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

RESULTS

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The New England championships is like a cherry on top of a very long season that began in December with Rust Buster meets, continued with the post winter break meets and ramped up each week with the conference, Class and Open championships. This championship meet, held at the Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center in Boston on Saturday brings together many of the best athletes in the six state region as a chance for the athletes to compete against their peers from “exotic” places like Mount Desert Island, Cheverus and Bangor. Just making the meet is a true accomplishment and a chance to earn more honors, set another school record or just make more memories without the pressure of team points. MySportsResults will take a quick rundown of the top performances on Saturday, but check back tomorrow as we get a more detailed look at all the Connecticut athletes that competed. 

Three things are certain. Death, taxes and Aaron Rich breaking records in the long jump. So far, the Lyman Hall senior has set the SCC, Class M, State Open and now New England meet records along with the CT all time record. He faced his stiffest challenge yet as LaSalle Academy’s Jalen Moseley took an early lead, jumping his lifetime best and new meet record of 24-3.0 on his 2nd jump with Rich a foot behind in the prelims. But with the pressure on, the Trojan took successive jumps of 23-10.5 and 24-3.0 to match the Rhode Islander’s best. But Rich’s 5th jump was 3 inches better than Moseley’s 2nd best jump which gave him the title with both athletes sharing the record. 

There was great anticipation for the boys 600m because New Britain’s Yendri Ruiz barely nipped Coginchaug’s Charles Dalles in the last step of the State Open last week. After Brookfield’s Landon Wall took it out hard for the first 350 meters, Dalles grabbed the lead but Ruiz tried to move ahead right before the bell. But the defending champion held him off around the turn and on the back straightaway. With 50 meters to go, Ruiz tried to make one more move, but Dalles found something within himself to muscle his way across the line, running a PR of 1:20.51, the 6th fastest time in state history and 7th best time in the nation. Ruiz settled for silver in 1:20.65.

Hamden’s Alex Medina used his usual strategy of running in the pack for the first couple of laps before putting on a burst of speed and defending his title in the 1000m. He led a 1-2-3 CT sweep with New Canaan’s Ryan Monohan finally getting the better of Rockville’s Emmett Kristoff who had defeated him on three previous occasions this season. 

Three teams already went under the State Open 4x400m record last weekend, so it looked like CT was bringing something special to New Englands. With Rhode Island champion LaSalle Academy posting a New England season best of 3:22.76 in the previous heat, pressure was on for the fast heat. Hamden’s team of Tru Jones, Isaiah Lefers, Vill-Andre Harris and Alexander Medina upset State Open champions Windsor, crossing the line in 3:21.97, owning the 5th fastest school record in CT, less than two seconds from Windsor's state record of 3:20.18. LaSalle took 2nd from the previous heat but after that came three CT teams. Windsor took 3rd in 2:23.11 with Bloomfield (3:23.58) and Rockville (3:26.76) taking 4th and 5th. 

Another successful event for the Nutmeg State was the 55m where State Open champion Shelldon Simpson II of Windsor came from behind over the last steps of the race and just barely missed the meet record, winning in a time of 6.35. Ridgefield’s Kieran Boyle tied his PR, taking 2nd in 6.38 with Middletown’s Rodney Crocket aka “The Rocket” getting under 6.40 for the first time, earning the bronze medal in 6.39. This moves him up to #12 all-time in CT history. 

Another loaded event early in the meet action saw Davian Johnson just missing the meet record in winning the 55m hurdles. The East Hartford senior’s time of 7.27 ties his 2nd fastest time ever and proved last week’s state record of 7.22 was no fluke. He was joined on the podium by Windsor’s Hadyn Spaulding in 4th at 7.62 and Bloomfield’s Javonni Reynolds grabbing the final 6th place in 7.74.

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The collection of medals the Rich brothers have earned this season has grown by leaps and bounds. Ethan Rich and Bloomfield’s Ethan Rowe both cleared PRs of 6-9 as Rich did it on his 1st attempt, but it took the WarHawk until his third. This not only gave Rich his first New England gold medal, he increased his own school record again.  

Saphyr Brown burst on the scene winning the State Open long jump her freshman year and set what is believed to be the state freshman record. While she has been second to her teammate Vanessa Agyemang at the Open the past two years the junior finally found her old form, setting a PR of 19-5.25 to win the New England title. This moves her up to #6 All-Time in CT history and another year to finally break the CT record of 19-9. Brown had an outstanding day also finishing 3rd in the 55m with a time of 7.15 and 2nd in the 4x200m 

But it was in the 4x200m that probably showed off the speed and depth of Connecticut sprinters. Despite having to sub in one of its injured sprinters, State Open champions Bloomfield still ran their season best of 1:41.66. But Windsor, the Open runner-up, pulled off a minor upset, by holding off Bloomfield with a season best of 1:41.52. This performance just barely missed Danbury’s 16-year old meet record of 1:41.47. Right behind the pair was a total CT sweep of the medals. Naugatuck broke their school record, taking 3rd in 1:43.29, the 8th fastest school record in the state. Manchester (1:43.44), Hamden (1:43.58), Greenwich (1:43.98, 11th fastest CT school record) all had podium finishes. While the top three MA schools didn’t compete, the winning time from their Meet of Champion was 1:44.79 on the Reggie Lewis Track, probably wouldn’t have scored anyway. 

Chase Gilbert had some company for the first half of the girls mile from VT’s Zoey McNabb and the pair went out on Gilbert’s meet record pace of a 2:21 first half. The Lyme Old Lyme senior was then able to continually pull away from the Green Mountain girl and defended her title, winning in 4:52.99. Manchester’s Harper Shirly was the only other Nutmegger to take a place on the podium with her finish time of 5:07.47 good enough for sixth in a crowded finish.

The final winning effort by a CT athlete came from Griswold junior Tycen LaBelle as he used a well-timed final 800m surge to break away from Ethan Fischer of Bishop Guertin-NH and Oxford’s Joe DeLuise. The Wolverine’s final 800m fastbreak of 2:11 included a near 60-second last quarter to isolate himself at the finish line in 9:17.11. DeLuise edged Fischer in the last few meters for the silver medal in 9:23.30 to 9:23.57. Using a late surge himself, Amity’s Luke Cushion earned the 5th step on the podium finishing in 9:25.18.

Check back with us on Monday as we take a deeper look at all the Connecticut athletes that competed on Saturday. 

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