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01/27/2017 11:00 PMIf the Guilford indoor track program’s first postseason performance is any indication of what’s ahead this winter, then the Indians may be on their way to some solid showings at the upcoming conference and state competitions.
The Indians’ boys’ and girls’ indoor track squads both competed at the SCC East Sectional Championship at Floyd Little Athletic Center on Jan. 24. The girls’ team recorded three victories and scored 77 points to finish as the runner-up to Hillhouse (86). Led by its relays, the boys totaled 26 points and came in seventh place.
“The girls were a big surprise. We got a lot of points and even had a chance to win going into the relays. We spread out our points through a lot of events,” said Jon Rivera, the head coach of both teams. “For the boys, we got some points in both the 4x200 and 4x400 relays. The boys had a good day with some good performances.”
The Guilford girls claimed three victories en route to their second-place finish at sectionals. Sophomore Meredith Bloss took first place in the 1,600-meter run, as well as the 3,200 for the Indians. In the 1,600, Bloss went a 5:19.17 to race past Cheshire’s Lauren Daddi (5:23.09). Bloss claimed the top spot in the 3,200 behind a mark of 11:50.80—edging out teammate Jacqueline Guerra, who placed second at 11:55.11. Guerra, a junior, captured first place in the 1,000 with a time of 3:09.21, outpacing Abigail Turco of Shelton (3:12.72).
“In the mid- and long-distance events, Meredith, Chloe, and Jacqueline got us a lot of points,” said Rivera. “Jalynn McCown also grabbed us some points in the shot put. Everything looks promising for this team.”
McCown, who’s a sophomore, finished third in the shot put behind a distance of 33 feet-4.5 inches. For the team’s other top finishers, junior Chloe Shaw was second in the 600 with a mark of 1:43.86, only placing behind Jada Boyd of Hillhouse (1:41.95). Sophomore Kelsi Putnam finished third in the 1,600 (5:38.82) and following her were freshmen Clara Wiesler (5th, 5:45.18) and Tessa Fridell (9th, 5:50.60). Clara Wiesler placed sixth for the 3,200 (12:33.02) and Eleanor Wiesler was eighth (12:49.47). Freshman Eleanor Wiesler finished ninth in the 1,000 by running 3:25.29.
In relays, the 4x800 of senior Andrea Basilicato, Putnam, junior Claire Keanna, and Clara Wiesler timed in at 10:36.23 and was the runner-up to Cheshire (10:08.22); the 4x200 of Bohan, Shaw, freshman Gabriela Garcia-Perez, and senior Rachel Lauzier (1:54.32) placed fourth; plus the 4x400 relay featuring Bohan, Shaw, Guerra, and Basilicato was also fourth (4:27.40).
On the boys’ side, junior Corey Sondak had the top individual showing for Guilford by delivering a third-place performance in the 55-meter dash with a time of 6.79 seconds. Senior Sam Sessions finished eighth in the 300 (38.08); senior Finn Davidson found fourth in the 1,600 (4:40.84); sophomore Nathan Van Zandt was 10th in the 3,200 (11:07.59); Sondak claimed ninth with the high jump (5-6); and sophomore Connor Rose came in sixth with shot put (39-2).
For relay races, the Indians’ 4x800 crossed the finish line in second (8:51.12) behind Hillhouse (8:23.92) with sophomore Will Dinauer, Davidson, freshman Ben Crair, and junior Will Smith forming that unit. The 4x400 group of senior Jordan Lembo-Frey, sophomore Joseph Walters, senior Caleb Benedict, and Sessions was third (3:42.27); while the 4x200 of Lembo-Frey, Sondak, Benedict, and Sessions placed sixth (1:39.99).
“Corey had a good day and got a personal-best time in the 55, plus Finn had some points in the mile,” Coach Rivera said. “Connor Rose stepped up big today and he’s improved a lot this year.”
Lauzier and Guerra share the captain’s chair for the girls’ squad as each athlete brings her own unique element of experience to the Indians. Their male counterparts are Sessions and Davidson—a tandem that sets the template for squeezing every ounce of effort and turning it into success.
“Rachel has the senior experience, but she’s new to indoor track, yet many know her from outdoor season. Jacqueline is one of our most talented kids since her freshman year. She’s a strong, dedicated athlete,” said Rivera. “Sam works his tail off and he doesn’t take a day off. Finn also helps to motivate our distance guys.”
After nearly taking the West Sectional crown from a power like Hillhouse, the Guilford girls know that they can make some noise at the upcoming SCC and Class L State championships. Meanwhile, the boys are looking to build upon a swift postseason start from their relay teams.
“We want to get as many people forward to the State Open as we can. You also want to have kids finish off their seasons on a high note at states and have their best days,” said Rivera. “We have a chance to score points on the girls’ side and have a higher finish than in the past. We also want to get some boys’ relays to the Open. The girls can do well at SCCs. They were right on the heels of a great program like Hillhouse. Hopefully, they can carry the momentum from here and have a top finish.”
Regardless of where his teams finish going forward, Coach Rivera feels quite optimistic about the future of these two young clubs.
“For the boys, our numbers were up this year. We have a lot of freshmen learning the way, so we are in a good place with good potential,” Coach Rivera said. “This season, the girls have been a continuation of how well they’ve been. We have a lot of sophomores, juniors, and even freshmen, so we are relatively young with a strong chance to win sectionals next year.”
From the Sidelines
Jon Rivera is in his second season as indoor track head coach at Guilford.
The assistant coaches for the Indians this winter are Jim Ford and Jeff Hedberg.
The SCC Championship will take place at the Floyd Little Athletic Center on Friday, Feb. 3 at 4 p.m. The Class L State Championship is at the same time and venue Saturday, Feb. 11.