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

Welcome to the traveling circus known as indoor track that officially began last Thursday. The first official weekend of track and field saw CT athletes travel to New Haven, Boston and New York City putting up some strong early season performances. 

23rd Hillhouse Invitational

@ Floyd Little Athletic Facility, New Haven CT

RESULTS

Magical was one word to describe Windsor’s sprinters last year. The Warriors earned All American honors indoors and outdoors, breaking the Connecticut state record in the 4 x 400m both seasons. While Maxim Copeland and Taeshawn Berry, two of the best sprinters in state history have moved onto college, Shelldon Simpson II is the next man up. The junior, son of Manchester coach Shelldon Simpson who’s CT’s state record in the 55m is going on a quarter of a century, won the 55m at the 23rd Hillhouse Invitational in a PR of 6.51. His time is now the 2nd fastest time in the state with many weeks to get closer to his father’s best of 6.23. 

Trumbull’s Sebastian Perez has certainly used the off season to his advantage to turn himself into a possible impact player in the sprints. Last winter he was a member of the Golden Eagles’ Class LL champions in the  4 x 400m and scored in the Class LL 300m. But after giving up baseball and focusing on track, he set several outdoor PRs running for Pride of Bridgeport Track Club over the summer and he popped off a huge 300m PR of 34.63 at the Joe Donahue Boston Collegiate Indoor Games on December 8th. On Saturday he ran his flat track PR of 36.23 to easily win the Hillhouse Invitational. 

Perez attributes his success to his “mental discipline when it comes to eating food, I have definitely taken that to the next level and my training has changed. We have worked more top end speed and with my level of maturity and how focused I’ve been this season has already led to some great times.” 

Check out Perez’ Interview with MSR

Cross country and track All American Soheib Dissa, fresh off his 13th place finish at Foot Locker Nationals decided to get his qualifying mark out of the way early in the season. But the Newtown senior also didn’t want to neglect his weekly mileage. With the 1000m scheduled later in the day, he ran 13 miles at sub 5:50 pace and then completed 10 x 100m striders in the morning before taking the 30-minute drive to Floyd Little. He went out in about 28 seconds but the long run caught up to him by the 600m mark at which point Rocky Hill’s Dan DiTunno linked back with him. But he had enough in the tank to win in 2:40.27. While the time is well off his PR of 2:28.93, it should be good enough to earn him a place in the fast heat at SWCs and Class LL where he is bound to run faster.

Last year the State Open 55HH was won in 7.61. With five of the top six having graduated, it would make sense this would be a down year. But Bloomfield’s Delante Senior and East Hartford’s Davian Johnson finished .01 seconds apart with Senior grabbing the win in a PR of 7.68 with Johnson taking 2nd. After throwing down such fast times early in the season, we just might see a hurdle race even faster than last year’s at the Open. 

A self described “throwing nerd” James Oberg loves to hang out in the throwing circle with his friends and work on his technique. After a below average start to his season last week, the Guilford senior refocused in practice this week and set a nine inch lifetime PR in the shot put to win with a throw of 53’0. 

Check out Oberg’s Interview with MSR

The defending State Open champion in the 55m, Samiya Eady of Manchester started off her season winning the 300m and running a leg of the winning 4 x 200m. Her time of 41.26 was just over a tenth of a second slower than her Class LL winning time in the 300m and .06 seconds faster than her winning time last year at the New Haven Invite. 

Last year Tomari Gillespie had a fantastic year, scoring in the State Open in both the 55m and 55HH and the 300IH outdoors, but she was often outshined by her Wndsor teammate Kareema McKenzie who went on to break the CT state record in the 300IH. Now a junior she set a nearly quarter of a second personal record in the 55HH, winning in a time of 8.36, which is currently the state leading time. 

Finishing right behind her in the hurdles was Bloomfield’s Vanessa Agyemang who took 2nd in 8.38. The junior was 3rd at the State Open last year in the long jump, and won that event on Saturday with a leap of 18 '3.5 which is only four inches off her lifetime best. Agyemang transferred from Classical Magnet and has enjoyed being a part in the 14 time Class S championship program.  

“I have people who are faster than me or the same speed as me and push me every time” she said. “It’s not really a competition but it’s a way to help each other get faster.”

Check out Agyemang’s Interview with MSR

Five of the finalists from last year’s State Open have returned in the girls shot put so this year is looking to be one of the more competitive in several years. Sacred Heart’s Maya Quaranta was 6th last year at the Open and has recently committed to Yale. On Saturday, she popped off an indoor PR of 39' 6 to take the win. Bloomfield’s Payton Sirdine, the 7th place finisher at the Open last year finished 2nd in 37 '0. 

Most athletes aren’t exposed to pole vault until their freshman year, so it is rare for a 9th grader to get much notice in the event, especially at the beginning of indoor track. But when Kaylin Diglio got hurt after competing as a gymnast for eight years, her father, longtime Haddam Killingworth coach Matt Diglio suggested she try the pole vault. She took to it right away. Last year while still in middle school her father took her to several meets and she eventually cleared 9 ft, 2 inches. She has already had three preseason meets in the fall, and has already had a lifetime best of 11 '1 from the Coach Cauthers Ice Breaker on November 5th. On Saturday, in her first official high school meet, she took three tries to get over 9 '6 but once she got into her groove it was smooth sailing, eventually winning at 10' 6. She made three solid attempts at a new PR of 11’2 but came up short. 

Check out Diglio’s Interview with MSR

Lauren Parrett made quite a name for herself this fall in cross country when she finished top ten at the Open and New England in cross country, helping Glastonbury to the State Open title as a freshman. In her first race of indoor track she claimed the state lead in both the 3200m (11:12.03 and 1600m (5:19.08).

