Academy pg 9 4-19-18
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The Woodstock Academy girls’ track team had its concerns for its season opener in Colchester against Bacon Academy.
Its top jumper, Maddie Grube, was on her way to Greece on a school-sponsored trip. The same could be said for the team’s top sprinter and hurdler Ashleigh Angle.
Despite being a little short-handed, the Centaurs persevered with a 78-69 Eastern Connecticut Conference Division II win over the Bobcats on.
“It wasn’t a P(ersonal) R(ecord) kind of day for us,” said girls’ track coach John Ywarsky, “It was a gritty win over a good ECC D-II team. It’s just the type of win we need, because we did it without two of our most prolific point-scorers”
Ywarsky had hoped the addition of some young and talented distance runners would pay off this season.
It did in the first meet.
Freshman Stella DiPippo won the 1,600-meter race by over 40 seconds. She also ran the anchor leg of the 4x800-meter which captured first-place points.
Sophomore Alexia Bourbeau was also on the 4x800 team and finished third in the 1,600m. Her classmate, Megan Gohn, was second in the 800m.
Senior Hannah Matsas, another 4x800 relay member, won the 3,200m with junior Shannon D’Alessandro in third.
But there were challenges for the Centaurs.
“Getting freshmen jumpers, a new 4x100 team, and a few substitutions going proved a little bit difficult for us,” Ywarsky said. “We were able to overcome a 4x100 dropped handoff and no points in the 100. Our jumpers, throwers, and distance really stepped up.”
The Bobcats took the majority of the points in the 100 and 300m hurdles, long jump, pole vault and 100m.
But the Centaurs rebounded as senior Kennedy Davignon won the 400m with Olivia Majek coming home in third. The two combined with Mallory Tyimok and Gillian Price to win the 4x400m relay. Carla Simal and Alina Michalski took the top two spots in the triple jump while Lindsey O’Dea cleared 4 feet, 8 inches to not only win the high jump, but also qualify for Class L state competition.
The throwing events were kind to the Centaurs.
Paula Hernandez (81-4), Rachel Salmon (76-8) and Sydney Couture (64-7) swept the top three spots in the javelin competition.
Chelsea Wise took second in both the shot put and discus while Hernandez and freshman Maggie Flynn took third in those events, respectively.
Boys fall short
The Centaurs boys’ track team put together five first-place finishes and a couple of state qualifying performances, but fell short on the scoreboard, losing its season-opener at Bacon Academy, 91-58, April 11.
“I am very pleased with the performances by our athletes at the first meet,” said boys’ track coach Peter Lusa. “Many athletes met or exceeded their meet goals. We had very few surprises.”
There was one pleasant addition – the sun.
“It was great to have decent weather for our first meet,” Lusa said.
Two athletes qualified for the Class M state championship meet in their events.
Senior Mark Dumas won the shot put with a toss of 42 feet, 11 ½ inches and classmate Connor Huda won the discus at 119-9 1/2 , both good enough to guarantee themselves a spot in the event at the state level.
Huda almost qualified in two events as his second-place finish in the shot was just under the qualifying mark.
The same could be said for Justin Wise who finished second in the 100-meter and Dan Crème who finished second in both the 110 and 300m hurdles, almost getting making the state qualifying number in the 110.
Other first-place finishers for the Centaurs included Natanael Colon in the 400m (56.3 seconds); Kyle Buell in the high jump (5-4) and Nathan Craig in the triple jump (34-2.5).
“The Bacon Academy put on a great meet with knowledgeable officials and wonderful athletes.
It was a great learning experience for our younger athletes,” Lusa said.
The Centaurs boys’ and girls’ teams return to the track during April vacation week when they play host to the Fitch Falcons at 11 a.m. April 18 on South Campus.
Marc Allard
Sports Information Director
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