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Class M Indoor Track: Tolland girls, Hillhouse boys keep dynasties alive

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The Hillhouse boys indoor track team each pose for a picture with the Class M State Championship plaque. The Academics have won three straight state titles. (Derek Turner/GameTimeCT)
The Hillhouse boys indoor track team each pose for a picture with the Class M State Championship plaque. The Academics have won three straight state titles. (Derek Turner/GameTimeCT)
(Peter Hvizdak – New Haven Register)
(Peter Hvizdak – New Haven Register)Peter Hvizdak

NEW HAVEN >> The kings and queens of Class M Indoor Track reign once again.

For the third straight year both the Hillhouse boys and Tolland girls left the Floyd Little Athletic Center with Class M indoor track state championship plaques.

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For Tolland’s girls it was their fourth-consecutive title. It was the 3,200 meter run that sealed the day for the Eagles to claim the prize over second-place Hillhouse.

Tolland’s Hayley Collins won the race with a time of 11:13.93 while teammates Michaela Caron took third and Sidney Perryman in fifth. It gave Tolland 18 points and put a 10-point gap between it and the Hillhouse girls heading into the final event of the day, the 4×400 meter relay.

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“I was telepathically saying, ‘Good job guys, we got this,'” Collins said. “We were just so excited, this means so much to us.”

Hillhouse — just as it did at last week’s Southern Connecticut Conference championships — won the final relay.  But Tolland’s second-place finish in the even clinched its fourth Class M state title.

“This was our big goal,” Collins said. “We want Class Ms. We just did everything we could to get there.”

It doesn’t hurt that this Tolland senior class has won 13 state championships between indoor and outdoor track and cross country.

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(Peter Hvizdak – New Haven Register)
(Peter Hvizdak – New Haven Register)Peter Hvizdak
(Peter Hvizdak – New Haven Register)
(Peter Hvizdak – New Haven Register)Peter Hvizdak

“It really helps knowing that under all this stress that we can still perform,” Collins said. “We just have to tolerate all the stress that goes with it.”

Perhaps lost in the Eagles distance success was AmyErin Zadroga’s Class M state record 12-foot pole vault.

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“It was really exciting,” said Zadroga, who received a huge applause from the arena after clearing the bar.

“I didn’t realize that many people were watching. I started crying. I just couldn’t handle it.”

Hillhouse’s big event was the 300 meter dash when it picked up 16 points. Wynter Williams won (42.47) and Jada Boyd came in third.

The Hillhouse girls also earned points in the girls 600 with a win by Jada Boyd (1:40.85). De’Janay Davis finished fifth in the  1,000 and the 4×200 relay team came in second.

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Ayesha Nelson and Wynter Williams placed fourth and sixth in the 55 hurdles and the sprint medley team finished third — but to a first place Tolland.

The Hillhouse boys were the favorite heading into the meet on Monday and still managed to exceed expectations.

In addition to Manasseh Bekele’s victory in the 600 meters (in 1:24.36), the Academics won the 4×200 (1:34.06), the 4×800 (8:24.65) and finished second to Weston in the 4×400.

Keon Jackson finished second in the boys long jump behind Torrington’s Dylan Myrie 21-foot-4 jump.

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That second-place finish turned out to be more than enough to keep Hillhouse ahead of Weston to win the meet.

“We did better, a lot better,” Hillhouse 4×400 anchor Talib McBride said. “I think we all tried our best and we succeeded.”

Hillhouse did have to sweat it until the pole vault events were complete.

“We were looking at the pole vault, thinking [Weston] might score on the pole vault, but we don’t know,” McBride said. “But we said if we don’t win states, it’s all good. We’ll just have to do better in state opens.”

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The boys pole vault continued long after the final race on the track and Weston kept raising the bar until it couldn’t anymore falling just short of the Academics 56.83 points.

Milan Spisek of Joel Barlow was the last athlete to walk off the floor of the Floyd Little Athletic Center on Monday as he cleared 14 feet in the pole vault with just the judges and a few coaches left cheering him on.

