By Senior Correspondent Marty Ogden, Editing and Graphics by Ron Knapp

In honor of MySportsResults celebrating 25 years of covering Connecticut high school track and field and cross country, we look back at 25 of the best athletes over the past quarter of a century at the beginning of each season. We start with some of the top boys who had made an impact on our sport since the winter of 2000, Part 2 to follow!

Shelldon Simpson East Hartford, Class of 2000

Shelldon Simpson still owns the State Open and CT state record of 6.23 in the 55m dash. Simpson was a three time State Open 55m champion, 3 x All New England, NE champ in 1999 and 2nd in 2000. He was the State Open 300m champion his junior year and was 2nd in his senior year. His winning time in a state record was part of the fastest 55m race with two other boys under 6.40 seconds. He won the Eastern States 200m race and earned All American in the New Balance National Scholastic Championships in the 60m (4th) and 200m (6th), breaking state records in both with bests of 6.84 and 21.98. 

Glenn McFadden, Hillhouse, Class of 2001

Glenn McFadden was a two time State Open and New England 300m champion. He raced to the CT state record in 200m (21.05) in 2001, 300m (33.66) as a junior in 2000. He has the 8th fastest all time in CT for 60m (6.97) and 7th best time in the 55m (6.37). He was the national runner-up in the 200m and 6th in the 60m. He also ran a leg of the 4x200m that broke a 17-year old CT record in the 4x200m, taking 8th at Nationals in a time of 1:31.12. 

Myles Bradley, Norwich Free Academy, Class of 2005

Myles Bradley was undefeated his senior year in the 55m hurdles and long jump while winning the State Open high jump and scored all of his team’s 30 points to provide NFA with a State Open runner-up plaque. He competed in the hurdles in the New England championships three consecutive years. His state record of 7.26 in the 55m hurdles was tied in 2023 by Josh Mooney. Mooney then broke Bradley’s state record of 7.88 in the 60mHH when Bradley was 4th at Nationals. He held the CT state record of 24-2.25 in the long jump for 13-years which is still #2 all time in CT history 18-years later. 

Jordan Thull, East Lyme, Class of 2006

Jordan Thull was undefeated his senior year in the pole vault. He scored in the State Open three years during his indoor track seasons. He was the first CT boy over 15-1 indoors and held the CT record of 15-9.75 for nine years. He placed third at Nationals and remains as the CIAC Class L championship indoor record holder with a height of 15-7.

Terrell Wilks, Hillhouse, Class of 2007

After helping his team to a state championship in basketball, Terrell Wilks came out for track his senior year. He Earned All-America honors in 60m and indoor 200m and won Eastern States in the 55 (6.29) and 200m (21.61) while remaining undefeated in the 300m and only one loss in the 55m. Wilks holds the CT record in the 60m at 6.81 that took 3rd at Nationals. 

Donn Cabral, Glastonbury, Class of 2008

Donn Cabral swept all the championship races he ran his junior year, including a win in the 2-mile at Nationals with a time of 9:10.56, a time that hadn’t been run by a CT runner since the 70s. He opened the floodgates as ten boys have gone faster since he showed the way. In order to prepare for World Junior Cross Country, Cabral only ran Nationals indoor his senior year, winning the 5k and breaking the state record that stood for eight years with a time of 14:44.16.

Parker Bourdreau, Danbury, Class of 2008

Parker Bourdreau was a Two time State Open champion in the 1000m and won a New England title in 2:27.63, breaking Mike Remingino’s 21-year old state record. Qualified for the Millrose Games High School Mile and helped his team to the National Championship in the 4x1-mile, setting the current state record of 17:28.47. He was also an instrumental part of two of Danbury’s State Open championships. 

Cas Loxsom, Wilbur Cross, Class of 2009

The year 2009 was an outstanding year for the 600m. Cas Loxsom was pushed every race he ran by Weaver’s Duandre Barnaby and Staples’ Matt Marriott. While Loxsom took 2nd his junior and senior years at the Open to the pair, he finished an overwhelming performance in 2009 to win New Englands in a time of 1:18.72, breaking the All Time New England record in the event. He also ran a 2:27.79 for the 1000m, just missing Bourdreau’s then CT record by less than a tenth of a second. At Nationals, the Governor took 6th in the 800m at Nationals in a time of 1:54.94. 

Daundre Barnaby, Weaver, Class of 2009

One of the greatest long sprinters to ever come through CT, Daundre Barnaby made an indoor reputation in only his senior year. After only running relays his junior year, by the following winter he set the still standing State Open records of 1:20.26 in the 600m and 34.10 in the 300m. Barnaby also anchored the winning 4x400m in the same meet to run one of the fastest triples in Open history. He also won New Englands in the 300m. At Nationals in 2009, he not only won the 400m in 47.12, he finished 3rd in the 200m in a time of 21.82. He is still ranked anywhere from 2nd to 5th in CT history in four separate events. 

Chris Fitzsimons, Hamden, Class of 2010

No matter how fast the race, Chris Fitzsimons always met the challenge. He came from behind most races using a blistering kick to win all his races until a third place finish at Nationals, running 1:51.94 to break the CT record in the 800m. His winning time of 2:27.15 in the State Open 1000m broke the CT record in that event and he even ran 600m time 1:20.63 in an early season developmental meet which is still the 5th fastest time ever for a CT runner. He bypassed running the 1000m at New Englands, instead anchoring his team to a regional title. The Green Dragon also ran a leg of the 4x800m relay at the New Balance Games, helping his team to a time of 7:56.85, just missing the CT record by two seconds. 

John Raneri, New Fairfield, Class of 2010

It seemed like every year CT produced a national class distance runner and Raneri kept the streak going. He was a two time State Open 3200m champion and his senior year he won by 18-seconds, running a 9:10.75 to break the meet record. He also ran the 4x800m to start the meet and helped his team to a 3rd place finish at the Open and an 8th place finish at New Englands. After finishing 6th his junior year at the regional meet in the 2-mile, he didn’t run the event his senior year so he could help his team to an 8th place finish in the New England 4x800m. He then focused on Nationals where he won the 5000m in a time of 14:52.97 from the slow heat. 

Jamie Tobias, Bloomfield, Class of 2011

You knew Jamie Tobias was on in the high jump when the officials needed to bring out the step ladder to measure the height prior to his jumps. As a senior he soared over 6ft-8 inches at least eight times and he set the still standing State Open record of 6-10.5. Tobias was New England champion in 2011 and took 2nd at New Balance Nationals Indoors to earn All American honors. He was a team player and contributed to the Class S champion and New England qualifying 4x400m teams as well. 

If you enjoy the content that MySportsResults provides, you can help keep our content free by shopping for your 25th MSR Anniversary gear at our sponsor Marathon Sports who helped make articles like these possible.