," Litscher said.
"I've been here for 12 years," Webb said. "They're the hardest working athletes I've ever coached."