By Kyle Brennan, Citizen’s News

Woodland's Tayler Bonca, left, races against Seymour's Katie Petroski in the girls 55m during the NVL Indoor Track and Field Championships Tuesday at the Floyd Little Athletic Center at Hillhouse High School in New Haven. RA ARCHIVE

NEW HAVEN — Track and field — especially the indoor variety — isn’t much of a spectator sport. But on Tuesday at the Floyd Little Athletic Center in New Haven, the Naugatuck Valley League indoor track championships became just that.

With the boys and girls championships hinging on the final event, the Hawks’ 4-by-400-meter relay squads both pulled out victories to clinch the first titles of 2012.

The Woodland boys led Naugatuck by just two points heading into the final relay with the higher-finishing squad likely winning the championship. Through the first three legs of the race — run by Marc Beaulieu, Adam Baz, and Brett Fowler — Naugatuck held a commanding lead in the race.

But Woodland anchor Nick LaPerriere stormed back to close a six-second deficit, according to Woodland coach Tim Shea, and finished the race in 3:42.35, just better than the Greyhounds’ time of 3:42.90.

“I knew it was going to come down to the 4-by-4,” Shea said. “When the anchor legs touched off, it was like, ‘Oh, great.’ I was actually about to go congratulate [Naugatuck coach] Ralph Roper on the tied championship. The Naugy kid was six seconds ahead of Nick LaPerriere at the start, and Nick took it at the end and the place went nuts. I don’t know how he did it.”

The 10 points earned in the relay gave the boys 103 points, just better than Naugatuck’s 99.

The girls 4-by-400 relay was equally as important but far less dramatic. The team of Amber Tolboe, Jazmine Menzies, Sydney Corneau, and Alaina Neddermann won the event in 4:28.68, ahead of Watertown’s second-place time of 4:34.64. Naugatuck was fourth in 4:43.51.

Woodland finished with 97 points while Naugatuck earned 92 points to place second.

Both meets were tight the entire night, as Woodland and Naugatuck traded leads with nearly every event.

“It was a back and forth night for the boys and girls,” Shea said. “We went up, Naugy would go ahead, and we would go back ahead. It was like a boxing match.”

The championships were won chiefly by the Hawks’ dominance in the relays. The boys won the 4-by-200 relay in 1:35.88 with the team of Mike Lang, LaPerriere, Tim Madormo, and Anthony Scirpo, as well as the decisive 4-by-400 race. They also finished second in the 4-by-800 with Baz, Beaulieu, Nick Hebert, and Andrew Hale and second in the sprint medley with Jon Alarcon, Connor Chura, Fowler, and Hale.

The girls won three of the four relays. In addition to the 4-by-400 race, the girls won the 4-by-200 in 1:52.42 with Tolboe, Steph Dumond, Jiye Park, and Tayler Boncal. They also won the sprint medley relay in 4:51.42 with Tolboe, Menzies, Neddermann, and Miranda Moffat, and finished second in the 4-by-800 relay with Corneau, Audra Blewitt, Steph Kiley, and Neddermann.

The relay victories were crucial because only Madormo won an individual event in the 55-meter hurdles, winning easily in 8.40 seconds.

But depth and quality places in most events helped the Hawks pick up points almost the entire night.

Scirpo (third in 55), LaPerriere (second in 300), Madormo (fourth in 300), Beaulieu (fourth in 600), and Lang (second in high jump, second in long jump) gained much-needed points throughout the meet.

On the girls side, Boncal (second in 55, third in 300), Park (third in 55), Dumond (fifth in 55, fifth in 300), Blewitt (fifth in 600), Moffat (sixth in 1,000), and Steph Kiley (sixth in 3,200) did the same thing.

Shea gave special credit to a few field athletes. For the girls, Claire Burke finished second in pole vault while Kim Thrasher was third in high jump and fourth in pole vault. Ashley Riley also placed second in long jump after injuring her heel while Park was fourth in the event. Nikki Tyrrell also earned a point with a sixth-place finish in the shot put.

For the boys, Mike Torselli and Joe Laliberte finished third and fourth, respectively, in the pole vault while Levi Fancher set a new personal best in the shot put by about five feet to finish third.

The quality places in the track events and a few surprises in the field helped both teams exceed expectations and earned the boys their second NVL indoor championship and the girls their first.

