Medfield's Alex Stanton Sets New State Meet Record in 400m Hurdles

High school state track records continue to fall for Medfield senior Alex Stanton.

At the Massachusetts All-State Track and Field Championships at Bridgewater State University on Saturday, June 4, Stanton won the state championship in the 400m hurdles, setting the state meet record in the event with a time of 59.52 seconds. That time now stands as the fasted run by a high school girl in Massachusetts. She will be competing at Nationals in Greensboro, N.C. on June 17. 

"Alex ran the third fastest time in the U.S. as of [June 4]," said MIAA state meet director John Carroll. "She broke the state meet record, which you know. She also ran the fastest 400 hurdles ever by a Massachusetts high school girl.  The previous bests were done in 1977 by Nancy Robinson of Falmouth High School."

Robinson ran 59.97 "for a close third" in the U.S. Junior Championships at UCLA in 1977, according to Carroll. Robinson also won the National Junior Olympic 440 yard hurdles twice in 1976 and in 1977 with times of 60.82 and 60.00. Stanton is now one of two girls to finish below 60 seconds in the event. 

"Alex's time is very quick," Carroll said.

Also at the Massachusetts All-State Track and Field Championships at Bridgewater State University, Medfield High School senior Ben Lester placed 24th in the mile with a time of 4:24.72. The boys'  4 x 800 team of Evan Berry, Connor Heaney, Ben Lester, and Joey Smith came in 16th with a time of 8:14.32.