Norwich Free Academy Athletes Win Titles At LL Indoor Track Meet

NEW HAVEN, CT — The teams who captured the Class LL indoor track championships Saturday were different from last year's winners, but neither school is a stranger to hoisting the championship plaque within the confines of the Floyd Little Athletic Center.

Last year's titleholders, Danbury (boys) and Greenwich (girls), were supplanted by Hall, which edged Norwich Free Academy by a single point to win the boys team competition, and Danbury, which also finished just one point ahead of Glastonbury to snare the girls crown.

The Hall boys were victorious for the third straight year, having won the Class L title the past two seasons before moving up to LL this winter. The Danbury girls reclaimed their position on top after a one-year hiatus, giving the Hatters three championships in the past four years.

Three individual records were broken and another tied during the event. In the boys high jump, Chet Ellis of Staples cleared 6 feet, 9 inches to break the LL mark of 6-8.25, established by Nick Frimpong of East Hartford in 2007. Tess Stapleton of Fairfield Ludlowe set a new standard in the 55 meter hurdles with a time of 8.25 seconds, beating the old mark of 8.35 set by Vickie Milledge of Simsbury three years ago. Nolly Harding, Maya Bridgefore, Grace Sparrow and Samantha Forrest of Glastonbury combined to capture the 4x400 relay in 4:02.28, besting the previous record of 4:02.43 set by the Tomahawks in 2017. Allyson Lewis of Norwich Free Academy tied the high jump standard of 5 feet, 6 inches, set by Elizabeth Lodge of Manchester in 2016 and tied by Lewis last year.

Stapleton was the only athlete to win a pair of individual events, adding the long jump crown to her record-breaking effort in the hurdles.

Here are the top three teams for boys and girls, as well as individual champions in each event. Click here for complete meet results.

BOYS

1. Hall, 60
2. Norwich Free Academy, 59
3. Glastonbury, 52.66

• 55 meters - Christopher Pigatt, Hamden, 6.50
• 300 meters - Rodney Davis, Hamden, 36.22
• 600 meters - Malcolm Going, Danbury, 1:24.01
• 1,000 meters - Miller Anderson, Hall, 2:36.84
• 1,600 meters - Travis Martin, Wilbur Cross, 4:19.79
• 3,200 meters - Jacob Hefele, Danbury, 9:21.83
• 55 meter hurdles - Osaretin Osagie, Norwich Free Academy, 7.89
• 4x200 relay - Greenwich, 1:33.39
• 4x400 relay - Hall, 3:31.34
• 4x800 relay - Glastonbury, 8:10.57
• 1,600 sprint medley - Danbury, 3:38.06
• high jump - Chet Ellis, Staples, 6-9
• pole vault - Jacob Bazinet, Norwich Free Academy, 13-6
• long jump - Jahiem Spruill, Norwich Free Academy, 21-8.25
• shot put - Nathan Quaye, Manchester, 53-10

GIRLS

1. Danbury, 74
2. Glastonbury, 73
3. Fairfield Ludlowe, 36

• 55 meters - Kate Shaffer, Conard, 7.24
• 300 meters - Samantha Forrest, Glastonbury, 41.42
• 600 meters - Kamilah Diaz, East Hartford, 1:38.73
• 1,000 meters - Kate Hedlund, Manchester, 3:04.42
• 1,600 meters - Lauren Moore, Danbury, 5:12.18
• 3,200 meters - Mari Noble, Greenwich, 11:06.55
• 55 meter hurdles - Tess Stapleton, Fairfield Ludlowe, 8.25
• 4x200 relay - Glastonbury, 1:45.43
• 4x400 relay - Glastonbury, 4:02.28
• 4x800 relay - Ridgefield, 9:35.52
• 1,600 sprint medley - Ridgefield, 4:20.02
• high jump - Allyson Lewis, Norwich Free Academy, 5-6
• pole vault - Paige Martin, Norwich Free Academy, 11-3
• long jump - Tess Stapleton, Fairfield Ludlowe, 18-0.25
• shot put - Trinity Cardillo, Southington, 39-6.5

Photo credit: Floyd Little Athletic Center

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