“We actually improved our score from what we had on paper,” Shea said. “We thought we would have in the 80s, but we both ended up way higher. It was a big team effort. The kids didn’t get down. We kept scoring points because we had athletes in the top six. We didn’t have a bunch of standout guys, but we had a strong team.”

‘Hounds come in close second

By Ken Morse, Citizen’s News

Naugatuck's Muad Hrezi, left, edges out Wolcott's Dave Scheibenpflug to win the boys 1,600 meters during the NVL Indoor Track and Field Championships Tuesday at the Floyd Little Athletic Center at Hillhouse High School in New Haven. RA ARCHIVE

NEW HAVEN — The Naugatuck Valley League indoor track championships ended just the way championships are to be decided: In one frantic, fascinating, finish.

The Naugatuck girls team was leading by one point over Woodland heading into the final event of the meet. But the Hawks came on strong to win the 4-by-400-meter relay and Naugatuck finished fourth as the Woodland girls took the NVL title.

The Greyhounds’ foursome of Georgette Nixon, Madison Kloc, Regina Roper and Alexis Simmons went all out trying to hold off the Hawks as Naugatuck finished as the NVL runner-up with a team total of 92 points.

Woodland was crowned the NVL champs with a team total of 97 points with Seymour (80) taking third place.

The Naugatuck boys headed into the final event of the meet trailing Woodland by two points. As the teams lined up for the 4-by-400 relay that would decide the championship, the Floyd Little Athletic Center in New Haven was rocking.

The Greyhounds (Colin Reilly, Patrick Alves, Jake Simons and Giovanni Gonzalez) took the final handoff holding a 60-meter lead going down the stretch. But the Hawks pulled off a miraculous, come-from-behind win taking the lead with just five feet to go at the wire.

Woodland claimed the league championship with 103 points and Naugatuck was the runner-up with 99 points. Watertown (57) and Wolcott (55) were a distant third and fourth.

“It doesn’t get any more exciting than that,” said Naugatuck head coach Ralph Roper, who along with assistant coach Bill Hanley, were exhausted from the emotional finish. “The place was going bonkers in those last two relays. It was extremely loud with people cheering. Both teams turned in a great effort.”

The Naugatuck girls fell behind early with Woodland taking second, third and fifth in the 55-meter dash. Third- and fifth-place finishes in the 300 gave the Hawks a comfortable 20-point advantage over the Greyhounds.

Then Jordyn Allen turned it up a notch, racing to three victories in the 1,000, 1,600 and 3,200 to give Naugatuck the lead. It was a back-and-forth affair the rest of the meet with Woodland staying close with victories in the 4-by-200 and sprint medley relay along with a second place in the 4-by-800.

Shannon Hale turned in a crucial performance by winning the pole vault, taking second in the 55 hurdles and a third-place showing in the shot put. Brianna Ritter took second in the shot put with a throw of 31 feet, 2 inches.

Keeping Naugatuck in the hunt was Nixon with a third-place effort in the 600, Simmons with a fourth-place showing in the high jump, and Abby Karbowicz with a fifth-place finish in the long jump. Kaitlyn Barry and Carla Soares finished seventh and ninth, respectively, in the 600.

“Not much was expected from our girls since we had a very young squad,” Roper said. “Woodland, Seymour, and Watertown were the teams to beat. But the girls turned in a tremendous effort.”

The boys team was led by Nick Moriello with three wins. He posted an NVL record time of 1:26.71 in the 600, along with victories in the 4-by-800 and sprint medley relay.

Muad Hrezi raced to victory in the 1,600 and finished second in the 1,000 and fourth in the 3,200.

Colton Wagner was first in the pole vault with Reilly taking second in the 600. Simons took third in the 300 and Nathaniel Buie took third in the long jump.

Other top finishers for the Greyhounds were Kevin Ugalde (fifth in shot put), Kyle Johnson (sixth in long jump), Dan Schumacher (sixth in 1,600), Mike Uva (sixth in 3,200, seventh in 1,000), and James SanAngelo (10th in high jump).

“The bottom line is Woodland put themselves in position to win it in the last event,” Roper said. “They came here ready to compete. Maybe we just didn’t have the same kind of intensity or focus. Hopefully this will serve as a wake-up call for us heading into the states.”

Last year at the conclusion of the Naugatuck Valley League indoor championship meet, Naugatuck boarded the bus with a championship title. By the time the Greyhounds arrived home, head coach Ralph Roper got the shock of his life.

