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

Ahhh, spring break. The time for students to take a breather before the final push to the last day of school in June. But for many athletes, they had their week off this week or perhaps next. But either way, many CT track and field athletes decided to stay home this weekend to put up some solid performances.  

2nd Spring Break Jamboree

Friday, April 12, 2024 - Hall HS, West Hartford CT

RESULTS

PHOTOS by Craig Rosenberg

Hall High School started this meet last year to tremendous success and several top performances were on display last Friday afternoon despite the intermittent rain showers. 

The highlight of the meet had to be the girls 800m where Newington’s Kate Bohlke outlasted Conard’s Tess Sherry and Liv Sherry. Bohlke is having a dream year setting PRs almost at will. She reset her own state record in the 2000m steeplechase last weekend and this week she proved she has some speed to go with her strength. 

The senior crossed the line in 2:11.40, the 12th fastest performance in state history. She knocked Tess Sherry’s time from nationals last year back one place. Tess Sherry was only a couple tenths of a second back, in 2:11.65, the 2nd time she has ever broken 2:12. Meanwhile Liv was less than a second off her Class LL winning time last year, taking third in 2:12.97. 

The boys race was nearly as impressive, with defending State Open 800m champion Dan Coyne of Simsbury holding off Hall’s accomplished relay man Gabe Sisk running 1:55.47 to 1:56.59. Xavier’s Jack Ouellette, better known as a miler, went under 1:58 for the first time finishing in 1:57.37.

The girl's shot put is already heating up. Earlier in the week in a dual meet Shalisha Robertson “The Girl Who Can Do Everything” heaved the shot 40-4. The Hillhouse senior, who will attend Temple University next year, is the top ranked shot putter in the state, 1st in the triple jump, 4th in the long jump, 10th in the 100m and even 34th in the 400m. The winner of last year’s indoor shot put championship is looking to challenge this winter’s champion Hall’s Anna Siciliano, who will compete for Yale University next year, who had a four-foot outdoor PR of 40-0.5 on Friday. The Hall school record effort was about four feet from her indoor best but these two titans will surely battle it out at the State Open. 

Just like the girls, the boys shot put is shaping up into a very competitive event. There are 11 boys who reached 60-feet in CT history and it looks like there might be at least two more this spring. Juniors Thomas Matlock of East Lyme and Marshall Potter of Simsbury battled the past few years with Matlock breaking the barrier and Potter taking 2nd at the Open, throwing over 56-feet twice this winter. On Friday, the pair went 1-2 with the Viking throwing 59-5 and the Trojan also setting an outdoor PR of 57-4. Not bad for an early season invitational under less than ideal conditions. 

Lady Hawks Invitational

Saturday, April 13, 2024, Bloomfield HS, CT

RESULTS

Windsor’s Kareema McKenzie competed in over 50 races last outdoor season between trials and finals of the 100m hurdles, 300m hurdles, relays and a few non-hurdle races. But even though she was part of a 3:50 4x400m relay team and the State Open 300m hurdle champion, she had never breached 60 seconds in an open 400m race until she crossed the line in 58.32. This ranks her 2nd in CT and is certainly a great indication of what she can do later in the season when she has hurdles to attack. 

After dominating the indoor season, winning the 55m and 300m at the State Open and leading his team to an All American finish in the 4x400m,Windsor’s Maxim Copeland started off his season winning the 100m and 400m. His one lap time of 48.56 is not only an outdoor PR, it is the state leading time. 

Now a junior, Bloomfield’s Delante Senior has come into his own and has announced himself as a player on the state scene. He was 7th in the 55m hurdles at the State Open but on Saturday, he ran the state leading time in the longer 300m hurdles. There is only one returning New England qualifier and his winning time of 40.36 is well on his way to breaking 40-seconds and eventually becoming a New England qualifier. 

