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Almquist
to jump for
UConn
Huskies
By Ron P. Coderre
WOODSTOCK — Woodstock Academy senior Jake Almquist, a member of the Centaurs track team and the 2013 State Class L boys basketball championship squad, signed a letter of intent May 29 to attend UConn in Storrs. Almquist, who will compete for the Huskies track team, is noted for his high jump skills. He also competes in the pole vault, javelin and hurdles.
This spring Almquist has been a mainstay of Academy coach Len Samborowski’s boys track team. During the team’s grueling schedule, Almquist finished first in the high jump in every dual meet. He also garnered a number of first-place finishes in invitational meets, including The Panther Invitational in Plainfield, Bloomfield Invitational and the Ledyard Relays. He was a Gold Medal recipient at the Eastern Connecticut Conference Championships at Montville High School, where he set a Championship Meet record with a jump of 6 feet, 9 inches.
Almquist also had three second-place finishes this season. He was runner-up at the Greater Hartford Invitational and the Irv Black Meet, where he cleared 6 feet, 10 inches. That jump was his personal best record and ½ inch shy of the Woodstock Academy record held by Joe Patrone. The future UConn Husky also had a second-place finish in the javelin at the Ledyard Relays and a fifth in the javelin at the Irv Black Meet.
The highlight of Almquist’s season occurred during a meet against New London where he took four first-place finishes in the high jump, pole vault, javelin and 300-meter hurdles. His winning effort produced 20 points for the Centaurs a feat that is practically unheard of in high school since athletes are only allowed to compete in four events in a single meet.
Over the winter, Almquist was a valuable member of the Woodstock Academy basketball team on its road to the Class L Championship. He played a role as a key substitute off the bench for coach Greg Smith, where he contributed key rebounds and baskets off the rebound in a number of the team’s big wins.
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