Boys Team Scores

1) Hillhouse 56.83; 2) Weston 54.33; 3) Joel Barlow 40.50; 4) Ledyard 39; 5) Stonington 30; 6) Tolland 26; 7) East Lyme 25.50; 8) Jonathan Law 20; 8) Ellington 20; 10) Kaynor Tech 19; 11) Waterford 12.33; 12) Northwestern 12; 12) New Fairfield 12; 12) Torrington 12; 15) Suffield 11; 16) Rocky Hill 10; 16) Lyman Hall 10; 16) Lewis Mills 10; 16) Brookfield 10; 20) Bacon Academy 6; 20) East Haven 6; 20) Prince Tech 6; 23) Branford 4; 23) Stratford 4; 23) Wolcott 4; 26) Woodstock Academy 2; 27) Bulkeley 1; 27) Bethel 1; 29) Foran 0.50.

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Girls Team Scores

1) Tolland 79; 2) Hillhouse 71; 3) Weston 37; 4) Berlin 33; 5) Jonathan Law 27; 6) Ellington 24; 7) Killingly 20; 7) Brookfield 20; 9) Lauralton Hall 18; 9) Fitch 18; 11) Waterford 16; 12) Branford 12; 13) Montville 10; 13) Rocky Hill 10; 15) Sacred Heart Academy 9; 15) Avon 9; 17) Bethel 8; 18) Career Magnet 6; 18) Torrington 6; 20) Stonington 5; 21) Wolcott 4; 21) Prince Tech 4; 21) Nonnewaug 4; 24) Rham 3; 24) Ledyard 3; 26) Rockville 2; 26) Suffield 2; 26) Sheehan 2; 29) Lewis Mills 1; 29) Woodland 1; 29) Northwestern 1

Boys Top Finishers

55 Meter Dash Finals: 1. Herman Winston, Ledyard, 6.51; 2. Dylan Hatajik, East Lyme, 6.56; 3. Alex Pratcher, Jonathan Law, 6.74; 4. Khalil Sokunle, Stratford, J6.74; 5. Dylan Myrie, Torrington, 6.75; 6. Karim Abdul, Bulkeley, 6.86.

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300 Meter Dash: 1. Herman Winston, Ledyard, 36.44; 2. Dylan Hatajik, East Lyme, 36.74; 3. Baruch Goodman, Weston, 36.95; 4. Blake Jandreau, Lyman Hall, 37.18; 5. Willie Brown, Hillhouse, 37.26; 6. Cameron Whalen, Stonington, 37.27.

600 Meter Run: 1. Manasseh Bekele, Hillhouse, 1:24.36; 2. Terrell Patterson, Kaynor Tech, 1:24.83; 3. Jon Lewis, Lewis Mills, 1:27.91; 4. Nick Sinofsky, Suffield, 1:28.47; 5. Rhys Hammond, Stonington, 1:28.72; 6. Matt Marino, Jonathan Law, 1:28.75.

1000 Meter Run: 1. Josh Bedard, Tolland, 2:35.06; 2. Stephen Tyler, Weston, 2:35.53; 3. Ben Ruffing, Joel Barlow, 2:37.78; 4. Jonathan Maldonado, Wolcott, 2:44.11; 5. James Harron, Brookfield, 2:44.22; 6. Brad Bornn, Bethel, 2:45.34.

1600 Meter Run: 1. Michael Bortolot, Joel Barlow, 4:32.08; 2. Gavin Woodward, Northwestern, 4:33.13; 3. Thomas Arbeiter, Ellington, 4:36.58; 4. Tim Lautenbach, Weston, 4:41.37; 5. Maxwell Chace, Woodstock Ac, 4:41.85; 6. Samuel Whittaker, East Lyme, 4:43.24.

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3200 Meter Run: 1. Michael Bortolot, Joel Barlow, 10:07.28; 2. Killian McNamee, Tolland, 10:08.64; 3. Anthony Golino, New Fairfiel, 10:13.36; 4. Ben Ruffing, Joel Barlow, 10:15.46; 5. Nicholas O’Brien, Lewis Mills, 10:19.64; 6. Terrell Patterson, Kaynor Tech, 10:22.01.

