NAUGATUCK — The Naugatuck boys and girls indoor track teams aren’t short on talent, but adequate depth will be key as the Greyhounds look to remain competitive in the Naugatuck Valley League.
The boys finished second and the girls placed fifth last season at the NVL championship meet.
“We have a lot of new athletes and we will see how well they perform,” head coach Ralph Roper said. “About 60 percent of the boys team will be brand new.”
This creates opportunities for some of the new athletes to step up and seize the moment.
Naugatuck lost Aren Seeger, the co-most outstanding hurdler/sprinter at last year’s NVL meet, to graduation, but the Greyhounds return a stable of athletes who finished among the top ten in the league last season.
Seniors Ben Healy, who finished second in the high jump and ninth in the long jump, and Zach Koslosky, who finished third in the pole vault and fourth in the 55 meter hurdles, are back to lead the boys squad.
Seniors Brianna Soubannarath, who took second in the 55 hurdles, and Alyssa Zarrella, who finished fourth in the 55 hurdles, are back to lead the girls team along with junior Lauren Rupsis, who placed eighth in the 600.
“We did lose a lot of our distance runners from last year on the boys’ side,” Roper said. “A freshman, Matt Nofri, is our only miler right now. But we do have a new athlete who came from Chicago, and I saw his races online and he is legit, and that’s junior Samuel Daniel.”
The boys finished in the top ten of all four relays last year and return a solid group with senior Sean Evardo, junior Bryce Cegielski, Healy and Koslosky.
The girls relay teams finished all four races in the top five, and senior Julia Dudek, junior Caitlyn Doris, sophomore Britney Soubannarath, Zarrella and Rupsis are back.
“I have seen a lot of positives from some of the younger athletes,” Roper said. “Sophomores Jon Volpe and Jon Chatfield have an opportunity to give us some depth along with freshman Cameron Jacobs.”
“We have a number of first-time athletes on the girls side as well,” Roper added. “Junior Kylie Neretich is a runner who can be money for us. Freshman Allison Murphy is also a runner who is tireless with a great work ethic.”
Naugatuck competed in the Hillhouse Invitational last weekend. The Jack Long Invitational and Hillhouse Winter Relays are set for next Thursday and Saturday, respectively, in New Haven.
As the season progresses, the goal for the Greyhounds is simple.
“The goal is to do the best we can with what we have,” Roper said. “Every week we should see some progress.”
