NAUGATUCK — The Woodland boys and girls track teams have shown early on that they will be the teams to beat in the NVL.
The Hawks proved that point Tuesday on the Naugatuck High School track.
The Woodland boys edged out Naugatuck, 85-65, and flew by Watertown, 112-37. The boys had trouble with Derby taking their first loss of the season, 96-54, and stand at 7-1 on the year.
The girls made quick work out of the competition and improved to 8-0 with victories over Watertown, 124-26, Derby, 116-34, and Naugatuck, 102-48.
The boys team was paced by the 4×400 relay squad of Tom Bethin, Jeff Moffat, Dean Conway, and James Yacavone as they raced to victory. Senior Pat Hale took first place in the pole vault, and it was the depth of Woodland in all the events that made them hard to beat.
The Hawks established in their season-opening meet April 14 that they would have a long distance threat in newcomer junior Brian Sardinskas. He won the 1,600 and 3,200 as Woodland upended Oxford, 135-15, and got by Crosby, 84-66.
Senior Brian Guerrera (110 hurdles), senior Zach Norieka (800), senior Drew Chura (pole vault) and junior Dave Bobbie (javelin) were all winners in the season-opening meet to show off the depth of the boys squad.
The girls team is the hands-down favorite for another league title. The Hawks showed that on Tuesday led by senior co-captain Jazmyn Menzies, who won the 200 and the long jump. Menzies was true to form in the season-opener. She helped the Hawk to wins over Crosby, 140-10, and Oxford, 100-50, with victories in the 200, high jump and the long jump.
“We have some really good athletes on this team,” Menzies said. “They are all working hard and the goal is to win another title. We have a lot of athletes in each event. So, we have the depth to be very competitive no matter who we are going up against.
“As a senior I’m looking forward to competing for another NVL title,” she continued. “On a personal note, I would really like to see some improvement at the states in my high jump and long jump performances and I have been working real hard at it.”
The depth that Menzies was referring to was quite evident. The girls squad is far from a one-athlete team. Senior Christine Angrand got it started winning the 110 hurdles Tuesday and in every event someone else stepped up to get the job done.
Junior Haleigh Resnick won the 400, freshman Erika Michie won the 300 hurdles, and junior Clara Drozdowski won the 800. The Hawks sealed the deal with the relay squad of Michie, Megan Sirowich, Alexis Casimiro and Drozdowski taking first place in the 4×400.
Woodland will be back on the track Tuesday to face Seymour, St. Paul and Wilby.
