The Hand boys’ outdoor track and field team has been dominating its competition right from the get-go of the 2021 spring campaign. The Tigers finished the regular season with a 5-0 record and then entered the SCC East Sectional Championship with the expectation of winning the title at Bowen Field in New Haven.

The Tigers accomplished their goal when they took first place in the 10-team pack at the East Sectional meet, which began on May 17 and was completed two days later due to rain and lightning. Hand recorded a team score of 140.5 points to finish ahead of runner-up Hillhouse with 106 points.

“We had 23 athletes score points for us on the day, and it was very much a team effort. We only had two first-place finishes on the day, but had plenty of other great results, which helped us boost our score,” Head Coach Tim Geary said. “Coming into this season, we were very enthusiastic about our prospects, because we had 80 kids try out for the team, and we had a lot of returning athletes. These athletes worked incredibly hard, and I’m proud of the way we performed at the meet.”

Junior Jack O’Keefe paced the way for the Tigers by finishing first in an individual event and also running on a triumphant relay. O’Keefe won the 3,200 with a time of 9:55.64, placing just ahead of sophomore teammate Harrison Grenier, who ran a 9:56.28. O’Keefe also joined forces with seniors Max Genther, Connor Parthasarthy, and Dante Zucconi on Hand’s 4x800 relay team that finished first with a mark of 8:28.06.

“Jack is one of our hardest workers on the team. He puts in a lot of miles during the week,” said Geary. “When we were competing at the SCC regional, a few people at the meet mentioned to me that they liked watching him run because of his toughness. He never quits and always gives it his all.”

Several Hand athletes earned second-place finishes on the day to help the Tigers take the title. The Tigers’ runner-up performances came from senior Bryce Myers in the pole vault (13-0), junior Ethan O’Brien in the long jump (20-10), and senior Carter Ganino in the triple jump (40-11). Ganino also finished third in the long jump (20-6).

Senior Dan Ginsburg placed third in the pole vault (10-6) for Hand. Junior Morgan Veth finished in third place in the high jump (5-8) and took fourth place in the triple jump (40-2.50). Fellow senior Robert Patterson finished fifth in the long jump (19-2). Overall, Hand’s jumpers accounted for 58.5 of the team’s 140.5 total points at sectionals.

“I wasn’t expecting our field events to be as strong as they were at the regional meet. Those athletes came out and really showed what they were capable of,” Coach Geary said. “Our field events ended up being our strongest.”

In addition to his first-place run with the 4x800 relay, Genther took third in the 800 (2:02.59) and was sixth in the 1,600 (4:38.45). Zucconi finished fifth in the 800 with a time of 2:03.52. Senior Carson Hines placed fifth in the 400 at 52.09.

Sophomore Nick Montana and junior Danny Hilmer finished in third (4:32.85) and fifth place (4:36.94), respectively, in the 1,600 for the Tigers. Hilmer was also sixth in the 3,200 with a time of 10:25.77. In the 110 hurdles, junior Jacob McGeary took third place with a time of 17.00.

Senior Aidan McCabe finished in third place for shot put with a throw of 45-6. Senior Sander Coscia took sixth place in the discus with a toss of 113-0.

Hand’s 4x400 relay team of freshman Kyle Hoffman, Zucconi, Parthasarthy, and Hines finished in fifth place with a time of 3:32.84. The 4x100 relay of senior Andrew Son, senior Mike Kelly, junior Mario Mazzarella, and O’Brien took sixth place by clocking in with a mark of 45.96.

The Tigers continued their postseason by competing in the SCC Championship on May 25 (after press time). Hand will next participate in the Class MM State Championship at Willow Brook Park in New Britain on Wednesday, June 2 at 10 a.m.

“We’ve qualified 27 athletes [for the SCC meet]. There are at least four or five teams that are in the hunt for the team championship. Hillhouse is a small group, but they’re favored to win. We know it’s going to take a super effort on our side. It will be interesting,” Coach Geary said. “We had a lot of guys out this year, but still managed an undefeated regular season. Once we get to the state meet, that’s when the real competition begins.”