NAUGATUCK — Naugatuck High School’s Dan Schumacher is off to the nationals.
Last Friday, Schumacher competed among the best high school runners in the region in Boston. And he held his own.
Schumacher placed sixth overall in the mile to qualify for the nationals with a time of 4:22:16. For his efforts, he earned All-New England honors.
The nationals take place March 13-15 in New York City.
“Day in and day out he’s very dedicated,” Naugatuck head coach Ralph Roper said. “And the proof is in the pudding.”
The result in Boston is the latest in an impressive indoor season in which Schumacher won three NVL conference gold medals and earned top-four finishes at the Class L and State Open meets.
Schumacher finished fourth in 1,600 with a time of 4:21.38 at the State Open and set a school record in the process. The time qualified him for the New England regionals.
Since the beginning of the season, Schumacher has dropped about 12 seconds off his time in the event. In addition, Schumacher finished eighth in the 3,200 meters at the State Open with a season-best time of 9:36.70.
He won the grueling trifecta at the indoor NVLs, taking first in the 1,000 meters (2:45.70), the 1,600 meters (4:45.46) and the 3,200 meters (10:02.66.) He also won the meet’s outstanding performer, outstanding distance runner and outstanding senior awards.
Schumacher originally broke the Greyhounds’ school record in the 1,600 at the Class L state championship with a time of 4:23.97, beat his seed time by 5 seconds and took fourth place. Schumacher broke that record a week later at the State Open.
Schumacher is the first Greyhound to compete at the nationals since Amanze Williams in 2011. Williams is now a senior at UConn and competes on track and field team.
