Stonington can accept a close loss
Bears have no regrets despite finishing second to Windham in Class M boys’ track meet
New Britain — A narrow defeat a week ago in the Eastern Connecticut Conference championship meet, followed by an even closer margin Tuesday at the Class M state championship, resulting in a pair of second-place team finishes … that's what befell the Stonington High School boys' track and field team.
But here's why Stonington coach Ben Bowne will miss senior Shane Smith so much, with Smith competing in his final state meet at Willow Brook Park:
“Even if we don't take it home,” Smith was saying late in the meet, “Rhys (Hammond) was awesome. Chase (Flynn) was awesome. I love these meets. … We didn't bring it as we should have, but it happens. That's the message. It happens. The world goes on.
“I'd like to bring something home for them for once,” Smith said pointing at Stonington coaches Bowne and Jeff Parkinson. “But I'm as proud as you can be.”
Stonington's Cam Whalen was a triple-winner, sweeping the 110-meter hurdles (14.55 seconds) and the 300 hurdles (40.69) and helping lift the Bears' 4x400 relay team to a victory and a school record in 3 minutes, 24.45 seconds.
Windham, paced by another three-event champion in Alex Korczynski (800, 1,600, 3,200) won the Class M title with 74 points, followed by fellow ECC brethren Stonington (67.5) and Montville (44).
Hillhouse was the girls' team champion with 105 points. Stonington, paced by javelin champion Aliza Bell, was fifth with 36.5.
The Stonington boys were second in the ECC last week, trailing NFA — a participant in Wednesday's Class LL meet, the largest division in the state — 131.50-112.
“We have a lot of talent in our younger classes, but our big losses are Shane and Cam. Every decade you get a group of kids like this.”
BEARS COACH BEN BOWNE
On paper, the Bears were favored among Tuesday's M boys' competitors. Going strictly by where Stonington was seeded in each event, Bowne counted 96 points.
“We lost 20-something points somewhere,” Bowne said. “Weird stuff happens. That's the story of my 15 years of coaching. Weird stuff does happen. This was a very talented and deep meet.
“We have a lot of talent in our younger classes, but our big losses are Shane and Cam. Every decade you get a group of kids like this. They love it; they love what they do.”
Bowne said other coaches remark to him that they wish they had an athlete like Smith.
Smith is a multifaceted athlete, one who would have no trouble doing battle with a brick wall, at that, who plans to compete in the state's decathlon competition.
On Tuesday, for instance, he was fifth in the pole vault with a personal-best leap of 13-6. He went from missing his last jump at 14-0 straight to the starting line for the 300 hurdles, with a mini-panic attack in between because he lost his number for the hurdles. He was third in the hurdles in 41.30. He also gave the discus a try, an event in which he had been doing well in practice, but did not place.
Smith is also one of the best with the younger kids on the team, Bowne said.
“Not just the younger kids, I think it's everyone,” Smith said. “Everyone needs (help) at some point. I've been rock bottom myself (during indoor season) and I decided I don't want to have anyone see me like that. Being upset is not going to change the result.”
Montville's boys' 4x100 relay team won near the start of the meet, with Gennaro Davis, Greg Clark, Daltyn Butler and Nik Angell finishing in a school record 43.15.
“We qualified for nationals,” Angell said. “We had terrible handoffs, terrible. I guess it was just adrenalin.”
Stonington's 4x400 team of Whalen, Joey Hinckley, Blake Edwards and Rhys Hammond on the anchor leg, closed the meet.
Other local winners were Ledyard's Collin Wiltshire in the boys' triple jump (44-0.5) and Stonington's Bell in the girls' javelin (10710).
Other top-six finishes among local girls belonged to Waterford's Sophia Podeszwa (3rd, 100 hurdles; 4th, 300 hurdles), Stonington's Keegan Donohue (tied for 3rd, pole vault), Stonington's Kate Hall (5th, 100), Stonington's Emma Diamanti (5th, shot put) and Ledyard's Natalie Poulton (5th, discus).
Stonington's 4x800 team of Emma Small, Liz Gray, Lindsey Orr and Jess Detwiler was third. Stonington's 4x100 team of Lucille Sternberg, Gwen Andersen, Bell and Hall was fifth, as was Waterford's 4x400 team of Podeszwa, Jennifer Keth, Alicia Sanders and Zora LaBonte.
Other local boys in the top six were Ledyard's James Smith (2nd, 100), Montville's Clark (2nd, 400), Stonington's Hammond (2nd, 800), Montville's Angell (3rd, 200), Stonington's Hinckley (3rd, pole vault), Montville's Tyrone Mack (3rd, shot put), Ledyard's Adam Crawford (3rd, javelin), Stonington's Flynn (4th, 800), Montville's Derek Strickland (5th, 110 hurdles), Ledyard's Wiltshire (4th, high jump), Stonington's Grayson DelGrosso (5th, javelin) and Norwich Tech's Jagger Petersen (6th, high jump).
Montville's 4x400 team of Nick Donnell, Butler, Davis and Clark was second. Ledyard's 4x100 team of Smith, Travon Brown, Stanley Green and Jahmik Devone was fifth, while Stonington's 4x800 team of Max Wojtas, Edwards, Flynn and Hammond was sixth.