It’s always fun to identify new talent in the state. Last year Ashleen Walsh competed for William J. Johnston and won the CT Middle School shot put championship. She then went on to compete unattached and won the USATF Region I Junior Olympics in the javelin with a throw of 113-5 which would have finished 4th at the State Open. She has already gone over 100-feet in all three meets this season for Bacon Academy and won Saturday’s meet with a throw of 108-1. 

YMCA Invitational

Saturday, April 13, 2024, Coginchaug HS, Durham CT

RESULTS

Coginchaug has a long history of track and field success, especially among the smaller classes. The Blue Devils hosted a meet that drew a half dozen teams where several top Class meet performances were set. 

The host school’s Allison Vigue is mostly known as a pole vaulter but over the years she has actually competed in just about every event offered. She already holds the top spot in her specialty but on Saturday she finished 2nd and set a PR in the triple jump of 34'-6. She now holds the top spot in Class S as well.

Bloomfield hasn’t unleashed their sprinters yet but as of mid April sophomore Hope Obremski of Sheehan has claimed the top stop in Class M with her winning time of 12.78. 

Sheehan was Class M and State Open champion two years ago and are looking like they are putting the pieces together for another run. Kathryn Lombino was the Class M long jump champion this winter and on Saturday took over the Class M lead in the triple jump with her PR of 35-10.

Lyman Hall had a magical season this winter winning the Class M title and taking 2nd at the Open. Michael Fisher was a big part of the Trojans success. He took over the Class MM lead in the 200m with his winning time of 22.17.

Dual Meet Noteworthy Performances

State records can never be set in dual meets, but there were several performances that were set this week that if they stand up in bigger meets then they may make a dent into CT’s all time performance list. 

Amity’s Micah Blair recently committed to SUNY at Buffalo and was in the upper 22-feet for the long jump several times this winter. He finally broke the 23-foot barrier at a home meet against Cheshire and Fairfield Prep with his winning distance of 23-5.0. 

Jordan Carr of Joel Barlow and Talia Graham of Bethel continued their rivalry at a dual meet with Newtown and Kolbe at Barlow. Carr came out on top, tying her lifetime best and setting an outdoor PR of 12-6. Graham was with her until the very end and cleared 12-0, tying her outdoor PR. 

Imani Bryan of Career Magnet has been someone to watch for a while. But on Tuesday, at a meet at North Haven vs Jonathan Law and Bullard Havens she soared to a long jump of 19-1, a foot better than her next best jump. This jump would be an all time best performance if she can duplicate it at a bigger meet. 

Start off last sprint throwing 140-feet and improving to 165-0, Sheehan’s Wilson Moya opened up his season with a five-foot PR, throwing 170-1 against Wilbur Cross at Daniel Hand High.This throw would have been 2nd behind All American Josh Mooney at last year’s State Open and since the three people that finished in front of him have graduated, he is an early favorite mine for gold at the end of the season. 

Bloomfield’s Jahniya Barclay burst on the scene last year winning the State Open 55m as a freshman. Injuries held her out of the state meets during outdoor, but she showed she has some serious range winning a meet against Aerospace, International and Innovation last Tuesday at home. She easily won in a state leading time of 57.14, a time that would have been 3rd at the Open last year. 

One of the favorites for the CIAC Decathlon title, Kyle Kurtz of Bethel, started off his season with a PR of 14-0 in the pole vault at a home meet against Barlow, Kolbe and Newtown. He also ran a PR of 15.69 to win the 110m hurdles, high jumped 5 -6 and ran a leg of the 4x400m. Since his three individual events often give decathletes the most trouble, this is a great indication of how his preparations are coming along this season. He will be joining UConn’s well known decathlete group next year. 

The top returner in the discus from last year’s Open is Hannah Graham of Norwich Free Academy. She was 3rd last year and started off her season with a four-foot PR, throwing 129-0 against Bacon Academy at home. Graham will be taking her talents to Yale in the fall. 

How to View CT Weekly Results

More meet results from the past week, including the Hillhouse Freshmen Sophomore, Novice Meet, are available for viewing in Athletic.net at: https://www.athletic.net/events/us/connecticut/2024-4-8 

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