- Details
- Category: Current Issue
The Woodstock Academy, due to enrollment, competes in Division I in indoor track in the Eastern Connecticut Conference.
The Centaurs came to the Coast Guard Academy Feb. 3 with a contingent of 26 athletes, boys and girls.
In comparison, East Lyme brought a team of 65, and that was only the boys’ program, to the meet.
In a sport where depth means something and second-place finishes and beyond matter, it’s difficult to compete against sheer numbers and, in East Lyme’s case, the majority of those numbers are pretty talented.
The Centaurs finished sixth overall in both the boys’ and girls’ championship meets.
“They gave their hearts. I can’t ask for more,” said Centaurs coach Nicole Brousseau.
There was success on the floor. Senior Mark Dumas came in seeded No. 1 thanks to a 49-feet, 11.5-inch throw in the shotput at an ECC Development meet on Dec. 30. He didn’t reach that mark Feb. 3.
But his 44-9 effort was more than enough to capture an ECC championship.
Adelino DaVeiga of Norwich Free Academy was well back at 43-6.
“I had to work for this one. I was a little off (Saturday). I don’t necessarily know why. I know that I’m going to come back better,” Dumas said.
Brousseau said Dumas had battled the flu the week before which may have affected his performance.
She was just happy to see him come out on top.
“He has put in so much work,” said the Woodstock Academy coach. “His season literally started in the weight room the week after States last year. He worked very hard for this. It wasn’t his best throw, but it was still a ‘W.’ We will take it.”
She hopes that Dumas can hit the “elusive” 50-foot mark in the Class M state championship at 4 p.m. Feb. 9 at the Floyd Little Athletic Center in New Haven.
If he doesn’t, he likely won’t have a chance to bring home a state title.
Michael Browning of RHAM has thrown nearly 60 feet this season and two other throwers, Khaled Elmady of Brookfield and Collin Martin of Plainville, have also eclipsed the 50-foot mark.
Brousseau said she thought about petitioning CIAC to move up to Class L where no qualifier has cleared 50-feet, but didn’t think it would be fair to the remainder of the team.
“The kid from RHAM is a phenomenal athlete to watch, but so is Mark. Mark has really put in the work and is not nearly the same size as the kid from RHAM. He is really a small dog in the fight,” Brousseau said.
Sophomore Julia Theriaque had a tough task.
She had to face Allyson Lewis of NFA in the high jump.
“She’s really good,” Theriaque said with a laugh.
Lewis finished with a 5-feet, 4-inch jump which tied the meet record.
Theriaque was next at 4-8.
“It was the goal. I knew I wasn’t going to beat Allyson,” she said.
The mark was just below Theriaque’s personal best.
She had cleared 4-9 this season and is within range of a Class L girls state championship (the Centaurs girls compete in L, the boys in M).
Three competitors have cleared 5-feet this year and it’s Theriaque’s goal to do the same Feb. 8 at the Floyd Little Athletic Center.
She has cleared 5-feet in practice.
“Competition is a lot more stress. It’s high pressure, everyone is kind of watching you and you don’t have to run before it either, so you’re not as tired,” Theriaque said.
The sophomore also ran the 1,000-meter Feb. 3 and finished eighth.
“She has so much potential. I love watching her jump. She is so determined. Watching her grow, getting better every day and finding her confidence is just such a beautiful thing,” Brousseau said.
Kennedy Davignon placed fourth in the 300-meter and sixth in the 55-meter dash.
“I’m really happy,” Davignon said. “This track season has had its ups-and-downs and I’ve been trying to get back to where I was last year so it’s nice to place,” Davignon said.
The problem has not been health or injury, but rather, the weather.
The tracks at The Academy have been, for the most part, snowed over for much of the winter.
“Getting in good running workouts has been pretty tough. That’s the major part of it,” she said.
Other girls finishers included Chelsea Wise getting a fifth in the shotput; Megan Gohn was sixth in 3,200-meter and both Ivy Gelhaus and Aria Gianfriddo earned seventh-place finishes in the 600 and 1,600-meter races, respectively.
Marc Allard
Sports Information Director
..