By Senior Correspondent Marty Ogden, Editing and Graphics 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. Enjoy our final preview as we look at those who should impact the field events off the track.

Girls Shot Put

You can’t put Shalisha Robertson into a single category. Her sophomore year she was an 18-foot long jumper, a decent sprinter who also took 15th at the Open in the shot put. Last winter, the Hillhouse athlete had a hamstring injury that took her out of the sprinting and long jump events and allowed her to focus on the shot put. The gamble paid off as she was top ranked in CT with a PR of 41-6, earning CCC, Class M and Open titles while finishing 4th at New Englands. Last spring she went back to the long jump where she was 5th in the Open and picked up the triple jump and finished 3rd in the same meet. While she obviously wasn’t as focused on the throws, she still finished 8th at the Open and had a season best of 39-0.5. 

Things really came together for Hall’s Anna Siciliano at the end of last indoor season. She was throwing in the 32-33 foot range most of the season but at the Class LLs she set a season best of 34-9.5 and then surprised everyone, even herself with an incredible new PR of 38-7.5 to take 2nd at the Open. The Yale bound senior also found success In the spring when she was 2nd at the Class L shot put and 3rd in the discus 

The shot put is such a technical event that is usually dominated by juniors and seniors. Somebody must have forgotten to tell Bloomfield’s Payton Sirdine who as a freshman was leading the state for several weeks with a season best of 36-7.25. She was 2nd at Class S and 7th at the Indoor Open. With more experience, she had even more success in the spring, winning Class S and taking 3rd at the Open.

Girls Long Jump

With only one returnee among the long jump finalists at the State Open, there are sure to be some new names in the event this year. New London’s Darielys Arnold was 3rd at the indoor State Open and has an indoor best of 18-2. Four months later at the Outdoor State Open she came within a half inch of her PR reaching a distance of 18-4 to claim the gold medal.

It is difficult to highlight a particular long jumper since so many of the top ones graduated this year. But if you look at the outdoor results you discover East Hartford’s Keira Stewart who focused mostly on the relays during indoor track. Last winter she was part of the Class LL championships 4x200m relay and also scored in the 4x400m. But during spring track she put more emphasis on the runway and she came away with a PR of 17-11.75 to earn All New England honors. With so much talent lost to graduation, she could be a real factor this winter. 

CCC champion Hawaye Adam of Hartford Public did not compete at the Class M championships but she continued her season and finished 7th at the NBNI Rising Stars LJ. Her best of 17-10.5 was the 4th best in CT last winter. She finally broke 18-ft and finished 2nd at the Class M Outdoor championships and scored a point at the State Open when she finished in 8th place. 

Girls High Jump

Last year’s State Open runner-up Victoria Baker is hoping to move up one spot in the standings. The Sacred Heart Academy high jumper also set her PR of 5-5 to take 4th at New Englands. In the spring she was Class M champion and set her outdoor PR of 5-3.5 to take 9th at NBNO Rising Stars section. 

Avery Pitts has been a three time State Open scorer in the high jump. Last winter, the E.O. Smith Panther won the CCC title with her PR of 5-6, was 4th at the Open and returned two weeks later to take 3rd at New Englands at 5-5. At the outdoor Open, she had the same height of 5-4 as the winner, but earned third based on misses. 

Girls Pole Vault

Coginchaug’s Allison Vigue has been a significant competitor in the pole vault since her sophomore year with two State Open runner-up finishes and three Class S championships on her resume. The one thing that has eluded her is a State Open title. She has a lifetime best of 11-6 and is an incredibly versatile athlete who does everything from cross country to the triple jump and hurdles. 

Talia Graham is a double threat in the sprints and pole vault. The Bethel senior has built up quite a collection of honors including 2nd at the Class M and State Open championships last winter. On the track, she was a New England qualifier in the 55m and accomplished even more during the spring season. Graham was Class MM champion in the 200m as well as the vault with a PR of 12-0 after which she followed with 2nd place finishes in the pole vault at both the State Open and New Englands. 

