It’s not an easy task to be a sprinter and a hurdler.
At least, not in the ECC indoor track championship meet. The 55-meter hurdles and the 55-meter dash are run back-to-back and it takes a special athlete to not only compete in both but to be one of the top athletes in both.
Woodstock Academy junior Daisy Li was up to that task Feb. 1. Li finished second in the 55-meter hurdles and followed that up with a first-place finish in the 4 55-meter dash.
Her efforts helped the Centaurs to an overall third place finish as a team in the ECC Division I championship meet.
The Centaurs (60 points) didn’t have the number of participants to keep up with the likes of first-place E. Lyme (207) or second place Norwich Free Academy (128).
“I don’t feel super-tired because it’s only 55 meters, but mentally, it’s tough. I had to run right back to the starting line after I finished the hurdles,” Li said.
She also was a member of the Centaurs 4x180 relay team which posted a third-place finish.
“She did a phenomenal job,” Woodstock Academy indoor track coach Josh Welch said. “I knew she would a top contender in her events, but I didn’t know she would take a first, second and third. She had to be one of the top medalists here (Saturday). She’s just a consistent, hard-working kid.”
Li finished in 7.63 seconds to win the dash. That bettered her personal best by two-tenths of a second.
Darya Mikusova of E. Lyme won the 55-meter hurdles in 9.36 seconds, Li finished in 9.69 seconds for second place.
The third-place finish in the relay meant she helped the Centaurs to get 24 of their points.
Senior Julia Theriaque took first in the high jump, clearing the bar at 5-feet-2.
Welch said the 5-2 jump put her in good shape for the Class L championship meet Feb. 15. She will go into that competition as the top seed as she had cleared 5-4 earlier this season.
Since she was the only one to clear the 5-2 height and guaranteed the win, she opted to put the bar up to 5-5, hoping to qualify for Nationals. She failed to clear.
Welch said, however, that her attempts at 5-5 looked very good and that it was more her timing than the height of the bar or her ability, that held her back this time.
Sophomore Linsey Arends also brought home a first-place medal and lapped a lot of the field in so doing.
She finished in 12 minutes, 11 seconds — she was hoping for a sub-12 finish.
Arends will get that push she needs in the Class L state championship meet. Six runners, including herself, have posted sub-12 minute performances this year including a scorching 10:53.25 by Chloe Scrimgeour of Conard.
Isabella Sorrentino also qualified for the Class L championship meet for the Centaurs when she tossed the shotput 29 feet, 3 ½ inches to finish sixth in the ECC championship.
Marc Allard
Director of Sports Information
The Woodstock Academy

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