The Beantown Winter Classic 

@ The TRACK at New Balance, Boston MA

RESULTS

Boys Events

Something special is happening in the hallways of Danbury High in the sprints this winter. Known for their strong cross country teams and track relays, Machai Henry has emerged as the greatest short sprinter in school history and he has just started his junior year. Henry broke the  school record in the 100m last spring and on Saturday he put his name on the record board in the 55m winning the Beantown Winter Classic in a time of 6.42. Not only did he come away with the win, he defeated New England 100m champion Andre Clark of Marshwood South, Maine and ran Connecticut’s 12th fastest time in state history. 

Not far behind Henry was his teammate Tobias Kelly who took 4th in 6.58. The pair teamed up with Julian Farmer Campbell and Rysaiah Saunders to take 4th in the 4 x 200m in a time of 1:31.88. 

Henry and Kelly also joined together with Alex Hannon and Kyle Jeffers to take 3rd in the sprint medley relay. Their time of 3:40.87 is currently the state leading time. 

CT did quite well in the short relay up in Boston with three other teams making the finals. Windsor, the defending State Open champions in the  4 x 200m finished a place in front of the Hatters with a time of 1:30.91. East Hartford took 5th in 1:32.67 and Hall was 6th in 1:33.65 to make this an event to watch as the season goes along. 

Last year, Spencer Paine made most of his contributions on the track with a baton in his hand as a member of the 4 x 800m that set school records and scored in the Class L championship. Now the senior, he broke the 13 year New Canaan school record in the 600m with a time of 1:24.62 to place 7th. He also holds the 2nd fastest time in the state. Another member of those New Canaan relays last year was Ryan Boulanger. On Sunday he popped off a huge PR in the 1000m, running 2:35.46 to place 3rd. 

A baseball player in the spring, Lyman Hall’s Ethan Rich obviously prepared for indoor track by working out during the fall. His work paid off with a new PR in the high jump, clearing 6’6 to take second place. Last year he was 3rd in the State Open, to help his team to a runner up finish. 

It was already expected the boys shot put was going to be one of the strongest events on the schedule this year. CT throwers have added a little more depth to an already strong event. Tyler Cann of Lyme Old Lyme threw 52' 0 at a Shoreline Developmental meet but on Saturday he faced a much more competitive field and won on his first throw with a distance of 50’7.0. East Hartford’s Josh Keaton did not score in any of the championship meets last indoor season but has started off the season with a strong performance of 50 '4.75 inches to take 2nd. This already gives CT six throwers over 50 feet before the holiday season is over. 

On Sunday morning, defending New England outdoor 3200m champion Jack Ouellette of Xavier started off the season strong with a 4th place finish. He set an indoor PR 9:30.18 in the 3200m. 

Girls Events

Having depth in the sprints will certainly help a team towards the end of the season. Windsor was State Open and New England runner up in the 4 x 200m last year and they look to be just as competitive this time around. They sent two teams up to Boston with both of them making the finals only a few tenths of a second apart. In the finals, their “B” team of Jordyn Williams,  Aubrilynn Norris, Grayson Harris and Ava Coleman finished 2nd in 1:46.95 with Tomari Gillespie, Paige Wilson, Jaida Murray and Syniah Harding taking 3rd in 1:47.58

With no CT girl within a foot and a half of Jordan Carr in the pole vault, the bar should be her main rival this season. The Joel Barlow senior, who has committed to Clemson University, tied her indoor PR to win with a height of 12’6. 

Talk about improvement. East Hartford’s Bryanna Boroze never even broke 30 ft in the shot put until late last January and finished off the indoor season with a best of just over 32 ft. But she figured out the event by outdoor track, eventually taking 4th in the Open with a PR of 38' 4.75 and continued her work over the summer, eventually throwing just a few inches under 40 ft. Now a senior, she is bound to become much more well known as she just became the first CT girl to go over 40 ft, winning with a throw of 41 '2.25.

JAMBAR Coaches Hall of Fame Invite 

@ Nike Track & Field Center at The Armory, NY

RESULTS

Amity’s Luke Cushing went to the Armory in New York City and simply dominated the mile. He took over the lead by the 600m mark and by the 800m mark the race was his and he finished in a new PR of 4:20.52. Coming off a cross country season where he was State Open runner up he is setting himself up to be one of the favorites for some big postseason awards. 

Photo courtesy of John Nepolitan

Immaculate’s Brenan McCabe was 3rd at New England last year as a sophomore and put up the state’s leading times in the 300m (35.92) finishing in 6th place. He also finished 4th in the 200m with a time of 23.43. 

Coach Saint Invitational 

@ Nike Track & Field Center at The Armory, NY

RESULTS

Sophomore Shea McKenna of Darien was a State Open qualifier as a freshman in the 600m. On Friday night at the Armory she improved four and a half seconds from her time last year at this meet, taking second place with a time of 1:42.06 which is the 2nd fastest time in the state at this early point in the season. 

ECC Developmental

@ United States Coast Guard Academy - Rolland Hall, New London CT

RESULTS of ECC Developmental 1A

Montville Junior Kamryn Plikus delivered an unforgettable performance at the ECC Developmental Indoor Track & Field meet. Competing in the pole vault and high jump, she won both events and tied the school record in each: She cleared 11’0 and 5’0 to take over the Class S leads in both events. 

At the same meet, defending State Open and New England champion in the shot put, Thomas Matlock started off his season breaking 60 ft. His throw of 60’3 inches is the 5th best throw nationally in the young season. He also set his best throw in the weight, reaching a distance of 65’10.5 which is the 5th best throw in state history.