Jordan Carr of Joel Barlow has split her training time between track and field and American Ninja Warrior competition where she was featured on the NBC TV show. The junior cleared an indoor best of 11-0 at the NBNI event after her 4th place at the Open. The spring season brought new found confidence as she equaled or cleared 11-feet in 8 of her 11 meets culminating in an SWC title with a PR 11-9 followed by an Open title at 11-6 and a 3rd place finish at New Englands.

Boys Shot Put

Seniors usually dominate the shot put, but last year, five of the six farthest throws were made by returning athletes. Bloomfield’s John Milner-Jones, who had the farthest throw in the state last winter, moved to Texas, but there is still plenty of firepower returning in this one event. Old Saybrook’s Bardh Thaci set his PR of 53-8 to win the State Open after coming into the meet as the 6th seed. He was also the Class S runner-up. 

There were a pair of sophomores last year that showed a great deal of potential. Finishing 3rd at the State Open was Simsbury’s Marshall Potter. He certainly wasn’t on anyone’s radar at the beginning of last winter’s season. His freshman year he barely touched the shot, spending most of his time in the hurdles. He didn’t even break 40-feet last December. But once he returned from Christmas break, things started clicking and he eventually reached a PR of 52-10.75 to earn All New England honors. 

One sophomore thrower that was certainly on the radar was Thomas Matlock of East Lyme. As a freshman he was flirting with breaking 50-feet in the shot put and last winter he broke that barrier the last five meets of the season. He took 5th at the State Open and set his PR of 53-2.25 to take the same place at New Englands. During the spring, he improved even more with a best of 56-7 at the Greater Hartford Invite. He capped his seasons by winning the State Open and earning his 2nd All New England finish in the shot. 

Bethel’s Greyson Golda was the first to break 50-feet in the shot put last winter season and won Class M with his PR of 54-9.5. He had an off day at the Open and did not qualify for New Englands, but during outdoor track he earned the bronze medal at the State Open.

Boys Long Jump

The senior class was strong in the long jump with the top nine finishers at the State Open having graduated. The top returner from the Open was Makye Wade of Capital Prep who finished 10th at 20-4. But Rashard Williams of Southington had a huge jump of 21-9.5 to win the CCC championships. He followed that up in the spring with a 23-0 jump and also took 3rd at the Open. 

Amity’s Micah Blaird was over 21-feet seven times last winter but unfortunately had an off day at the Class L meet and didn’t qualify for the Open. During the outdoor season he qualified for New Englands with a 5th place finish at the Open.

Boys High Jump

Khalil Antoine consistently cleared 6-2 last year in the high jump. But every once in a while the Hillhouse junior would pop off something really big as when he cleared 6-8 to win the Ocean Breeze Elite Invitational or 6-7 to take second at New Englands. During outdoor, he took 5th in the triple jump at the State Open. Now a senior, Antoine should be a huge factor in the title hopes of the Academics.

Ja’Mari Manson was always among the last few high jumpers last year and came away with five wins in ten competitions. The Bloomfield junior came away with Class S and New England titles, but his most prestigious win was during the spring at the Penn Relays where he tied his outdoor best of 6-6 after clearing a best of 6-7 during the winter campaign. 

Boys Pole Vault

The pole vault is always an exciting event because the athletes know each other so well and often the meet comes down to this one event. Liam Wright of Hall not only is the top returner from the State Open, he also has the best vault of all returners with a 14-6 clearance to take 2nd at the Class LL championship. During outdoor he really soared, winning the State Open and then clearing 15-5 to win the Rising Stars sections at New Balance Nationals Outdoor, which is the 10th best jump in CT history. 

Hunter Feitel has a pole vaulting pedigree. His father Brian was all state for Xavier in the 1980s and he is following in his footsteps. Hunter was Class L champion last indoor season and finished 5th at the Open. He won his second Class L title outdoors after he cleared a lifetime PR of 13-6. 

Kyle Kurtz enters his senior year as the defending Class M champion was 8th at the State Open during indoor track. The Bethel vaulter moved up to 4th at the Open in the spring and jumped 13-11.25 to have the best jump in the CIAC decathlon. 

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.