Officials decided after Naugy left that during the final event, jumper Amanze Williams was disqualified and Naugatuck actually finished second.

Through four meets this season, the ‘Hounds appear to be a team on a mission, trying to replace key athletes and earn the league title.

“We lost a good core of athletes from last year,” Roper said. “The boys team lost our two main go-to guys in Amanze Williams and Jamaal Gee. But we have a solid group of returning athletes and a strong core of younger athletes who are beginning to come into their own.”

Muad Hrezi and Nick Moriello, both all-state cross country runners, lead the long distance for the ‘Hounds. Jake Simons (distance), Colton Wagner (pole vault), Kyle Johnson (long jump), Matt Harris (sprints), Colin Reilly (sprints), Issac Montiero (high jump) and Mike Uva (distance) give the Greyhounds the experience to put last year behind them and push forward in their quest to become the top team in the NVL at the league meet on Jan. 31.

Through four meets — the Hillhouse and Yale invitationals, the Winter Relays and recently the NVL Copper Division developmental meet — the Greyhounds have seen solid performances from the up and coming members of the team.

Patrick Alves (pole vault) along with freshman Josh Rodriguez (sprints), Brian Reilly (sprints/hurdles), Mike Nanadoum (jumps) and Dan Schumacher (distance) have all made significant contributions already towards the teams overall success.

“All of our freshmen have really put up some solid performances,” Roper said. “Dan has the second-fastest time on the team in the mile. I anticipate all of our younger athletes will give us a solid contribution and make us a stronger team as the NVL championship meet approaches later this month.”

The girls are also much improved from last season, significantly helped by a sharp rise in the team’s size.

“We have also seen a vast improvement with the girls team,” Roper said. “Last year we only had 13 girls but this year the numbers are up to 35 athletes.”

The Greyhounds are led by seniors Shannon Hale (distance) and Georgette Nixon (sprints) along with juniors Brianna Ritter (throws) and Alexi Simmons (jumps).

“Shannon put up a career best of 9.8 [seconds] in the 55 meter hurdles at the NVL developmental meet,” Roper said. “Brianna is a first-time indoor track athlete after two years of basketball and really has come on, reaching over 31 feet in the shot put at the Hillhouse Invitational.”

Naugatuck also relies on a core of strong contributors with sophomores Jordyn Allen (distance), Kaitlyn Berry (sprints) and Madison Kloc (jumps) along with freshman Abby Karbowicz (jumps/sprints) to make the Greyhounds a solid contender at the NVL championships.

“Yeah, we might have come into the season with a little chip on our shoulder,” Roper said. “But the team is really motivated and we should be a very competitive team once the NVL championships roll around.”

Woodland’s Mike Lang, pictured above from a tri-meet last May, has taken his leaping skills inside this winter and has already qualified for the state indoor track competition in both the long jump and high jump. RA ARCHIVE

BEACON FALLS — The only way Woodland indoor track coach Tim Shea can describe the first month of this season is, “weird.”

Shea, the boys head coach, and girls head coach Jeff Lownds are struggling to find the team’s rhythm after a wacky schedule that has seen the team only attend a couple of meets.

“Surprisingly, we haven’t been a lot of places,” Shea said. “I don’t think most teams in the league have either. [The NVL championships] are just about a month away, and it’s going to get here fast.”

The indoor track season is generally one of the shortest seasons of the year, lasting from about mid-December to mid-February. But this year, Shea says it feels more rushed than usual.

“Some of the scheduling hasn’t worked out,” Shea said. “I can’t explain it. It just seems like a short winter. I know we’re in the same boat as just about everybody, looking around the state and seeing not a ton of qualifying marks being posted.”

But the next few weeks should finally give the Hawks a chance to gauge their prospects for the Naugatuck Valley League and state meets. Woodland will compete in larger meets, including the Shoreline Invitational and the Yale Classic over the next two weeks.

“We’re looking forward to the next two meets to work on some individual stuff,” Shea said. “We’ve been at some meets where we’ve just run relays.”

On the boys side, relays have been strong points again. Nick LaPerriere, Anthony Scirpo, Adam Baz, and Marc Beaulieu have led the relay efforts for a team that won multiple races at last year’s league championship meet.

Individually, Mike Lang has excelled in the jumping events. He has qualified for state competition in both the long jump and high jump. Shea said he has jumped over 20 feet in the long jump and also cleared 5-foot-10 in the high jump.

