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02/05/2017 11:00 PMOld Saybrook’s boys’ and girls’ indoor track teams both claimed victory at the Shoreline Conference Championship at the Floyd Little Athletic Center on Feb. 4. The girls’ team scored a total of 160.5 points, while the boys scored 129.5 to take first place for the third year in a row.
“We had a great day and we’re all very happy about it,” said Peter Capezzone, the head coach of both squads. “It was a complete team effort and everybody did what they had to do. Obviously, some kids had some really strong performances and really shined through.”
In total, both teams recorded points in 15 different events for Old Saybrook. The Rams’ relay teams did especially well, while Eric Sultini, Devyn King, and Rachel Vigorita all won individual events.
Sultini claimed first place in the 300-meter dash with a time of 37.89 seconds and was also first in the 600-meter run at 1:25.83. On top of that, Sultini was part of the triumphant 4x400 relay that also featured Jalen Johnson, Xavier Rios, and Josh Chang (3:41.86). Overall, Sultini, a junior, had a hand in 30 points for the Rams in their victory.
“Eric Sultini had an unbelievable day,” Capezzone said. “To win in the 300, 600, and 4x4 relay was just an outstanding job.”
For the girls’ team, King won the 300 with a time of 44.06 and was victorious in the long jump behind a school record leap of 16 feet-11.75 inches. The senior also teamed up with Tyra Finkleday, Holly Coppes, and Vika Stoltz to win the 4x200 relay in 1:52.47. Like Sultini, King contributed 30 points to Old Saybrook’s championship performance.
“Devyn King on the girls’ side had an outstanding day with some unbelievable performances,” Capezzone said. “She ran a personal record in the 300 and broke the school record in the long jump to win. The kids fed off of her.”
Old Saybrook totaled 50 team points between the other relay events. The girls’ 1,600 sprint medley relay of Stoltz, Allison Cody, Isabela Donahue, and Jessica Stratton placed third at 4:36.15; the 4x400 of Finkleday, Coppes, Stratton, and Alison Bruehwiler finished first at 4:22.69; and the 4x800 of Stratton, Jael Givehand, Grace Hanratty, and Breuhwiler finished first at 10:12.73.
On the boys’ side, the 4x200 group of Ashton Reina, Austin Reynolds, Johnson, and Max Thomas took first at 1:37.31; the 4x800 of Danny Baldi, Luke Hanratty, Lance Siegersmith, and Rios finished second at 8:44.03; and the sprint medley of Rios, Thomas, Reynolds, and Siegersmith finished third at 3:59.30.
“I thought all the relays did an outstanding job,” Capezzone said. “The 4x2 and 4x4 teams both won and the 4x8 girls’ team won, so that was very impressive. The boys’ 4x8 and the medleys were both very strong, too.”
Additionally, Vigorita won the girls’ high jump with a height of 4-10, defeating defending champion, North Branford’s Winnie Chan, to claim the title. Coach Capezzone said he was impressed with how both of his teams scored points across the board.
“It says to me that they’re all preparing well. We have some great assistants that do a tremendous job and that’s been huge,” he said. “All around, we had some really nice performances.”
Other athletes who scored points at the meet for the boys included Ryan Dubord in the 55-meter hurdles (2nd, 8.44), the long jump (7th, 18-9), and high jump (5th, 5-4); James Vukovinsky in the 55 hurdles (3rd, 8.59), long jump (6th, 18-10.75), and high jump (2nd, 5-8); Baldi in the 1,000 (3rd, 2:48.39) and 3,200 (3rd, 10:27.94); Shon Ryan in the 1,600 (4th, 5:02.61) and 3,200 (6th, 11:15.37); Seby Gallito in the 55 hurdles (7th, 9.44); Johnson in the 55-meter dash (5th, 7.00); Chang in the 600 (3rd, 1:30.53); Reina in the long jump (4th, 19-6.75); Max Chapak in the shot put (4th, 38-3); Jason Rothman in the shot put (8th, 34-5); and Austin Hilger in the pole vault (7th, 9-6).
For the girls’ team, other point individual point scorers included Annea Thaci in the 55 hurdles (3rd, 9.56) and long jump (3rd, 15-9); Grace Hanratty in the 1,000 (3rd, 3:13.57) and 1,600 (6th, 5:43.82); Jael Givehand in the 1,000 (5th, 3:17.51) and 3,200 (5th, 12:40.32); Ally Castro in the 1,600 (7th, 5:53.23) and 3,200 (7th, 13:03.09); Isabela Donahue in the 55 hurdles (2nd, 9.54); Holly Coppes in the 55 hurdles (4th, 9.60); Stoltz in the 55-meter dash (8th, 30.00); Ingrid Boland in the 1,000 (7th, 3:24.33); Bruehwiler in the 600 (3rd, 1:46.98); Alyssa Diaz in the 600 (5th, 1:53.61); Allison Cody in the 300 (7th, 46.68); Alyssa Layte in the shot put (3rd, 29-7.5); Isabel Reina in the shot put (5th, 28-10); Elizabeth Mariol in the shot put (8th, 25-10.5); Cate Coppes in the pole vault (2nd, 7-6); Ana Hester in the pole vault (6th, 6-6); Julia Ludwiszewski in the high jump (4th, 4-6); and Grace McGlaughlin in the high jump (5th, 4-6).
“I think they’re excited about it,” Capezzone said. “We’ll put our best foot forward. There’s going to be some great competition [at the Class S Championship], but they’re looking forward to it.”