Two members of the Chelsea High boys and girls indoor track and field teams, senior Theo Joseph-Seale and freshman Thania Simon, competed at the recent Nike Indoor Nationals at the Armory in New York City.
Joseph-Seale provided the biggest highlight for the weekend. Theo, who competed in the Emerging Elite weight throw, shattered his own school record by seven feet with a toss of 60’-4.75” on his final throw in the first round. The outstanding throw, which was the second-best in the competition, qualified Theo for the finals, where he maintained his second-place ranking to earn a medal.
Joseph-Seale became the second CHS athlete to earn a medal at a national-level meet, following in the path of CHS track legend Stephanie Simon, who won the long jump and triple jump six years ago.
“Theo had not thrown what we knew he was capable of at the Massachusetts Meet of Champions, but he came into the Nike Meet well-rested and with time to focus on his form and it paid off,” said CHS head coach Cesar Hernandez. “He had been throwing around 57’-58’ in practice occasionally, but it was incredible to have him break the 60-foot barrier.
“This was Theo’s first indoor season as well, and he had just picked up the event for the first time this year,” Hernandez added. “A lot of his success also goes to Coach McCormick, who worked with him to continuously improve throughout the season.”
Also turning in a superb performance at the meet was Lady Red Devil freshman Thania Simon. Thania competed in the freshman long jump, finishing in ninth-place overall with a leap of 16’-6.5” which was just six inches shy of earning a medal.
Thania’s jump was a personal record (PR) and ranks her third all-time for Chelsea High in the indoor long jump, behind her two sisters, Stephanie and Martine.
“It was great to see her finish the season on such a high note,” said Hernandez. “To hit that mark as a freshman is a great start and she will only get better from here.”
The following day, Thania competed in the freshman 60-meter dash, where she sped to another PR with a sprint of 8.45 seconds, breaking her own school record for the event.