STATE OPEN PREVIEW CAPSULES

BOYS

When: Saturday, Noon

Where: Floyd Little Athletic Center, New Haven

Defending champion: Danbury

Team contenders: Danbury is the three-time defending State Open champion, but the number of athletes that qualify for the State Open dictates the amount of points a team can accumulate. On paper Hillhouse and Bloomfield look like the strongest candidates to take home away the team title. The last time Hillhouse won a State Open title was in 2015. Bloomfield last won the title in 2013.

Athletes to watch: Michael Browning of RHAM should dominate in shot put. He won it at Class L (59 feet, 0.75 inches) and 60 feet is within reach. In the high jump, with national standout Justin Forde out with a sprained ankle, Chet Ellis of Staples and Ja’Kwan Hale of Derby are the favorites. Ellis won it at the FCIAC meet and Class LL (meet record 6-9) but Hale is very good (won at NVL and Class S). Forde missed Class LL with the sprained ankle and as a result could not qualify for the State Open. The 55 meters is wide open with Chistopher Pigatt of Hamden, Kymali Hay of Bloomfield and Neal Eley of Hillhouse the top three seeds. Pigatt won it at LL. Hay won the 55 at Class S. Eley also won the long jump and high jump at Class M and will challenge in those events along with Sean Dixon-Bode of Bloomfield in the long jump. Eley is the favorite in the long jump with Forde out. He also won the 55 dash at Class M. Deshaune Poole of Hillhouse and Ja’Kwan Hale of Derby should finish 1-2 in the 300. Poole won the 300 and 55 hurdles at Class M. Hale won the 300 and high jump at Class S. Edward Williams of Sacred Heart is the top seed in 55 hurdles, but Richard Papa of Amity and Poole are strong challengers. Malcolm Going of Danbury is the top seed in the 600. Simon Jupp of Ridgefield and Jared Sharp of Suffield will challenge Going who won it at LL. Rhys Hammond of Stonington is a tough top seed in the 1000. William Curran of Xavier won it at Class LL and is a top challenger. Travis Martin of Wilbur Cross won the 1600 in Class L and should also dominate it at the State Open. Jacob Hefele of Danbury is the one to beat in the 3200. He won it at LL. The pole vault should be fun with Hayden Rovelli of Coginchaug and Aidan O’Connor of Lewis Mills qualifying for the Open with 14 feet each. O’Connor won it at Class M and Rovelli won it at Class S.

GIRLS

When: Saturday, Noon

Where: Floyd Little Athletic Center, New Haven

Defending champion: Greenwich

Team contenders: The team title is up for grabs with Bloomfield, Danbury and Hillhouse among the strongest entries. Bloomfield last won the title in 2017, Hillhouse last won in 2012 and Danbury last won in 2010.

Athletes to watch: Tess Stapleton of Fairfield Ludlowe is the top seed in the 55 hurdles. But she will have to beat Ayesha Nelson of Hillhouse. Nelson won the 55 hurdles and 55 at Class M. Stapleton is the top seed in the long jump and will be challenged by Selina Soule of Glastonbury. Stapleton won the 55 hurdles and long jump in Class LL. Terry Miller of Bloomfield won the 300 and 55 in Class S and should be tough in the Open (top seed in both events). At Class L, Cori Richardson of Windsor won the 55 and 300 and is the one of the favorites to beat in those events. Jada Boyd of Hillhouse should win the 600. She won the 600 and 300 at Class M. Lauren Moore of Danbury is the favorite in the 1600. She won it in Class LL and was third in 3200. Kathryn Rodrigues of Wollcott won the 1600 and 3200 at Class M and is a top challenger in those events. Mari Noble of Greenwich won the 3200 in LL and is the top seed at the State Open. Paige Martin of Bloomfield is the top seed in the pole vault. She won it at LL. Alliyah Boothe of Bloomfield is the top seed in the shot put. She almost threw for 44 feet in Class S. Susi Okoli of Wilbur Cross and Leah Moore of Hillhouse are among the top challengers in the shot put. Grace Hanratty of Old Saybrook is the only one to qualify for the 1000 under three minutes (2:58.03) and is the one to beat. Patricia Mroczkowski of Berlin and Allyson Lewis of Norwich Free Academy are the top two seeds in the high jump.