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02/25/2024 03:40 PMThe Hand boys’ and girls’ indoor track teams saw their overall stature rise among the ranks of the Southern Connecticut Conference and state overall this winter. The Tigers carved out a quadruple header of top 10 placings, while boasting several league and state-title performances.
At the SCC Championships on Feb. 3 at the Floyd Little Athletic Center in New Haven, the boys’ squad placed sixth, with 25 points. Xavier took the top slot, with a score of 128. The Tigers did boast a champion in the 1600 sprint medley relay, with seniors Nathaniel Kraft, Liam Elliott, Christopher Bonavita, and junior Aedan Virgulto, in a time of 3:45.76. Sean Arms was a runner-up in the pole vault, with a 13-0 showing.
Senior Ty Boucino was 14th for the 1600 in 5:02.06, plus senior Jacob Merenda came in 10th in the 3200 (in a mark of 10:34.19). Sophomore Max Milliard followed in 17th (10:53.30, a personal best).
The 4x400 relay of Elliott, Bonavita, Boucino, and Virgulto, placed seventh by clocking in at 3:43.22. The 4x800 group of Merenda, Milliard, junior Jack Rickleman, and Boucino, was sixth (9:01.77). Sophomore Braydon Shields came in 10th for the high jump (5 foot-6 inch leap). Senior Ian Foster (12-0) was third in the pole vault, and then sophomore Calvin Davies was 12th (10-0). Senior Matthew Kasper came in seventh, with a height of 20’5”.
For the girls, the Tigers were seventh best in the SCC, with a score of 29 points, as Cheshire and Shelton shared the championship slot, with 63 points apiece. The 4x800 relay squad of senior Jordan Kells, sophomore Alice Agovino, sophomore Annecy Vlieks, and Margaret Lavin, prevailed to first in a time of 10:10.95.
In the 300, sophomore Matea Thibeault placed 13th in 44.98 seconds. Agovino saw 10th for the 600 event (1:49.79). Kells clocked in at 3:26.21, to come in ninth for the 1000. In the 1600, senior Ava Millen paced to 15th (6:16.88). Vlieks ran to third in the 3200 (in a personal-best time of 11:17.38).
For relays, the 4x400 squad was third, with sophomore Ellie Flynn, Thibeault, Lavin, and Agovino, in 4:18.48. The 1600 sprint medley grouping of sophomore Jane Barrett, Thibeault, Flynn, and Kells, was sixth (4:37.48). Junior Alexis Kuszpa took third for the pole vault (9-0).
For the final team standings on the girls’ side, Hillhouse was third with 48 points, Mercy was fourth (42 tallies), Career found fifth (41), Sheehan was sixth (31.5), Sacred Heart Academy came in eighth (25 points), Branford was ninth (tally of 24), Amity was 10th (23.5), Guilford finished 11th (17), Hamden and West Haven came in 12th (16 points each), Cross was 14th (14 points), Law was 15th (six points), Foran came in 16th (three points), Lauralton Hall saw 17th (two points), and North Haven had a point to come in 18th.
For the boys’ standings, Lyman Hall was runner-up with 85 points, Hillhouse was third (53 tallies), Amity was fourth (40), Shelton came in fifth (26.5), seventh belonged to Hamden (18 points), North Haven was eighth (15), Sheehan came in ninth (13 points), Notre Dame-West Haven saw 10th (11 points), East Haven was 11th (10 tallies), Branford came in 12th (eight points), Cheshire and Guilford tied for 12th (eight points each), Cross placed 15th (6.5 points), Fairfield Prep was 16th (five), Foran saw 17th (three points), and West Haven was 18th (two tallies).
At the Class M State Championships a week later at the same venue, both squads had healthy team placements. The girls came in fifth, with 30 points, while the boys were sixth, with a team tally of 33 points. Hillhouse (50) and Lyman Hall (79.5 points) took the girls’ and boys’ state crowns, respectively.
