The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Hillhouse, Hamden win SCC crowns
Mercy’s Selfors picks up three individual victories
NEW HAVEN >> It came down to the final race of the day, but the Hillhouse girls indoor track and field team is back on top of the Southern Connecticut Conference.
The Academics led Shelton 48 to 47 before the 4x400 relay and took care of business at their own Floyd Little Athletic Center winning the race in convincing fashion with a time of 4:10.89 to take home their first SCC title since 2013.
“It went from anxiety to success,” Hillhouse’s Wynter Williams said. “That feeling you get in your chest, so right at the end, win or lose, to know that you won feels good. You put so much work into it.”
Hillhouse finished with 58 team points, followed by Shelton (49) and Guilford (44). The Academics also placed second in the 4x200 relay and just had a solid day all around.
“If we all scored points we would win,” Jada Boyd said. “Everyone had to place, work hard.”
The Hamden boys finished with 81 points to win their first indoor track title since 2010. Hand (59) finished second with Shelton (56) placing third.
The Green Dragons dominated the sprints and relays highlighted by a 1-2 finish in the 300 meters where Kevin Antoine and Virgil Harrell III crossed the line .06 seconds apart.
“I’m happy that me and my teammate got the dub,” Harrell III said. “I knew it was going to be a competition and I just had to keep running. I had to fight on the last stretch because [Antoine] was passing me. I said ‘it’s time to kick.’”
Hamden also won the 4x200 and 4x400.
Mercy, the defending girls champion did not do enough to keep the trophy, but senior Bridgid Selfors did all she could. Just like at the West Sectionals a week ago she swept the three distance events to earn 30 points all on her own.
In the 1,000 and 1,600 Selfors was challenged on the home stretch. First by Shelton’s Abigail Turco who came in a half second behind and then Meredith Bloss of Guilford came up .06 seconds short of dethroning Selfors,
the final kick was just enough for the meet’s Most Outstanding Performer.
“It was a good day,” Selfors said. “I’m happy with it — in the 1,000 I ended up having a girl come up on me in the last 50 so I really had to work it, which I’m not always great at, the finish isn’t always my strong suit.”
“The 3,200 is my prominent event,” Selfors said. “I knew I was going to be tired. I just had to run even splits and hope for the best.”
Devon McShane of Daniel Hand was named the boys Most Outstanding Performer as he broke the meet record in the boys pole vault with a jump of 14 feet, six and a quarter inches. He broke the previous record by .25 which was held by another Hand jumper Ian Bergere set in 2015.
Bridget Wirtz of Branford tied the meet record in the girls pole vault with a 10 feet-six inch effort.
“Today was not my best day,” Wirtz said. “I was a little sick today. I was hoping to at least tie my PR of 11-feet-6. I only got 10feet-6 today, but it’s still really exciting.”
And in the boys 600 meters, Patrick English of Shelton tied the SCC Championship record of 1:22.69.
“I got to first at the end of the second lap and I was able to carry my lead,” English said. “I just wish I could have run .01 second faster.”