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

In honor of MySportsResults 25 years of covering Connecticut high school track and field and cross country, we are taking a look back at 25 of the best athletes over the past quarter of a century for the outdoor track and field season. 

After our Indoor Top 25 articles we had intentions of developing and posting at the beginning of the outdoor season. Due to time spent providing the larger than expected coverage during the outdoor season this content was delayed until now. While there are no current athletes on the list they are not forgotten but will be included in future lists in development. 

If you think we are missing some of your favorite athletes then welcome to our dilemma since trying to put 25 athletes from the top 25 years is nearly an impossible task. Even with the names that made the honorable mention list, there are still some outstanding athletes we have not listed. 

We hope you enjoy the first part of our overdue series as we start with the males who made an impact on our sport since the spring of 2000. Additional segments will feature the remaining group of male athletes as well as the list of the females who influenced the state’s outdoor track and field scene since 2000.

Shelldon Simpson, East Hartford, Class of 2000

Shelldon Simpson was the State Open meet and state record holder in the 100 (10.48) that endured for 25 years. He was also the State Open 100m and 200m champion his junior year and placed 7th at Nationals in the 200m and 8th in the 100m.

Andre Reid, South Windsor, Class of 2001

Andre Reid scored victories in both the State Open shot put and discus his junior and senior years. Reid was also the New England shot put champion his junior year and State Open and New England shot put champion sophomore year. He started his career with a 5th in the shot put at the Open his freshman year. Reid held the CT record in the shot put with a mark of 65-0 for 21 years. 

Glenn McFadden, Hillhouse, Class of 2001

As the fastest sprinter in the state, Glenn McFadden was undefeated in the 100m and 200m his senior year and ran a wind aided time of 10.36. He only lost once his junior year in the 100m and scored in the Open four straight years. McFadden won the prestigious Golden West Invitational with a wind-aided 20.79 but has held the CT state record of 20.86 for 23 years. In mid season of 2021 he earned Best All Around award at the HPHS Outdoor Invite (pictured below with Meet Director Lindy Remigino) and wrapped up his senior year as the Gatorade Athlete of the Year.

Josh Fournier, Bacon Academy, Class of 2003

Fournier set the CT long jump state record of 25-0.25 at the 2001 ECC championships. He also won the long jump at the State Open junior and senior years and won New Englands his junior year in addition to his all NE award as a sophomore. Fournier was also All State in the triple jump. 

Gavin Coombs, Griswold, Class of 2004

Gavin Coombs earned the Gatorade Athlete of the Year award for his outdoor season that came on the heels of his National Scholastic Indoor 2-mile Championship title. Coombs started his 2004 outdoor season with one of the most heralded DNF’s in the Hartford Public Invite 2-mile that saw him compete for 6 laps minus his right shoe that was ripped off after the start. The top 5 racers finished under 9:00 minutes including Conard’s Ahmed Haji in 5th in 8:58.69. A healed Coombs proceeded to win the CIAC M and Open 800m races as well as the 3200m in the M championship. Coombs capped his season with a win in 4:05.72 in the adidas Outdoor 1-mile Championship that broke the 23-year-old state and remains as #4 all time. As a junior, Coombs set Open 1600 record and won CIAC 3000m steeplechase for a CT state record, running 9:30.20, still #6 CT all time.

Myles Bradley, Norwich Free Academy, Class of 2005

Myles Bradley dominated his era competing undefeated in major meets in the 110m hurdles, long jump and triple jump where he won the Open and New England in both long jump and hurdles. Bradley finished 7th in the triple jump at the New Balance Nationals as well as earning the Gatorade Athlete of the Year before attending Stanford University. Bradley’s junior year featured wins in the long jump and 110m hurdles at the Open that helped propel NFA to the title. His state record of 13.77 in the 110m hurdles at the 2005 ECC championship lasted 18 years. Bradley also leaped 24-1 in the long jump and set a best of 48-9.75 in the triple jump.

