Naugy picks up the pace

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NAUGATUCK — The Naugatuck boys and girls track teams are raising expectations as they head down the stretch of the season.

The boys improved to 9-1 after sweeping Kennedy, 114-35, and Oxford, 111-38, on Tuesday.

Aren Seeger set the pace with victories in the 110 hurdles (16.1), 100 (10.9), 300 hurdles (39.5) and 200 (22.5).

Benjamin Healy leaped to wins in the triple jump (38-3) and high jump (5-6). Bailey Mortensen took first in the long jump (19-2), and Zachary Koslosky won the pole vault (10-6).

The girls split Tuesdays’ meet. They beat Kennedy, 100-47, and fell to Oxford, 79-69, and are 5-5 on the year.

Makayla Teixeira took first in the 100 hurdles (16.9), Renell Clarence won the 100 (13.2), and Brianna Soubannarath won the pole vault (6-6).

The boys and girls swept last Thursday’s meet versus Sacred Heart and St. Paul.

The boys raced past Sacred Heart, 92-58, and routed St. Paul, 142-6. The girls showed their mettle earning a 76-70 win over Sacred Heart and a convincing 102-46 win over St. Paul.

“We still have some work to do,” Naugatuck head coach Ralph Roper said. “Some of our distance guys are still a little nicked up with ankle issues. A lot of these things you have to take it one day at a time but hopefully we will get Grady Beasley, our number one guy, back soon.”

Seeger went out as usual and simply dominated taking first place in three events, the 100 (10.78) the 200 (22.19) and the 100 hurdles (14.81), last Thursday. Tyler Blair took first in the javelin with a throw of 123 feet, 2 inches and the shot put at 39 feet, 3.5 inches.

“Tyler Blair has really come on strong for us this season. I’m very happy for him and proud of his accomplishments,” Roper said. “It hasn’t come easy for him, he’s put in a tremendous amount of work to get to where he is at.

“Aren Seeger is another one who has stepped out and made it happen. Hard work does pay off, and Tyler and Aren are proof of that. Now if we can get some of the other kids to pick up the pace, we will be a very competitive team come tournament time.”

The limitations of some of the mid-distance runners has slowed down the Greyhounds’ relay squads, but there is a sign of progress with Rami Ammar racing to victory in the 300 hurdles at 44.03 and David Kerns winning the 3200 in 10:50 last week.

Naugatuck showed a bit of versatility with Mortensen winning the long jump at 18 feet, 10.5 inches and Koslosky taking first in the pole vault with an effort of 9 feet, 6 inches.

The girls picked up six first-place finishes last Thursday. Teixeira took first in the 100 hurdles with a time of 16.69. Emily Kropo and Kimani Grey tied for first in the high jump at 4 feet, 4 inches.

Clarence took first in the 200 in 26.72, and Lauren Stankiewicz raced to victory in the 3200 in 13:37. The girls also picked up valuable points in the pole vault with Daniella Acevedo taking first (5-6) and Erin Schofield winning the javelin (116-1.)

“We don’t have as much depth on the girls side, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have the athletes to compete,” Roper said. “We have several girls who can really make some noise in the NVLs and the states.”

Naugatuck will face Watertown and Derby at Watertown on May 9.