Throwers Levi Fancher and Dave LaChance have also qualified for states in the shot put with 39-plus-foot throws. Tim Madormo, one of the league’s top hurdlers, has run in the mid-8-second range, according to Shea.

A number of girls made strong showings at the recent Rhode Island Classic. Ashley Riley qualified for state competition with a long jump of 16-0.5 while Tayler Boncal also qualified in the 300-meter dash with a time of 43.38 seconds. Both marks are in the top five of posted state qualifiers.

The girls 4-by-200-meter relay team of Boncal, Steph Dumond, Jiye Park, and Alaina Neddermann also impressed the coaching staff.

“We were very pleased with the 4-by-200 team,” Shea said. “The girls had a very good day up there in the races that we did.”

Over the next few weeks, Shea hopes to gain some clarity of which athletes will compete in which events at championship meets.

“The next two weeks will hopefully shake out some things for us to see who we’ll put where,” Shea said. “People don’t think we plot and scheme in track, but we try to think of where we’ll put kids. We’re hoping to get some kids qualified for states over the next few weeks.”

With the NVL championship meet set for Jan. 31 at the New Haven Field House — about a week earlier than normal — Shea said it’s tough to predict what will happen right now.

“It’s real short season for everyone this year,” Shea said. “Not a lot of teams have done much yet. It might come down to who does well that night.”

Beacon Falls resident Ron Barksdale was recently inducted into the Princeton (N.J.) High School Hall of Fame for being a part of the one of the high school’s best track teams in history. CONTRIBUTED

BEACON FALLS — Sixty years later, Ron Barksdale still remembers his time on one of the greatest track teams in New Jersey high school history. Now, his teams will not be forgotten.

Barksdale, a Beacon Falls resident, was inducted into the Princeton (N.J.) High School Hall of Fame last month. Barksdale learned of the honor last June.

“I was shocked in a way,” said Barksdale, who moved to Connecticut in 1975. “It’s been a long time. You never expect to see something like this after all these years.”

Any athlete who earned a varsity letter on the track team from 1951-1956 earned entry into the hall, Barksdale said. The hall of fame, which began in 2003, honors athletes through an annual induction ceremony that also raises money for academic scholarships.

Barksdale’s team was a juggernaut. The squad won 55 consecutive dual meets, six straight state championships and 10 consecutive Group III Central Jersey State Championships.

As a member of the team from 1951 to 1953, Barksdale said he competed in numerous events and gave his best performances in the 110-meter high hurdles and 220 low hurdles.

Barksdale’s teams broke eight school records, won the Mercer County Championship and took the Seton Hall Mile Relay in 1951. The next year, the team won another Mercer County title, along with the Long Branch Relays and Newark Invitational, and in 1953 broke the state meet record with 43.5 total points.

The 77-year-old Barksdale made the trip to Hamilton Square, N.J., on Nov. 5 to attend the ceremony. His son, Gregory, and wife, Joan, traveled with him.

Once there, Barksdale said he seemingly stepped back in time. He saw old friends and reminisced with teammates.

“I heard a lot of good stories from 50 years ago,” said Barksdale, who also has three grandchildren and another son, Charles.

While Barksdale admits he wasn’t the best athlete on the team, he put in the time and earned points during the team’s historic run.

“I was always one to go to every practice and I wanted to compete in as many events as possible,” Barksdale said.

When he received a letter in the mail notifying him of the honor, Barksdale made it a point to get to the ceremony.

“I felt pretty proud about it,” Barksdale said, “and I didn’t want to miss it.”

Naugatuck senior Muad Hrezi, front, will lead the way for the Greyhounds this season along with fellow senior long distance runners Nick Moriello and Jake Simons. FILE PHOTO

The boys return a solid core of athletes from a team that finished second last season at the NVL championships and followed that up with a third-place showing at the Class L championships.

The girls finished third at the NVL championship meet and return this year needing to replace several key members and team leaders.

Head coach Ralph Roper, in his ninth year, has guided the boys team to five NVL titles and the girls to six NVL titles. The goal for this year is no different despite the graduation losses.

Assistant coaches Bill Hanley, Matt Basile, Andrew San Angelo, Peter Conti, and Steve Frank are hard at work putting the pieces together to ensure the Greyhounds make another strong run at an NVL title.

“The boys team only lost a few state caliber athletes, so we are in a great position to have a great season,” Roper said.

