Philippides, GHS excel
Senior wins 800-meter run, also on relay
NEW BRITAIN — Monday truly just kept getting better for Emily Philippides and the Greenwich High School girls track and field team at the State Open Championships.
Following performances in which she captured the first-place medal in the 800-meter run and was part of the Cardinals’ winning 4x800 meter relay team, Philippides’ exciting day was capped when she received the Connecticut High School Coaches Association High School Track and Field Athlete of the Year Award at the conclusion of the meet.
It was a fitting way for Philippides to exit her final State Open meet and the Cardinals to end their successful day.
Posting impressive efforts from start to finish, Greenwich’s girls team placed fourth in the team standings at the CIAC State Open held at Willow Brook Park, finishing with a team score of 27 points. Southington won the meet (35 points), followed by Bloomfield (32) and Danbury (28).
Philippides, a senior who will continue her track and field career at Princeton University, received track athlete of the year award, after Greenwich finished third in the 4x400-meter relay event.
“I am so happy to receive this award, it’s such an honor,” Philippides said. “I admired the girls who received it in the past, so I’m really excited to receive it this year. I know I’ve come a long way the past few years.”
Seeded first in the 800meter event, Philippides successfully defended her title in the race, crossing the finish line first in 2:11.78. Erin McGill of Glastonbury was second in 2:16, followed by Elsa Martin from Simsbury (2:16.98). Showing her speed and stamina, Philippides led after the first lap, before increasing it in the second.
“My goal was to defend my title in the 800,” said Philippides, also the Class LL champion in the event. “I was not focusing too much on my time, though I wanted to finish under 2:12. I wanted to take it out out
fast, so I wouldn’t put too much pressure on myself toward the end of the race.”
Said GHS girls track and field coach Evan Dubin: “Emily’s performance in the 800 shows how dominant an athlete she is. For her to pull away and win in that fashion was so impressive.”
The Cardinals began the State Open in style, winning the 4 x 800-meter relay race in 9:13.58. Immaculate placed second in 9:19.76 and Danbury was third in a time of 9:24.02.
Senior Kate Ragone started the race by running a personal-best time of 2:23 over her 200 meters of the event for Greenwich. Hetty McMillan, a senior, posted a personal-record time of 2:18 in her split and sophomore Zoe Harris registered a time of 2:17 — also a personal-record performance in the event. Philippides anchored the race for the Cards, who earned 10 firstplace points to start the meet.
“Everyone got the time that we wanted and we won the race, which was a great combination,” Harris said. “It’s a really good confidence-booster, because we have New Englands next. I was so excited with my time, getting 2:17 — I was so happy and it’s so gratifying to get it after working so hard during the season for it.”
Added Philippides: “We have never won this event at the Open, so it was nice to be able to win it finally. All I had to do was maintain the lead and I’m really glad that everyone was able to get their time down.”
Senior Lia Zavattaro concluded her standout career at Greenwich with an eight-place finish in the pole vault. Zavattaro vaulted a distance of 10 feet, 6 inches.
“Before Lia joined the team the pole vault was an event where we didn’t score too many points,” Dubin said. “She put in a lot of time and effort over the years and really excelled in the pole vault, which benefited our team.”
Junior Jordan Numme gave GHS a ninth-place finish in the 400-meter run (58.95).
“I was in a tough, very fast heat, so overall, I am happy with my finish,” Numme said. “Being at this intense meet is very exciting. Our support of each other really helped everyone.”
Hetty McMillan, a senior, placed 10th in the 1,600 run (5:14.47).
“I was really tired after the 4 x 800, but I just tried to go in with a positive attitude and finish the 1,600 strong,” said McMillan, who will take her track talents to Lehigh University in the fall. “The assistant coach at Lehigh was down on the field watching, so that was exciting.”
In the 3,200 event, Caroline Webb finished 11th for Greenwich in 11:20.63 (personal-record time). Greenwich’s 4 x 400 relay team of Sophia Bastek, Numme, Harris and Philippides were third in 3:59.01.
On the boys’ side, senior Oliver Fulton placed 11th in the 300-meter hurdles for Greenwich.
“Being here at the State Open is pretty cool, it’s a lot different than competing in a dual meet,” Fulton said. “I wanted to make my last race a good one and I think I did that. It was a fun event to race in and I was very impressed with the competition.”
Cardinals teammate George Karakadas, a senior, was 14th in the 800-meter run for Greenwich.
“Oliver’s 11th-place finish was superb effort, given the competition he went up against,” GHS coach Jeff Klein said. “George ran a good race, he ran an outstanding race last week to get into the State Open. He still ran one of his best times of the season today, which was great.”