Vlieks emerged as a state champion for the girls’ 1600, clinching the crown in a time of 5:18.78. She kept the motor moving by being a runner-up in the 3200, with a mark of 11:42.26. Agovino was seventh for the 600, with her time being 1:47.16. Kells was also seventh in the 1000 (in 3:21.05).
For relays, the 4x800 relay raced to third in 10:07.39, with Agovino, Vlieks, Lavin, and Kells. The 4x400 was also third, with Flynn, Thibeault, Lavin, and Agovino, in 4:15.70. The 1600 sprint medley came in eighth in 4:39.09, with the foursome of Lavin, Thibeault, Flynn, and Kells.
For the pole vault, Kuszpa placed 10th (8-6), and then she was followed by sophomore Kayla Warnke in 17th (7-0). Flynn was 12th for the 300 in 44.42, and then Thibeault was 20th (44.96).
On the boys’ side, the 1600 sprint medley team was a state champion, with a time of 3:41.87, behind the combined efforts of Kraft, Elliott, Virgulto, and Bonavita. The 4x400 relay unit of Kraft, Bonavita, Elliott, and Virgulto, was fourth in a mark of 3:37.11. Plus the 4x800 group was eighth (9:13.92) with Milliard, senior Ben Jacoby, Max Wheeler, and Thomas Johnson. The 4x200 relay placed 18th, with senior Cooper Dunsmore, junior Eli Jacob, Finn Strabley, and Luke Jacobson, in 1:41.64.
Arms was again runner-up for the pole vault, clearing 13 feet. Foster found fourth for the same event (12-6), and Davies was 10th (11-0). Kasper finished third for the long jump (21-3.75,) and senior Nicholas Antonetti saw 18th place (19-1.75). Merenda raced to 16th in the 3200, in a time of 10:44.18. In the 1600, Rickleman was 21st (in 4:56.18), and Boucino was right behind at 22nd (4:57.86). Junior John Daniels saw sixth for the 300 heat (37.80), and Jacob came in 15th (39.18). Lastly, Elliott was 10th for the 55 hurdles (8.44).
At the State Open Championship on Feb. 17 in New Haven, the boys’ 4x400 relay placed third in a mark of 3:31.18, and then the 1600 sprint medley relay finished 11th (3:44.45). Elsewhere, Arms was eighth in the pole vault (12-6), and Kasper came in sixth in the long jump (21-3.75). Foster earned a spot for the pole vault, but did not place.
On the girls’ front, the 4x400 (in 4:15.43), and 4x800 (at 10:13.67), were both 12th. Vlieks was ninth for the 3200 event in 11:24.67, and she also qualified for the 1600, but did not place.
The boys’ roster, coached by Tim Geary, was comprised of seniors Antonetti, Cameron Becker, Bonavita, Boucino, Dunsmore, Elliott, Foster, Alejandro Grenier, Jacoby, Johnson, Kasper, Kraft, Merenda, David Powell; juniors Jack Andrin, Daniels, Ohbed Diaz, Brayden Dooley, Kent Freeman, Chris Glaser, Jacob, Owen Koczak, Rickelman, Virgulto, Nathaniel Walter, Carter Williams; sophomores Elliot Arroyo, Davies, Theodore Giuliano, Liam Harris, Carrig LaVigne, Milliard; plus freshmen William Kennedy, Luke Steffen, and Riley Swift.
The girls’ roster, headed up by Coach Steve Swift, was composed of seniors Kells, Danielle Luongo, Ava Millen; juniors Martha Cursaru, Kuszpa, Aniella Lesnik; sophomores Jolie Aarsen, Grace Ackerman, Agovino, Barrett, Maya Bell, Grace Burton, Flynn, Lavin, Julianna Papacoda, Neila Paradiso, Eva Rose, Ella Schroeder, Thibeault, Annecy Vileks, Elizabeth Vlieks, Warnke, Hailey Yahara; along with freshmen Clementine Barry, Helena Gilbert, Emily Mathews, and Madison Ruffo.