But those few athletes included all-state and All-NVL jumper Amanze Williams along with Jamaal Gee, Thomas Mashia and Luis Carvalho. That is a lot of production to try to make up.

“The team is made up of a hand full of seniors and eager group of underclassmen who are excited to be contributing factors in the success of the team,” Roper said.

Leading the way will be senior distance runners Muad Hrezi, Nick Moriello, and Jake Simons. Hrazi and Moriello were both all-state and All-NVL cross country runners this fall.

Seniors Colton Wagner (pole vault) and Kevin Ugalde (shot put) give the ‘Hounds experience in the field events with juniors Mike Uva, Patrick Alves and Collin Reilly adding depth to the distance events.

Senior Nikko Cari (shot put), junior Giovanni Gonzalez (high jump, hurdles), and freshman Dan Schumacher (distance) are newcomers who give the ‘Hounds a leg up on the competition to make another run at an NVL title.

“We will have our work cut out for us,” Roper said. “I anticipate the team will blossom as the season goes along and produce big results. I believe our key returners along with the newcomers will put our team in position to be very competitive once the NVL championships roll around.”

The girls lost a lot of athletes and will need to find replacements for Jocelyn Brantley, Gabriella Moriello, Becky Renzoni and Christina Sendra as distance runners along with jumpers Felicity Croce and Melissa Labonte.

The returners are young but talented and will be led by seniors Shannon Hale, Georgette Nixon and Katelyn Deptula.

Naugatuck has some speed in sophomores Jordyn Allen, Regina Roper and Kaitlyn Barry. Newcomers to watch include junior Brianna Ritter (shot put) and sophomores Katarina Gullotta, Maddie Beasley and Madison Kloc (distance).

“We lost a lot of quality state-caliber athletes,” Roper said. “This will be a rebuilding year for us. We have a lot of work to do as the NVL is stronger than in years past. But I’m certain that the team will be prepared to work harder and smarter to be competitive in the NVL.”

Woodland’s Steph Dumond,front, will provide some speed for the Hawks as a sprinter. FILE PHOTO

Shea, along with cross country coach Jeff Lownds and a number of athletes from various fall sports, recently began training for one of the unsung seasons that begins this week with the first developmental meet at Wesleyan University.

“The last two weeks of one sport and the first two weeks of another of sport are tough,” Shea said. “I really don’t have too much time to dwell on one sport to get on to the other. It’s something I’ve always done, so it’s something I do. I’m not afforded a lot of time but we do it.”

Shea (boys) and Lownds (girls) are joined by assistant coaches Adam Schultz, Brian Maglione.

“On paper, we’re the head coaches,” Lownds said. “But we all coach our own areas. Adam works with hurdlers and jumpers, Brian works with sprinters and relays, and Marc is our volunteer pole vault coach. It’s a nice mix.”

Both the boys and girls placed in the top five at last year’s Naugatuck Valley League championships. The boys were third behind champion Watertown and runner-up Naugatuck while the girls placed fifth.

The boys, led by captains Adam Baz, Marc Beaulieu, Matt Moutinho, and Mike Torselli, return a number of athletes who were competitive during last year’s indoor season.

Anthony Scirpo and Nick LaPerriere are expected to be two of the Hawks’ top sprinters while Baz, Beaulieu, and Andy Hale should be strong contributors to the mid-distance events. Brett Fowler was a finalist in last year’s 55-meter hurdles.

Moutinho, Nick Hebert, Joe Reynolds, Ian Chamenko and return after strong long-distance efforts last season, while Tim Madormo, the league outdoor champion in the 110-meter hurdles, looks for more gold in his senior year.

Mike Lang (jumps), Torselli (pole vault), sprinters Scott Seigle, Jon Alaron, Connor Chura, and Daemion Powell as well as throwers Andrew Duncan, Dave Lachance, and Levi Fancher should also be competitive.

Shea said it’s tough to know how the individuals will stack up against this year’s competition until they see other athletes in action.

“Until we go out and see the other competition, we can’t really tell,” Shea said. “I think a few weeks after Christmas we’ll be able to make a better judgment.”

Shea also pointed to the boys relay teams, which are historically among the top units in the league. The 4-by-200, 4-by-400, and 1600 sprint medley relay squads all won league championships during last indoor season and have several components returning.