55 Meter Hurdles: 1. Jordon Wilkins, Kaynor Tech, 7.82; 2. Cameron Whalen, Stonington, 7.93; 3. Marcus Savage, Prince Tech, 8.02; 4. Brian Kennedy, Weston, 8.26; 4. John T Wharton Gardner, Hillhouse, 8.26; 4. Devin Craig, Waterford, 8.26.

4×200 Meter Relay: 1. Hillhouse (Willie Brown, Antoine Merritt, Quintus Reid, Deshaune Poole), 1:34.06; 2. Ledyard (Herman Winston, James Smith, Andrew Laconico, Travon Brown), 1:34.82; 3. Rocky Hill (Joseph Catania, Jacob Weber, Kristopher Begen, James Chasco-Dimauro), 1:36.03; 4. Ellington (Dakota Aldrich, Nicholas Pelletier, Joshua Prouty, Kyle Wardrop), 1:36.76; 5. Weston (John Hurst, Kevin Stankiewicz, Jack Weiss, Baruch Goodman), 1:37.11; 6. Jonathan Law (Alexander Lazar, Charles Fonck, Jake Bombace, Alex Pratcher), 1:37.44.

4×400 Meter Relay: 1. Weston (Matthew Scott, Stephen Tyler, Kevin Stankiewicz, Baruch Goodman), 3:31.61; 2. Hillhouse (Willie Brown, Keon Jackson, Amir Sena, Talib McBride), 3:33.85; 3. Lyman Hall (Jordan Crawford, Randy McFarline, Matt Nicefaro, Blake Jandreau), 3:38.35; 4. Rocky Hill (Joseph Catania, Kristopher Begen, Jacob Weber, James Chasco-Dimauro), 3:38.84; 5. Ellington (Dakota Aldrich, Nicholas Pelletier, Adam Mayne, Kyle Wardrop), 3:40.17; 6. Jonathan Law (Matt Marino, Jack Wootton, Glenn Orpiano, Charles Fonck), 3:42.59.

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4×800 Meter Relay: 1. Hillhouse (George Dorsey III, Amir Sena, Dale Thompson, Manasseh Bekele), 8:24.65; 2. Weston (Matthew Scott, Ryan Werner, Zachary Yung, Tim Lautenbach), 8:30.20; 3. Suffield (Jared Sharp, Kyle Englander, Samatar Wehelie, Nick Sinofsky), 8:33.91; 4. New Fairfield (Jerold Lambert, Kory Rautter, Shane Hauck, Anthony Golino), 8:37.34; 5. Ledyard (Sean Healy, Ian Kamperschroer, Zachary King, Nathan McCracken), 8:42.04; 6. Stonington (Jack Ognisty, Chase Flynn, Rhys Hammond, Blake Edwards), 8:42.85.

1600 Sprint Medley: 1. Weston (Jack Weiss, Kevin Stankiewicz, Brian Kennedy, Stephen Tyler), 3:44.98; 2. Tolland (Jake Robertson, Aaron Johnston, Matt Supczak, Josh Bedard), 3:45.39; 3. Hillhouse (Quintus Reid, Deshaune Poole, Talib McBride, Manasseh Bekele), 3:46.69; 4. Branford (Matthew Alexander, Carlos Macaay, Aidan Kropiwnicki, Marzio Mastroianni), 3:48.36; 5. Lewis Mills (Jacob Lyga, Steven Wyzykowski, Jack Keegan, Jon Lewis), 3:48.76; 6. Ledyard (Travon Brown, James Smith, Andrew Laconico, Sean Healy), 3:50.46.

High Jump: 1. Devin Craig, Waterford, 6-00; 2. Collin Wiltshire, Ledyard, J6-00; 3. Cedrick Rigaud, Jonathan Law, 5-10; 4. Aaron Gable, Northwestern, 5-08; 5. Bryan Craven, New Fairfiel, J5-08; 6. Milan Spisek, Joel Barlow, J5-08; 6. Keon Jackson, Hillhouse, J5-08.

Pole Vault: 1. Milan Spisek, Joel Barlow, 14-00; 2. Joshua Prouty, Ellington, 12-06; 3. Aaron Young, Bacon Academ, J12-06; 4. Daniel Petty, Weston, 12-00; 5. Shane Smith, Stonington, 11-06; 6. Kyle Stuart, Foran, 11-00; 6. joseph Andrews, East Lyme, 11-00.

