Siciliano 1,600 Champ as Guilford Boys’ Track Shines at SCCs
It isn’t just about wins and losses for outdoor track teams when navigating their dual-meet schedules during the regular season. It’s also about getting prepped to thrive in the big moments of the postseason and that’s precisely what the Guilford boys’ outdoor track squad has done this spring.
Head Coach Chris Skaggs’s Indians competed at the SCC Championship on May 24 at Sheehan and certainly made their presence known by placing 14th with 23 points, marking a vast improvement from last year’s meet, at which they Indians did not score any points. Guilford’s day was highlighted by senior Ben Siciliano’s victory in the 1,600-meter run. Siciliano clocked in with the top time of 4:21.29 to just edge out runner-up Ryan Brennan of North Haven, who went a 4:21.89.
“I was really happy with how we did as a whole team here. We had some good practices heading into SCCs,” said Coach Skaggs. “We had a game-plan for each kid and their event for them to be competitive going in. They set their mental goals and hit them.”
In addition to Siciliano, other point-scoring performances by the Indians came from junior Jordan Lemby-Frey, who was fourth for the 200-meter dash with a mark of 22.92 seconds; junior Finn Davidson, who took fifth in the 1,600 (4:25.68); senior Brian McCartney, who placed sixth in the high jump at 5 feet-8 inches; and sophomore Corey Sondak, who came in eighth for the 100 in 11.68.
“Ben did a great job in the 1,600. He knew going in that he would have to fight and he did,” said Skaggs. “It was just great overall to see them either succeed or even surpass their expectations going in.”
Siciliano is one of three athletes leading the charge from the captain’s chair for Guilford this season, joined alongside fellow senior Lukas O’Callahan and sprinting specialist junior Sam Sessions, a junior. Coach Skaggs praised his tremendous trio for their willingness to push both themselves and their teammates.
“Ben has done really well in leading the team by example. His work ethic is unmatched. He is making sure everyone is doing their warm-ups, plus he is showing the younger guys what hard work can do,” Skaggs said. “Lukas is great with leading the team in different workouts. He’s done great with keeping the guys in tune with practices. He’s hit a lot of personal bests this year and looks great going into states. Sam is a workhorse. He works with the sprinters and makes sure practice is moving smoothly. He also cheers on the other guys and he is a great motivator for the rest of the team.”
Skaggs’s squad has taken on some of the SCC’s top teams through the past two months and the coach said that he didn’t focus too much about the final scores or his team’s place in the standings. Instead, Skaggs wanted to see his young, well-balanced group of athletes take shape.
“During dual-meet season, I’m not worried about records because the end goal of it is always to prep for your conference and state meets. The mindset was to make sure we got the practice we needed. We faced a lot of great teams, so to still get some wins was a great accomplishment,” said Skaggs. “[Sophomore] Will Smith made states in the 400 [versus Hillhouse on May 9], plus we have a ton of great freshmen that ran in the 400 this year. It’s a good problem to have for the future in trying to figure out where to position guys and it drives our squad to get better.”
Now approaching the Class MM State Championship, the Indians are aiming to get a few guys in the green uniforms to qualify for the State Open, so they can experience Connecticut’s highest level of competition.
“The task at hand and goal for everyone at states is to try and get to the State Open and continue their seasons,” Skaggs said. “They have the understanding that to reach the Open is prestigious and means you are one of the elite.”
From the Sidelines
Next up for the Indians is the Class MM State Championship, which takes place in Middletown on Wednesday, June 1.
Chris Skaggs is in his third year as head coach of Guilford boys’ outdoor track and is assisted by Jeff Hedberg (who works with the high jumpers), Rich Torrellas (throwing coach), and distance coach George Cooksey.
The Indians finished 3-5 for their dual-meet season prior to coming in seventh out of 10 teams at the SCC East Sectional Championship on May 16, setting a new school mark for points at the event with 38.5.