“We’ve done pretty well in the relays in the last few years,” Shea said. “The boys take pride in them. We hope to continue that into this year. They changed the 4-by-200 to the beginning of the meet, so hopefully that will benefit us.”

A number of talented athletes also return on the girls side. Sprinters Jiye Park, Steph Dumond, and Ashley Riley all return after top-eight finishes in last year’s 55-meter dash. Park and Riley will also compete in jumping events. Riley, the team’s captain, is the defending champion in the long jump.

Tayler Boncal was one of the top mid-distance runners in the league last season for both the indoor and outdoor squads. She returns for her junior year.

“Tayler is very, very talented,” Lownds said. “This is her second year of indoor and she really made a name for herself in both indoor and outdoor last year.”

A pair of sisters should also help the Hawks. Long-distance runners Melissa and Steph Kiley as well as throwers Nikole and Erika Tyrrell should be point contenders for the girls.

Also expected to contribute are Sydney Corneau (mid-distance), Alaina Neddermann (hurdles), Miranda Moffat (long-distance), Claire Burke (pole vault), Audra Blewitt (relays), and Kim Thrasher (jumps/pole vault).

“It’s not a great big squad but I think it’s a squad that potentially has a lot of talent and can do quite well,” Lownds said. “The goal is to compete for medals at the league and state meets.”

Naugatuck track star Amanze Williams won two gold medals at the New England championships June 11. Williams, a senior, plans to attend the University of Connecticut in the fall where he will join UConn’s track team. CONTRIBUTED

For Williams the titles represent the first time he has ever captured gold at the New England meet, and the culmination of a stellar career as a Greyhound.

Williams won three gold medals in the NVL championships, two gold medals in the Class L state championships, a state open gold medal and is now the best in New England with two more gold medals.

“This certainly has been more than I could ever ask for,” said the very modest Williams. “You are talking about the best athletes in all of New England and to win two gold medals, I’m still kind of in shock. It hasn’t really hit me yet.”

Williams is no stranger to the limelight. Last season saw take home two gold medals at NVLs, setting a new league record in the triple jump at 47 feet, 8 inches, and the first of his two consecutive MVP awards at the NVL championships.

At the Class L state championship last year Williams won his first state title, winning the triple jump and placing third in the long jump. At last year’s New England championships Williams placed fifth in the long jump and sixth in the triple jump.

“I was really hoping to win another state title in my senior year,” Williams added. “But, what I achieved is more than anything I could have dreamed of.”

In the past two outdoor track seasons Williams has brought home ten gold medal awards and now the future University of Connecticut track star will prepare for some new challenges as he enters Storrs this fall on a track scholarship.

“The moment was electrifying,” Naugatuck head coach Ralph Roper said. “Coach Basile and I were ecstatic when the final results came in. For his last jump in his high school career it was emotional and exciting to watch. This season could not have been scripted any better for such a fine athlete and fine young man.”

Amanze has made it a habit of saving his best for last. At the New England Championships last Saturday he approached his final jump trailing and needing to hit at least a 22 foot 9 inch effort.

Williams landed with a couple inches to spare. A 23-foot effort gave him the gold medal. In the triple jump Amanze nailed it hitting a jump of 46 feet 7 inches in his second attempt making sure there would be no drama with a last jump scenario.

“I certainly don’t plan it like that,” said Amanze explaining his penchant for final jump excitement. “But it feels awesome when I do hit the jumps.”

With his high school career in the books, Williams took part in a decathlon before focusing his attention on UConn.

“I’m really excited about the opportunity to compete in college,” Williams said.

Woodland junior Scott Lang won the javelin throw at the Class M state championships last week with a throw of 168 feet, 7 inches. RA ARCHIVE

Junior Scott Lang won the javelin throw with a heave of 168 feet, 7 inches, beating Windham Tech’s Nick Follansbee by 16 inches. The championship made Lang the only all-state performer for the Hawks.

Lang followed up his Class M championship with an eighth-place finish at the State Open with a throw of 156-11. His one team point for finishing in the top eight was the Hawks’ only point at the Open.

Matt Zaccagnini was fourth in the javelin in Class M with a throw of 152-9. Zaccagnini was 14th at the State Open with a toss of 151-6.

Eric Dietz and Nick LaPerriere both earned team points in the 400 meters at Class M. Dietz finished in fifth with a time of 51.76 seconds while LaPerriere was eighth with a time of 52.50 seconds. Dietz also ran the event at the State Open and was 18th with a time of 51.43 seconds.

