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05/31/2021 12:00 AMThe Haddam-Killingworth outdoor track and field program added another chapter to its legacy last week. For the first time since 1979, H-K’s boys’ and girls’ outdoor track teams both claimed their respective Shoreline Conference titles.
The H-K boys’ team earned its second-straight league title with a first-place finish at the Shoreline Conference Championship meet at Lyme-Old Lyme High School on May 26. The girls’ squad also finished first at the meet to win their first conference crown since 2014. This marks the 10th Shoreline title overall for the girls’ outdoor team and sixth title for the boys’ team.
“We were excited just to have the opportunity this spring to be able to practice and compete,” said Matt Diglio, who is the head coach of both teams. “The season looked drastically different this spring compared to years past, as we were not permitted to attend many of the large invitationals that we have gone to in the past. So, our focus this spring was to appreciate the opportunities that we had, make the most of our dual-meet season, and get prepared for our championship meets at the end of the season that we were not even sure we were going to be allowed to have.”
On the boys’ side of the meet, H-K came away with a resounding victory by scoring 202.5 points to place well ahead of runner-up Coginchaug, which scored 108 points. The Cougars took first place in nine of the 18 events on the day en route to securing the Shoreline Conference title.
Senior captain John Bruder earned first place in the shot put (51-8) and the discus (120-9), while fellow senior captain Eamon Sweeney won both the 110 hurdles (15.12) and 300 hurdles (41.81) to help the Cougars finish first as a squad. Junior Aidan Law took first place in the long jump (20-6), and sophomore Orion Inkel placed first in the triple jump (39-9.50) for H-K.
Senior Matt Jennings finished first in the 1,600 (4:25.93) and also ran H-K’s victorious 4x800 and 4x400 relays at Shoreline meet. The Cougars’ 4x800 relay of senior Max Cozean, junior Caleb Freeman, sophomore Alex Lara, and Jennings posted a time of 8:34.66, and the 4x400 quartet of Cozean, senior captain John Kowal, and sophomore Zenon Kolcio recorded a mark of 3:32.72 to get the victory.
Cozen also grabbed a second-place finish in the 800 (2:00.49), and Freeman finished third in the 3,200 (10:31.45) for H-K. Kolcio took second place in the 110 hurdles (16.52) and was third in the 300 hurdles (44.75). Senior Sam Luther finished third in the shot put (38-9). H-K’s 4x100 relay of Inkel, Kowal, Law, and senior Jonathan Chute finished in third place (45.74) to help Coach Diglio’s club defend its conference throne.
“We had many outstanding performances in the Shoreline Championship meet. We talked prior to the meet that, on paper, we were the favorite on the boys’ side, but could not take anything for granted,” said Diglio. “And on the girls’ side, we knew it was going to be between three teams for the team title—H-K, Old Saybrook, and East Hampton. We spoke with the kids about everyone having a job to do and doing their job to the best of their abilities and everyone sacrificing to try and score points for the team. All of our focus was on the team.”
The H-K girls’ team wound up scoring 164.5 points to finish ahead of both East Hampton (150.5) and Old Saybrook (143.5) at Shorelines. Senior Kedarjah Lewis turned in a superstar showing at the meet by winning four events for the Cougars. Lewis took first place in the 100 (12.43), the 200 (26.15), the long jump (18-0.05), and triple jump (35-7) to help H-K top the conference standings.
H-K saw plenty of other top-notch performances in the meet. Senior captain Meara Bodak finished second in the 800 (2:30.86), senior captain Morgan Schultz took second in the pole vault (8-6), and fellow senior captain Gabby Lester finished second in the discus (86-6) for the Cougars. Junior Scarlett Strom had a nice day in the throwing events by placing third in the shot put (27-4), the discus (86-6), and javelin (83-1). Senior Mai-Ly Criscuolo took third place in the 300 hurdles (51.17), while junior Jessica Timothy finished third for the high jump (4-10).
H-K’s 4x800 relay of junior Brianna Minverino, sophomore Isabel Berardino, senior captain Kathy Melgar, and Bodak claimed second place (10:31.20). The 4x400 relay of Minervino, sophomore Leah Chester, Bodak, junior Hadley Comerford finished in third (4:25.85) to help the Cougars win the Shoreline title.
When the day was done, Coach Diglio expressed great pride about what each of his teams has achieved on both the track and the field this year.
“We were proud of being undefeated for both the boys’ and girls’ teams this spring with both teams going 5-0 in our dual-meets,” Diglio said. “For the boys, it was their third-consecutive year of being undefeated and, since 2010, the boys have compiled a dual-meet record of 97-3. For the girls’ team, it was their second year in a row of being undefeated, and they have gone 85-14 in dual-meets since 2010.”
Both of H-K’s track teams competed at the Class S State Championship on June 2 (after press time). Coach Diglio has big expectations for the Cougars at states and is looking to advance as many athletes they can to the State Open on Wednesday, June 9.
“Heading into states, we are going to focus on individual events and some relays for the girls to try and place in the top five and advance to State Opens. On the boys’ side, it’s going to be a team battle between Bloomfield, Tolland, and us. We are hoping to be in a position to score as many points as possible,” said Diglio. “Overall, I’m very proud of the team for their hard work and positive attitude all season long and for dealing with all of the adversity they have faced.”