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

Floyd Little Athletic Center, Hillhouse HS, New Haven CT

RESULTS

The first half of the Indoor track season is mostly for athletes to chase qualifying performances and while it is exciting, the energy gets amped up a level once team points are on the line. This is the weekend that conferences hold their division or overall championship and this added pressure helps athletes focus to reach even higher levels of performances. 

Boys Meet Highlights

For the 5th year in a row the Naugatuck boys and girls have taken home the gold as NVL champions. The boys defeated 12 other teams scoring 107 points with Oxford claiming the runner-up spot with 69 points. Wolcott secured 3rd with 47 points. 

Three meet records were broken with three boys going under Lucas Figuieredo’s 300m time from two years ago. Ansonia’s Jose Rodriquez got to the line first claiming the record for himself in a time of 36.01. The junior improved about a second and a half from his time last year when he was 4th. Runner Anur also broke the record but was .03 seconds behind. He also won the 600m (1:29.42) and ran a leg of the winning 4x400m (3:37.00) for the Greyhounds to earn the NVL’s Outstanding Sprinter/Hurdler award. The third athlete under the record was Angel Dominguez of Wolcott who finished in a PR of 36.26. 

In the boys 1000m, Naugatuck’s Adin Hasipi pulled off an upset over All New England 3200m runner, Joe DeLuise. The senior from Oxford took it out hard like he usually does and held the lead through three laps, but Hasipi, who won the 1600m and 800m at last spring’s NVL championship took over from there finishing in a PR of 2:38.13. His time also broke Ken Little’s meet record by over a half of a second. 

Deluise was able to come back and claim victories in both the 1600m (4:34.14) and 3200m (9:39.61) with Hasipi taking 2nd in both. The Wolverine took down New England champion Chris Bendtsen 16 year-old meet record in the longer event. For all of his efforts Deluise was named NVL’s Outstanding Distance runner and Outstanding Senior. 

The NVL Outstanding Field Event winner went to Samuel Qualls of Oxford who cleared 6 feet in the high jump and shot put champion Arion Johnson of Seymour who won with a toss of 42-5.25.

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Girls Meet Highlights 

Naugatuck simply dominated the meet sweeping all four relays and taking seven individual events. They amassed 162 points with Waterford taking the runner up trophy with 59 points with Oxford claiming 3rd place with 53. 

Leading the way for the Greyhounds once again was UConn commit Lauren Kropo with support from sophomore Cynthia Singleton and junior Mijonia Hart. Kropo was denied a repeat of a triple gold by her teammate Singleton in the 55m. Kropo had the fastest time in the prelims of the 55m and broke her own meet record in the 600m, winning in 1:36.21. Then 20 minutes later she lined up for the finals against Singleton who ran a PR of 7.28, exactly a tenth of a second faster than Kropo. Kropo came back to earn her second gold medal in the 300m running 40.28 with Singleton taking the runner-up spot in that race. As a sophomore in her first season of indoor track, Singleton also took gold in the 55m hurdles, winning in a time of 8.94. 

Kropo, the defending State Open champion in the 600m and 300m was named NVL Outstanding Sprinter/ Hurdler and Outstanding Senior. 

Mijonia Hart also had an outstanding day claiming three gold medals in the high jump, long jump and 4x400m relay. In the long jump she defended her title, jumping a meet record of 17-9.0. He jump moves her up to #3 in CT this season. She cleared her PR of 5-2 for the second meet in a row which ties her at #4 in CT six other girls. 

Woodland’s Leah Zainc used patience in the 1600m to come from behind over the last three laps, winning in 5:29.89. She returned an hour later face off once again against Callie DeLuise of Oxford who was 2nd in the 1600m after leading for most of the race. With four laps to go Zainc took over the lead to claim her 2nd gold in the 3200m with a time of 11:58.30. For these performances she was named NVL Outstanding Distance Runner. 

It’s not too early to think about your plans for summer training that could include attending the Foss Running Camp!