Mike Lang earned a tie for sixth in the high jump with a leap of 5-08. Lang was also 12th in the long jump with a bound of 17-7. Mitch White tied for seventh in the pole vault with a height of 11 feet.

The Woodland relays were also strong with a pair of top-eight finishes. The 4-by-400 relay team placed sixth in 3:34.77 while the 4-by-800 squad was seventh with a time of 8:27.22. The 4-by-100 group was 11th in 46.40 seconds.

Other state qualifiers for the boys included Craig Genz (200, 300 hurdles), Tim Madormo (110 hurdles, 300 hurdles), Ian Bures (110 hurdles, javelin), Mike Torselli (pole vault), and Jon Fitzpatrick (high jump, long jump).

Tayler Boncal earned team points for the girls in two events. She placed fourth in the 400 meters with a time of 1:00.11 while also finishing eighth in the 200 meters with a time of 26.97 seconds. Boncal also qualified for the 400 at the State Open and finished 16th with a time of 1:02.12.

Jiye Park was sixth in the triple jump with a leap of 34-6.50. Park also competed in the 200 meters and finished 14th.

Arica Watford qualified for the finals of the 100 meters and placed seventh with a time of 13.38 seconds. Watford also ran 24th in the 200 meters.

The 4-by-100 relay team finished second with a time of 51.23 seconds while the 4-by-800 squad was 11th in 10:46.25. The 4-by-100 team also ran at the State Open and placed 16th with a time of 51.35 seconds.

Other state qualifiers for the girls included Steph Dumond (100), Ashley Michie (100), Crystal Steinfeld (1,600), Ashley Riley (long jump, triple jump), Olivia Poryanda (javelin), and Kelsey Deegan (javelin).

Naugatuck junior Muad Hrezi ran his way to a state title in the 1600 and a second place finish in the 3200 at the Class L track championships June 3. Hrezi along with seniors Amanze Williams and Jamaal Gee helped carry the Greyhounds to second place overall. RA ARCHIVE

MIDDLETOWN — The Naugatuck Greyhounds came within six points of capturing the Class L boys track state championship finishing second behind Windsor by a 78-72 margin.

The ‘Hounds “big three” had Naugatuck in the running throughout the meet as it came down to the final event.

Senior Amanze Williams struck gold twice winning the state title in the triple jump at 45 feet 9 inches and earning the state title in the long jump at 21 feet 9 inches. Williams finished 4th in the high jump with an effort of 6 feet 2 inches.

Senior speedster Jamaal Gee racked up some valuable points with 2nd place finishes in the 100 meter dash at 11.62 and the 200 meters at 23.05.

Junior long distance runner Muad Hrezi was the state champion in the 1600 with a winning time of 4:22.62 and placed 2nd in the 3200 getting out distanced in the final lap finishing with a time of 9:46.51.

“If you told me at the beginning of the season that we would hold the lead in the Class L state meet heading into the final event, I probably wouldn’t have believed it,” Naugatuck head coach Ralph Roper said. “We did surprisingly well this season and our three big guys Amanze, Jamaal and Muad gave the team a lot of confidence going into all of our meets.”

Amanze Williams FILE PHOTO

Naugatuck needed a few more solid efforts to stay with state champion Windsor and they got those performances out of senior Dan Bronko who threw to a 4th place finish in the discus at 133 feet 8 inches and junior Colton Wagner who placed 3rd in the pole vault with an effort of 11 feet 6 inches.

The 4-by-100 relay squad of Tom O’Brien, Gee, Iman Farimani and Luis Carvalho placed 5th in a time of 45.00. Junior Nick Moriello ran to a 10th place finish in the 800 meters.

“It was a great way to culminate a very successful season for Naugatuck track,” Roper said. “We had a lot of young athletes really step up and improve their times and distances as the season went along.”

The Naugatuck girls had a few outstanding efforts at the Class L meet with freshman long distance runner Jordyn Allen racing to a 5th place showing in the 1600 with an effort of 5:27.92.

Sophomore thrower Brianna Ritter came within four inches of breaking the 100 foot mark that four other competitors reached. Ritter placed 5th with an outstanding throw in the discus at 99 feet 8 inches.

At the State Open Amanze Williams and Muad Hrezi assured themselves a spot in this weekends New England Championships to be held in Burlington, Vt.

