MIDDLETOWN WINS FIRST CLASS L TITLE IN 10 YEARS

Blue Dragons’ 4x400 relay win clinches title

MANCHESTER » There were no thoughts about a chaotic couple of weeks when construction left the Middletown boys’ track and field team as a state title contender without the use of their facility but one last race that stood between the Blue Dragons and the CIAC Class L title.

When Garrett Dandridge crossed the line, Middletown not only won the 4x400 relay but clinched the program’s first state title in 10 years in a heartstopping affair on Tuesday at Manchester High School.

“Finish this race, win and be state champions,” said Garrett Dandridge, who ran the anchor leg on the 4x400 relay. “I was definitely nervous, adrenaline was pumping, I am happy it is over with.”

If Dandridge was nervous, just imagine what emotions Middletown coach Jennifer Price was dealing with.

“From the time they scored the last event and before the 4x4, I literally paced probably 100 times up and back,” Price said. “We knew we had to beat Hand in order to win and we were able to do that,” “They worked hard all day today.”

Middletown won the 4x100 and 4x400 relays. DeShaun Bradshaw of Middletown was the winner of the 100 in 11.24 seconds while DeAaron Lawrence won the high jump clearing 6-2 on his first attempt.

“It is a crazy feeling honestly,” Bradshaw said. “It is a little cliched but it really is a crazy feeling. To win everyting, I have been dreaming of doing this since I was a kid,”

Middletown finished with 80 points while Hand had 77 ½. If The Tigers had finished ahead of Middletown in the meet’s final event, the championship tro-

would have gone back to Madison.

“It was a good meet,” Hand coach Tim Geary said. “We expected a close meet, thought it might come down to that and it did. They wwre a little better than us today. We left some points on the table but t was a great season, a great group of seniors.”

Middletown also had an individual champion on the girls side as Brielle Wilborn won the shot put with a throw of 37-4.

Mercy’s Bridgid Selfors won the 3,200 meters in a time of 10:59.65.

“I wanted to get out fast,” Selfors said.” I tried to open up the gap as much as I could. It felt pretty good. I didn’t get the 2 mile indoors so I definitly wanted to come back and get it now.”

The girls meet also came down to the final event. When Hand edged out Windsor in the 4x400 it gave Simsbury the title. If Windsor had won the race, co-champions would have been declared.

CATHERINE AVALONE - NEW HAVEN REGISTER Middletown’s DeShaun Bradshaw wins the 100 meter dash in 11.24 at the Class L track & field championships, Tuesday, May 30, 2017, at Manchester High School. Middletown High School finished first with 80 points edging out Daniel Hand 77.50.

CATHERINE AVALONE - NEW HAVEN REGISTER Middletown’s Brielle Wilborn wins the shot put with a throw of 37-04 at the Class L track & field championships, Tuesday, May 30, 2017, at Manchester High School.