Two-time All American, Marblehead running superstar Nate Assa completes high school career with silver at New Balance Nationals

Marblehead superstar track athlete Nate Assa just keeps on piling up top finishes as a renowned runner on the local and national circuit.

Marblehead running sensation Nate Assa is all smiles standing in front of the New Balance National Outdoor Meet scoreboard at Franklin Field in Philadelphia. The scoreboard proclaimed his second-place finish in the 5,000 meters for all to see, which secured All-American honors for the second time in his high school career on June 19. COURTESY PHOTO

After securing All-state (two-mile) and All-New England (3,200-meters) regional championships during the indoor and outdoor seasons this past school year, Assa was off to the New Balance Outdoor Track National Championships at Franklin Field in Philadelphia, where he finished second in the 5,000 meters on June 19. He completed the race with a new personal best time of 14:25.19, far and away faster than his previous best of 14:32.20. The Marblehead silver medalist was running for the Marblehead Track Club, because this annual national meet is not a high school-sanctioned event. He was there with his dad, Dave, and Marblehead High assistant track coach Will Herlihy, who also doubles as the school’s head cross-country coach.

Marblehead running sensation Nate Assa is with MHS distance running coach Will Herlihy, left, after coming in second in the 5,000 meters during the annual New Balance National Outdoor meet in Philadelphia on June 19. COURTESY PHOTO

“Franklin Field is the mecca of track and field in America,” said MHS head indoor and outdoor track coach Nolan Raimo. “It annually hosts Penn Relays, which is the largest track and field national meet, dating back well over 100 years.

“There were two weather delays due to thunderstorms in the area, before Nate’s race,” added Raimo. “As a result, it pushed back the start of it roughly by two hours. Once it began, he was running under the stadium lights, but Nate still did the unthinkable to finish up as the runner-up national champion. He’s now a two-time All-American.”

Raimo went on to say that it was also an historic race as Nate was competing against Noah Bontrager of Indiana, who came out on top with a new meet record time of 14:20.89.

“But Nate was able to stay close to Noah, while both maintained a good tempo throughout, with Nate running a 4:38 first mile; 4:39 second mile; and 4:33 final mile,” Raimo explained. “We have often seen championship races come down to tactics, but this one was a shootout from the start. It was evident by the mile splits. As the race progressed, runners started to drop out from the pack lap after lap, leaving Nate and Noah alone at the top.”

Marblehead running sensation Nate Assa has been making the podium stand his home recently after first place championship finishes in the All-state (two-mile) and All-New England (3,200-meters) meets at the end of the indoor and outdoor track seasons this past year. Assa was there once again following a second-place finish in the 5,000 meters during the annual New Balance National Outdoor meet in Philadelphia on June 19. COURTESY PHOTO

Nate, who’s now heading to Purdue University in the fall to run on its track teams, has now completed his high school career as a two-time All-American, two-time All-New England champion and two-time All-State champion. He has definitely set the bar high for those who will be suiting up for the MHS track teams next year, and no doubt well into the future.