Williams won the long jump title at the State Open with a distance of 23 feet 7 inches and placed 3rd in the triple jump at 46 feet 8 inches. Hrezi finished 3rd in the 3200 at 9:22.32.

The Hawks boys and girls were set to compete at the Class M championships today at Willowbrook Park in New Britain while the ‘Hounds boys and girls were scheduled to compete at the Class L championships on Thursday at Middletown High School.

Several athletes from both schools are within striking distance of earning gold medals and all-state honors. Woodland’s Scott Lang is the top seed in the boys javelin throw while Naugatuck’s Amanze Williams earned the top rank in the boys long jump and triple jump.

Results of both meets will be available on www.mycitizensnews.com.

Class M state championships: June 1 at Willowbrook Park, New Britain

Athlete Event Seed Rank

Boncal, Tayler Girls 200m 26.32 7

Boncal, Tayler Girls 400m 59.44 4

Bures, Ian Boys 110 hurdles 17.54 25

Bures, Ian Boys javelin 142-07 20

Cranney, Kyle Boys 800m 2:02.65 6

Deegan, Kelsey Girls javelin 101-08 12

Dietz, Eric Boys 400m 51.48 6

Dumond, Steph Girls 100m 12.74 9

Fitzpatrick, Jon Boys high jump 5-08.00 9

Fitzpatrick, Jon Boys long jump 19-01.00 15

Genz, Craig Boys 200m 23.80 23

Genz, Craig Boys 300 hurdles 42.88 8

Lang, Mike Boys high jump 5-08.00 9

Lang, Mike Boys long jump 20-03.00 4

Lang, Scott Boys javelin 167-10 1

LaPerriere, Nick Boys 400m 51.64 7

Madormo, Tim Boys 110 hurdles 16.18 9

Madormo, Tim Boys 300 hurdles 43.74 19

Michie, Ashley Girls 100m 13.64 33

Park, Jiye Girls 200m 27.46 18

Park, Jiye Girls triple jump 34-00.50 4

Poryanda, Olivia Girls javelin 103-06 9

Riley, Ashley Girls long jump 16-00.00 4

Riley, Ashley Girls triple jump 32-06.00 15

Steinfeld, Crystal Girls 1600m 5:43.65 24

Torselli, Mike Boys pole vault 10-06.00 10

Watford, Arica Girls 100m 12.64 6

Watford, Arica Girls 200m 27.72 21

White, Mitch Boys pole vault 11-00.00 7

Woodland boys Boys 4×100 45.84 12

Woodland boys Boys 4×400 3:33.64 6

Woodland boys Boys 4×800 8:25.39 7

Woodland girls Girls 4×100 51.14 4

Woodland girls Girls 4×800 10:33.24 11

Zaccagnini, Matt Boys javelin 154-10 4

Class L state championships: June 2 at Middletown High School

Athlete Event Seed Rank

Allen, Jordyn Girls 1600m 5:24.98 11

Brantley, Jocelyn Girls 100m 12.94 12

Brantley, Jocelyn Girls 200m 27.12 22

Bronko, Dan Boys discus 135-08 4

Farimani, Iman Boys 100m 11.54 20

Gee, Jamaal Boys 100m 11.19 4

Gee, Jamaal Boys 200m 22.59 4

Hale, Shannon Girls 400m 1:03.06 21

Hrezi, Muad Boys 1600m 4:20.45 4

Hrezi, Muad Boys 3200m 9:33.33 2

Hrezi, Muad Boys 800m 2:03.74 23

Konops, Sarah Girls high jump 4-10.00 10

Konops, Sarah Girls long jump 15-07.75 17

Moriello, Gabrielle Girls 800m 2:32.08 31

Moriello, Nick Boys 800m 1:59.12 7

Naugatuck boys Boys 4×100 44.73 6

Naugatuck boys Boys 4×400 3:39.74 23

Naugatuck boys Boys 4×800 8:30.24 11

Naugatuck girls Girls 4×100 51.79 11
Naugatuck girls Girls 4×400 4:24.84 17

Naugatuck girls Girls 4×800 10:25.69 13

O’Brien, Tom Boys 100m 11.54 20

Ritter, Brianna Girls discus 97-04 7

Wagner, Colton Boys pole vault 11-06.00 5

Williams, Amanze Boys high jump 6-02.00 3

Williams, Amanze Boys long jump 22-11.25 1

Williams, Amanze Boys triple jump 45-09.00 1