Jordan Thull, East Lyme,Class 2006 

Jordan Thull redefined expectation for CT pole vaulters in the first decade of 2000. He was the first CT athlete over 15-feet outdoors and ended up jumping 16-1 by the time he graduated, which is still the 2nd best jump in state history. Thull dominated his era as he won New Englands his junior and senior years and was preceded by a second place as a sophomore. Thull remained undefeated his senior year and placed at the Open junior and senior years. 

Donn Cabral, Glastonbury, Class of 2008

The senior season for Donn Cabral heralded greater things to come as he broke the state record in 2-mile (8:56.35) and 5000m (14:32.60) as well as running the second fastest mile (4:09.80) in CT history. Cabral also earned State Open titles in the 4x800m and 3200m in his senior year that was preceded by a 1600m Open championship as a junior. Cabral finished 17th at the IAAF World Junior Championships in the 10k (30:47.55) in high school. While at Princeton, Cabral was a former American collegiate steeplechase record holder and was the 2012 NCAA steeplechase champion. Cabral represented the USA at the 2012 and 2016 Olympics where he was a finalist in the 3000m steeplechase.

Michael Hartfield, Manchester, Class of 2008

As a State Open champion in the long jump (2007) and triple jump (2008) Michael Hartfield was a dominant force in the sand pits. His leap of 24-8.25 at the Journal Inquirer Greater Manchester Invitational in 2008 is #2 all time in Connecticut while his 48-7.5 mark to win the 2008 State Open event is a CT #13 all time best performance. His talents eventually led him to compete for The Ohio State University as well as a place on Team USA where he competed in Rio de Janeiro at the 2016 Olympics in the long jump.

Stephen Simalchik, Danbury, Class of 2009

In his senior year, Stephen Simalchik won the State Open and New England javelin championships in addition to his 2nd place at the Open and 3rd at New Englands his junior year. At the 2009 Nutmeg Games Simalchik unleashed a throw of 212-9 which remains as the CT state record. 

Photo courtesy of Rich Destefano

Chris Fitzsimons, Hamden, Class of 2010

Fans witnessed the capability of Chris Fitzsimons in his two come-from-behind wins in the 4x800m and DMR at the 2010 New Balance Nationals. Fitzsimons set the current state record in the 800m of 1:48.83 in the finals of the USATF Junior Nationals where he finished third. Fitzsimons was a member of the State Open 4x800m championship teams in his junior and senior years and claimed the 800m title in his senior year when he was also named the Gatorade Athlete of the Year.

John Wlasuk, Newtown, Class of 2011

John Wlasuk earned his highest honors as the 2011 State Open and New England shot and discus champion while placing fifth in the javelin during his senior year. Wlasuk remains ranked as #9 CT All Time in the discus (179-10) and #17 in the shot put. Wlasuk was the second school boy in 25 years to exceed 59 feet in the shot, winning the Class LL title. He was the first athlete since 1988 to toss the discus over 170 feet in four of his five competitions in his senior year that helped secure his award as Gatorade Athlete of the Year.

Daniel Jamieson, Windsor, Class of 2012

As one of the prolific sprinters in 2012, Daniel Jamieson claimed titles at the State Open and New England championships in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m and then finished second at the New Balance Nationals in the 100m and sixth in the 200m. Jamieson also finished with PRs of 10.56 for the 100m and 21.17 for 200m. Jamieson was also part of the undefeated 4x100m that won the Open and New England titles.

Jake Scinto, Cheshire, Class of 2012

During his senior year Jake Scinto won the high jump title at the New Balance Nationals as well as dual titles at the State Open and New England in both the long and high jumps. Additionally, Scinto won the Open triple jump and then placed third at New Englands that helped pave the path to earning the Gatorade Athlete of the Year. In his junior year Scinto won the Open triple jump and was second in both the high and long jumps. He qualified for the New England meet in the high jump and long jump as a sophomore.

Make sure to visit soon to view the remaining top 25 outdoor track and field athletes since 2000 that will also include an honorable mention list.

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