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Long Jump: 1. Dylan Myrie, Torrington, 21-04; 2. Keon Jackson, Hillhouse, 20-02.25; 3. Dylan Hatajik, East Lyme, 20-01.50; 4. Cedrick Rigaud, Jonathan Law, 19-10; 5. Hayden Parrilla, Stonington, 19-09; 6. Jordan Beck, Jonathan Law, 19-07.

Shot Put: 1. Dmitri Van Duine, Stonington, 48-04.25; 2. Khaled Elmady, Brookfield, 47-04; 3. Niam Coward, East Haven, 46-02.50; 4. Grayson DelGrosso, Stonington, 44-10.50; 5. Sam Highman, East Lyme, 42-03.50; 6. Josh Wozniak, Suffield, 42-02.75.

Girls Top Finishers

55 Meter Dash Finals: 1. Kiara Smith, Jonathan Law, 7.29; 2. Vanessa Reimer, Berlin, J7.29; 3. Kathryn Kelly, Lauralton Ha, 7.47; 4. Madison Powe, Fitch, 7.48; 5. Bridget Lalonde, RHAM, 7.58; 6. Erika Michie, Woodland, 7.59.

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300 Meter Dash: 1. Wynter Williams, Hillhouse, 42.47; 2. Vanessa Reimer, Berlin, 42.71; 3. Jada Boyd, Hillhouse, 42.98; 4. Liante Claude, Branford, 43.16; 5. Zora LaBonte, Waterford, 43.55; 6. Nikki Xiarhos, Berlin, 43.78.

600 Meter Run: 1. Jada Boyd, Hillhouse, 1:40.85; 2. Christine Oberhausen, Avon, 1:41.71; 3. Mady Whittaker, Montville, 1:41.80; 4. Kaitlyn Bedard, Tolland, 1:42.21; 5. Sydney Schultz, Ellington, 1:42.84; 6. Maddie Clark, Tolland, 1:42.88.

1000 Meter Run: 1. Katherine Deloreto, Tolland, 2:58.81; 2. Michaela Caron, Tolland, 3:07.60; 3. Annie Cunningham, Sacred Heart, 3:08.70; 4. Allison Hill, Ellington, 3:08.95; 5. De’Janay Davis, Hillhouse, 3:12.18; 6. Laura Dawson, Rockville, 3:12.31.

1600 Meter Run: 1. Kaitlyn Stevens, Killingly, 5:16.89; 2. Kathleen Murphy, Weston, 5:17.79; 3. Hayley Collins, Tolland, 5:20.93; 4. Lindsey Orr, Stonington, 5:35.27; 5. Kathryn Rodrigues, Wolcott, 5:36.64; 6. Kyleigh Percy, Rockville, 5:38.44.

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3200 Meter Run: 1. Hayley Collins, Tolland, 11:13.93; 2. Kaitlyn Stevens, Killingly, 11:43.76; 3. Michaela Caron, Tolland, 12:03.91; 4. Juliet Bussell, Brookfield, 12:07.20; 5. Sidney Perryman, Tolland, 12:10.05; 6. Sara Leavens, Avon, 12:11.65.

55 Meter Hurdles: 1. Savanna Macaluso, Ellington, 8.77; 2. Sophia Podeszwa, Waterford, 8.90; 3. Ryana Kelsey, Fitch, 9.04; 4. Ayesha Nelson, Hillhouse, 9.10; 5. Cynthia Dias, Wolcott, 9.34; 6. Wynter Williams, Hillhouse, 9.35.

4×200 Meter Relay: 1. Hillhouse (Ayesha Nelson, Kristen Washington, Mickiaya Sanders, Nyimah Ambrose), 1:49.65; 2. Fitch (Madison Powe, Lily Johnson, Abigail Rogers, Denise Strong), 1:49.97; 3. Waterford (Carissa Aekins, Zora LaBonte, Sophia Podeszwa, Lia Scala), 1:51.36; 4. Jonathan Law (Kiara Smith, Holly Caldwell, Olivia Steiner, Rhea Grant), 1:51.75; 5. Tolland (Marissa Airoldi, Jessica Barry, Taylor Papa, Lindsey Papa), 1:52.14; 6. Rham (Olivia Folkes, Katie Kingsley, Madison Czarnecki, Bridget Lalonde), 1:53.56.

