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05/26/2018 12:00 AMThe Old Saybrook girls’ outdoor track team proved the class of its conference once again by recording a first-place finish at the Shoreline Conference Championship on May 23. Competing on their home turf at Old Saybrook High School, the Rams totaled 185.5 points to outpace second-place Haddam-Killingworth by more than 70 points.
The Rams received standout performances across the board on both the track and in the field to get the Shoreline three-peat. Sophomore Grace Hanratty felt proud of the Rams’ effort as they successfully defended their conference title for the second year in a row.
“It feels awesome. We all work so hard, and to see everyone come together at the very end is really rewarding and exciting,” said Hanratty. “When it’s championship season, everyone steps up to the plate. We have our jumpers, runners, throwers, all come together in the end.”
Hanratty posted a first-place finish in the 1,600-meter run with a time of 5:19.18 for Old Saybrook. She also ran on the victorious 4x800 relay (9:52.96) with Tehra Givehand, Emily Stratton, and Jessica Stratton; as well as the first-place 4x400 relay (4:17.30) with Allison Cody, Autumn Szucs, and Jessica Stratton.
Another strong performer for the Rams was senior Tyra Finkeldey, who captured first place in the pole vault when she cleared 11 feet. Finkeldey also joined forces with Annea Thaci, Dylin Adams, and Vika Stoltz to place second in the 4x100 relay with a time of 52.33 seconds. Finkeldey is no stranger to the All-Conference honors that come with netting first or second place in an event at Shorelines, although she still realizes that it’s a big accomplishment.
“I think being First Team is an incredible honor. A lot of hard work goes into getting first in the Shoreline meet,” Finkeldey said. “I think that everyone that does accomplish that task definitely deserves it and has worked super hard to get there.”
Other victories for Old Saybrook came from Thaci, who took first place in the 100 hurdles with her time of 16.46 seconds; Allison Cody, who garnered gold in the 400 at 1:01.53; and Rachel Vigorita, who finished first for the high jump after clearing 4 feet-10 inches.
Old Saybrook Head Coach Pete Capezzone was pleased to see his team continue its run of dominance in the Shoreline Conference. Capezzone attributed the Rams’ success to having quality athletes who provide depth in several events.
“It’s a three-peat, so we’re psyched up. I couldn’t be happier with some of the performances. It’s a very strong team, and we cover a lot of the areas,” said Capezzone. “It starts with our middle-distance runners. We’re deep there. We’re deep in the jumps. We’re deep in the hurdles. It was a team effort.”
Everyone who took first place at the meet earned All-Shoreline Conference First Team honors, while all second-place finishers made the Second Team. The Rams saw a slew of second-place performances contribute to their robust point total. Isabella Donahue took second in the 100 hurdles with a 16.89. In the 300 hurdles, Szucs snagged silver with a time of 49.56. Elizabeth Mariol earned second in the shot put (31-7), and Alyssa Layte took second in the discus (93-3). Jessica Stratton claimed second place in the 800 with a time of 2:24.66. Stratton, a junior, believes that the Rams’ commitment to one another has led to their prolonged success. She said there is great level of talent and dedication throughout the squad.
“Everyone has worked so hard this year. This victory and everyone’s individual victories doesn’t come without insane practice and a lot of dedication, time, and hard work,” said Stratton. “We just have such a variety of talent. Every area is strong. That’s the key to us winning.”
Cody picked up some more points with a third-place performance in the 200 behind a time of 27.56. Thaci finished third in the triple jump with a distance of 33-3 for Old Saybrook. Priscilla Gumkowski took third in the high jump by clearing 4-10. Finkeldey finished fourth in the 300 hurdles with her time of 50.48, while Cate Coppes was fourth in the 100 hurdles with a 17.15.
Cody echoed her teammates’ sentiments regarding the Rams’ depth. She added that everyone on the team focused on giving their all in their individual events at Shorelines—and that’s why Old Saybrook was able to seize another conference crown.
“I think why we’ve been successful is that we have a variety of people that are good in every event,” Cody said. “It was a team thing, but everyone had their own individual job that they had to complete. Once everybody completes that job, that’s what makes it like a team. It’s not just one person. Everybody comes together to work hard. That’s when we’re successful.”
Next on the docket for Old Saybrook is the Class S State Championship Meet at Willow Brook Park in New Brtain on Thursday, May 31. As great as he felt after his squad won another conference title, Coach Capezzone kept his focus on the next step.
“The kids did an awesome job, and now we’re just trying to get ready for next week,” he said. “It’s even bigger next week.”