Hawks on track with fast start

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By Ken Morse, Citizen’s News

BEACON FALLS — The Woodland boys and girls track teams have hit the ground running.

The boys and girls teams both improved to 3-0 with wins over Sacred Heart and Wilby on April 20. The boys beat the Hearts, 111-33, and knocked off the Wildcats, 119-26. The girls easily ran away from Sacred Heart, 135-10, and Wilby, 142-2.

The Hawks’ formula is simple, but not one every team can master: fill out all the events and have athletes give optimum performances in those events.

Eric Meade won four events in the Hawks’ opening-season meet against Oxford on April 13.

Colin Slavin is a mainstay for the boys teams in the distance events. Ervin Owusu, a sprinter, has qualified already for states in the 100 and 200. Alex Farr has also qualified in the 200, and the 4×100 relay team qualified for states, as well.

Chloe Poulos set the 1600 school record in 5:18 in the season opener, breaking the mark set by Gina DellaRosa.

“Eric (Meade) is a very good athlete working at each event and come meet time he is really dialed in,” girls head coach Jeff Lownds said. “Chloe set a new school record, and we also have Kim Poulos and Jayden Young along with a couple of freshmen who are doing well.”

Lownds said the Hawks are trying to put all the pieces of the puzzle in place. He said the team is fortunate to have boys head coach Bill Ferrare and coaches Mario Longo, Mike Sirowich and Mark Swanson guiding the way.

“It’s a tribute to the hard work of teaching the technique that we are out to a 3-0 start,” Lownds said.

In the meet against Sacred Heart and Wilby, the boys individual event winners were Thomas Meade (110 hurdles, 17.9), Chase Young (1600, 5:18), Liam Muricchio (3200), Nathaniel Smith (high jump, 5-8), Noah Scott (pole vault, 8-6) and Justin Petta (shot put, 33-3; discus 90-0).

The girls individual event winners were Isabela Mejias (100 hurdles, 20.0; high jump, 4-6), Paige Letourneau (100, 12.82; 200, 27.2), Kim Poulos (400, 64.1), Chloe Poulos (800, 2:26; 3200 11:45), Jaden Young (1600, 5:23), Abby Colt (long jump, 13-4; triple jump, 27-9), Isabella Bianchini (pole vault, 5-6), Amber Rosato (javelin, 101-0), Emma Swanson (shot put, 25-1) and Faith Herren (discus, 85-0).

Woodland swept the relays.

The boys 4×100 team of Owusu, Nate Swercewski, Farr and Conrad Filippone posted a first-place time of 46.7. The 4×400 squad of Smith, Young, Swercewski and Filippone won in 3:46, and the 4×800 foursome of Sam Ambrocio, Muricchio, Jon Schwartz and Young took first in 9:58.

The girls 4×100 team of Kim Poulos, Letournea, Kyla O’Connor and Rebecca Benoit finished first in 57.7. The 4×400 squad of Kim Poulos, Ireland Starziski, Benoit and Letourneau won in 4.29, and the 4×800 foursome of Starziski, Chloe Poulos, Daniella Celotto and Young posted a winning time of 10:46.

“We consider ourselves to be a work in progress,” Lownds said. “We have developed several athletes who are excelling, helping us to get out to a fast start. By no means are we where we need to be.”

“Coach Billy and myself held indoor training sessions a few times a week once the season was cancelled,” added Lownds referring to the indoor track season. “Some athletes that came are playing other sports now, but it did help us to create a buildup for outdoors and we are seeing the benefit of that now.”

Woodland is scheduled to face Wolcott and Naugatuck on April 27.

“That meet will be a tough meet for us tell us,” Lownds said. “Wolcott and Naugatuck are always competitive and very well coached. It will be a good test for us to see where we stand. It will tell us a lot more about what we need to work on to get better. We just take it one meet at a time.”