By Ron Knapp

 As we enter into our 25th year of CT Indoor T&F coverage that includes news, photos, results and records of our state athletes and teams, MySportsResults kicks off the season with our previews. 

An enjoyable and diverting task each preseason for MySportsResults is taking out the crystal ball to predict which individuals will make a difference for their teams as they work towards qualifying for the Class and Open Championships in February. 

If the recent cross country season is any indicator to the additional stamina and strength gained by the returnees then we are in for a show this season as several upperclassmen vie for those top finishes in events from 1000m to the 3200m.

Girls Distance

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that Newington’s Katie Bohlke has emerged as the top performer of the recent XC season that included Class L & Open titles as well as a finalist at the Foot Locker XC Championships. Her string of victories in the 1600m/1-mile during the 2023 indoor season spanned from the CCC to the New England championships that resulted in her 1-mile PR of 4:55.54. The success by the Virginia Tech bound senior followed in the outdoor season that culminated with an All American 4th place in the 2k steeplechase in a state record of 6:42.20. 

One of her chief competitors will be Hannah Andrejczyk of Shelton who will be taking her talents to Georgetown University next year. As the defending 3200m Open champion she finished the 2023 indoor season with a New England 2-mile title followed by two personal bests at the NB Indoor Nationals with a 4:54.72 for 1-mile and 10:34.21 for 2-miles.

The junior class is loaded with talent that foretells an exciting next two years led by defending Open 1000m champion Liv Sherry of Conard who surprised the field last year in her first indoor season with her win in 2:55.87 that was followed by her 3rd place PR of 2:51.27 at the New England race. 

After a first XC season that included top 4 places from the CCC to New England meets, twin sister Tess Sherry of Conard is a contender in a range from 800m through the 3200m races. Her silver medal at the indoor 1-mile New England race in 4:57.75 was followed by an outdoor PR of 4:49.20 for the 1-mile and a PR 2:11.45 for the 800m at the NB Outdoor Nationals.

Glastonbury’s Brooke Strauss brings impeccable credentials to the indoor season on the heels of her strongest XC season that featured top three places from the CCC to the New England meets. Last indoor season, Strauss was an integral member of the Connecticut record setting 4x800m relay that won the New England race in 9:05.41. Her PR 1000m time of 2:52.18 came after that historic relay leg.

A sophomore who should be able to contend for a 3200m title is Chase Gilbert of Lyme-Old Lyme. The Open 3200m silver medalist from last year ran 10:50.83 and followed with another 2nd place in the New England 2-mile in 10.44.67. She finished her indoor season with a PR of 10:43.42 and then came back the next day to record another PR in the 5k in 17:23.11.

The senior class boasts several more contenders for conference or state titles this season that includes Open 1600m bronze medalist Anna Omelchenko of Wilbur Cross. She eclipsed her indoor 1600m PR of 5:02.88 with her 4:59.23 1-mile at the New England Outdoor Championships.

Cheshire’s Alexa Ciccone is another bronze medalist as she ran a PR 10:54.10 in the indoor Open 3200m that she followed with a PR 10:48.49 in the outdoor Open 3200m race for second place.

Esme Daplyn of Greenwich was the silver medalist in the indoor Open 1000m in 2:57.77 last season that was eclipsed with her PR 2:52.63 for a fifth place at New Englands.

Boys Distance

We start with Ridgefield’s Steven Hergenrother who had a tremendous XC season that included a State Open and New England championship as well as a strong display of his talents in the NXN Regional and Championship races. The senior, bound for Princeton next fall, is perhaps the most versatile of all the returnees and looks ready to assault the record books for any distance between 800m and 5000m. With a talented team of distance teammates he is also a vital leg in their 4x800m as well a DMR relay that earned a 4th place last year with a 4th place in the NBNI championship race. During outdoor, he helped his team to a runner up in the 4x800m and a national championship at NBNO. 

Although Newtown’s Soheib Dissa may take a while to get himself on an indoor oval after his appearance in the Foot Locker XC Championships last weekend he should be a force to be reckoned with from 1000m to 3200m this season. The junior’s Open title in the 1000m was the prelude to a more successful outdoor campaign that featured a 4:10.07 second place at The New Englands and his bronze medal in the NBNO Steeplechase in a state record of 5:51.34.

The senior class also features Daniel Coyne of Simsbury, the bronze medalist in the New England 1000m last season in his PR of 2:31.66. Coyne, who will attend Wake Forest next year, should now be capable of much faster times after his winning time of 1:53.16 at the outdoor Open 800m last year. His strong XC season as an Open and New England finalist should prepare him well in longer distances as he looks to improve on his 4:15.84 PR from last outdoor season. 

Parker Broderick of Fairfield Warde is another talented senior with strong credentials across all three seasons. As the defending indoor Open 1600m champion in 4:18.32 Broderick will bring his speed and stamina combination looking to improve on his PR of 2:32.41 in the 1000m. At New Englands he considerably improved upon his PR running 4:15.79 for the mile at the six state regional meet.

The northeast section of the state is the home to a pair of distance athletes who acquitted themselves admirably during the XC season after successful indoor and outdoor campaigns.

Suffield’s Griffin Mandirola is versatile as well where the defending Class M 1600m champion also earned a 5th place in the 1000m last season. Competitors will need to show respect if he develops his speed to compliment his strength as shown by his 4th at the XC Open and his bronze medal in the New England championship. He also just barely missed qualifying for Foot Locker Nationals with an 11th place finish in the Northeast Regional meet. 

As the defending Class L 1000m champion Jack Mattingly of EO Smith has added the power from a successful XC season that saw a Class MM title, a 6th place in the Open and a 5th place at the New Englands. Given the competition it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Mattingly approach the 2:30 1000m mark or the 1:50 800m mark this season.

The returnees in the junior class features Xavier teammates Owen Martin and Jack Ouellette. As the Open silver medalist in the indoor 1600m last year, Martin also brings a level of versatility to this season from the 400m to the 1600m that includes the Falcons 4x800m relay that was  the champions in Class L, Open and the New England in 7:52.32 last year. Jack Ouellette is the other key to the Falcons looking to add another Class L title this season as part of their 4x800m relay and 1600m events. After a much healthier XC season than 2022, Ouellette earned All State and All New England honors that demonstrated his fitness that should support a banner indoor season.

What a difference a year should make for the top three who finished in the closely contested Open 3200m race last year as they look forward to a title in the 2024 Indoor season.

As the Open 3200m defending champion, Collin Walsh of New Milford will use confidence gained by success in the XC season that featured a silver medal in Class L and a 5th at the State Open. 

Hall’s Isaac Mahler will use his upgraded power from this XC season that saw a New England runner-up finish and a 14th at the Foot Locker NE race. The Boston University commit will seek to improve upon his 9:06.91 PR from the outdoor Open 3200m win last year with a shot at the sub-9 mark this season. 

There is a question mark in Ben Lorenz of Staples, the indoor Open runner-up last year as he raced sparingly during the XC season that resulted in a 4th in the Class LL race and a 14th at the NXN NE regional race. His personal best from indoors last year of 9:17.14 at the NBIN 2-mile race offers a glimpse of what could be a stellar 2024 season.

HOKA Track & Field Athletes of the Week!

Throughout the season, MySportsResults will recognize our top boys’ and girls’ T&F athletes each week with our first award slated for the week of December 18th.