4×400 Meter Relay: 1. Hillhouse (Wynter Williams, Jada Boyd, Nyimah Ambrose, Sarai Black), 4:08.91; 2. Tolland (Anyssa Poirier, Maddie Clark, Katherine Deloreto, Kaitlyn Bedard), 4:11.07; 3. Weston (Mimi Fellowes, Nicole Werner, Kristin Krigsman, Kathleen Murphy), 4:14.23; 4. Montville (Michaela MacCracken, Rachel Marchini, Katelin Price, Mady Whittaker), 4:14.42; 5. Rocky Hill (Anne White, Talia Carlone, Lilah Devine, Nicole Zarrilli), 4:17.49; 6. Sacred Heart Academy (Meaghan Cameron, Sophie Velez, Johannah Litchfield, Haley Bothwell), 4:22.85.

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4×800 Meter Relay: 1. Weston (Eliza Kleban, Michelle Gutowski, Mimi Fellowes, Nicole Werner), 9:57.68; 2. Lauralton Hall (Lily Wald, Rachel Wywoda, Leah Cogguillo, Abigail Baisley), 10:36.89; 3. Berlin (Madison Monroe, Alexa Monroe, Juliana Cancellieri, Madison Marolda), 10:39.83; 4. Nonnewaug (Greer Hanley, Sarah Woodward, Jacquelin Berger, Emily Wingard), 10:46.65; 5. Tolland (Sidney Perryman, Olivia McCarthy, Bryanna McNamee, Alison Soucy), 10:51.64; 6. Sacred Heart Academy (Liz Mackey, Claire Lagarde, Molly Cotjanle, Ashley Gerckens), 10:59.94.

1600 Sprint Medley: 1. Tolland (Marissa Airoldi, Jessica Barry, Maddie Clark, Katherine Deloreto), 4:21.17; 2. Rocky Hill (Zykeya Ford, Victoria Bower, Nicole Zarrilli, Lilah Devine), 4:23.74; 3. Hillhouse (Ayesha Nelson, Mickiaya Sanders, Nyimah Ambrose, De’Janay Davis), 4:26.80; 4. Weston (Kristin Krigsman, Hannah Greene, Emily Prackup, Nicole Werner), 4:26.86; 5. Suffield (Cameron Shaw, Vera Raskina, Emily Bernabe, Kaitlin Girardini), 4:35.01; 6. Sacred Heart Academy (Sophie Velez, Bianca Kave, Haley Bothwell, Annie Cunningham), 4:35.54.

High Jump: 1. Patricia Mroczkowski, Berlin, 5-02; 2. Megan Knowling, Ellington, 5-00; 3. Lauren Kovacs, Brookfield, J5-00; 4. Kathryn Kelly, Lauralton Ha, J5-00; 5. Kyra Connolly, Sheehan, 4-08; 6. Emily Whalen, Northwestern, J4-08.

Pole Vault: 1. AmyErin Zadroga, Tolland, 12-00#; 2. Bridget Wirtz, Branford, 10-06; 3. Danielle Cass, Weston, 10-00; 4. Claudia Jackson, Ledyard, 9-00; 4. Sophia Rico, Weston, 9-00; 6. Emma Brown, Stonington, J9-00.

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Long Jump: 1. Kiara Smith, Jonathan Law, 17-01.75; 2. Hannah Kelm, Bethel, 16-09.25; 3. Brooke Joyner, Career Magne, 16-04.50; 4. Kristen Washington, Hillhouse, 16-03.75; 5. Jamie Jax, Killingly, 16-03; 6. Olivia Steiner, Jonathan Law, 15-11.

Shot Put: 1. Lauryn Gause, Brookfield, 38-01.50; 2. Teaira Edwards, Hillhouse, 35-01; 3. Alexia Fox, Torrington, 34-07.50; 4. Serena Johnson, Prince Tech, 34-00.75; 5. Keala Hoff, Jonathan Law, 33-00.25; 6. Sydney Mello, Lewis Mills, 32-08.75.

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