NEW BRITAIN — Woodland’s Brandon Fowler placed second in the 300-meter hurdles and Naugatuck’s Amanze Williams earned top-six finishes in both the long and triple jumps last weekend at the New England Interscholastic Track and Field Championships at Willowbrook Park in New Britain.
Naugatuck’s Donato Piroscafo also competed at the meet, placing 28th in javelin.
Fowler posted a time of 39.38 seconds—just short of Aaron Araujo’s winning mark of 38.97 seconds—to claim second place in the 300-meter hurdles.
“My goal was to place in the top six, so that worked out,” Fowler said. “I really wanted to get first, but I’m happy.”
Fowler’s second-place performance in the 300-meter hurdles was the best showing for a Woodland athlete at the regional meet since Eric Alfiere won the javelin competition in 2007, and makes Fowler the third all-New England athlete—along with Alfiere and soccer player Jesse Menzies—in Woodland history.
“I’m proud of the accomplishment and all the work I put in to get there,” Fowler said. “I consider it a big honor to be in that company.”
Williams continued an excellent season on the runway and in the sandpit, placing fifth in the long jump with a distance of 22 feet, 5 inches, and sixth in the triple jump with a leap of 45 feet, 3.5 inches.
Williams is the latest in a string of excellent Naugatuck track and field athletes who have earned all-New England honors, the most recent of whom was Mohamed Hrezi last season.
Piroscafo’s best javelin throw—153 feet—wasn’t his best toss of the season, and didn’t live up to the marks he set at the Class L and State Open meets; at the State Open, he earned the final qualifying spot in the New England meet with a throw of 165 feet, 10 inches.
“I was disappointed with my performance because I have done a lot better in previous meets, like the Class L meet,” Piroscafo said. “If I could do it again, I would take my time a little more, because I felt rushed at the meet, and I threw before I was ready to throw.”
Still, Piroscafo is able to look back on his superb season with good memories.
“It was a really great experience because I haven’t been a very important member of the track team in previous years,” Piroscafo said. “This year, it felt good to be one of the teammates with a longer season. Competing at New Englands was a big deal to me, and I’m glad to say that I was part of such a big meet.”
The season is over for the Hounds, but several Woodland athletes, including Fowler, will compete at the New Balance Nationals in Greensboro, N.C., this weekend. Fowler will race the 400-meter hurdles and will be the anchor leg of Woodland’s 800-meter sprint medley relay team, which also includes Chris Williams, Chris Savvidou, and Dan Park.
“I know the field is going to be tough,” Fowler said of his individual race. “I’m realistically looking to get top six and be an all-American. We’ll see, I guess.”
