INDOOR TRACK AND FIELD STATE OPEN SCC athletes get their share

NEW HAVEN — It was a good day for the Southern Connecticut Conference at the CIAC State Open indoor track and field championships with four individual boys wins, a win by Hillhouse in the boys 4x400 relay (3 minutes, 27.47 seconds) and a win in the girls shot put.

Chris Pigatt of Hamden won the boys 55 meters (6.51), Travis Martin of Wilbur Cross won the 1600 (4:18.55), Deshaune Poole of Hillhouse won the 300 (35.11) and Robbie Cozean of Xavier won the 3200 (9:18.11) in one of the most exciting come-from-behind finishes of the day. Susie Okoli of Wilbur Cross won the girls shot put (41 feet).

Overall, Miller Anderson won the 1000 in 2:33.22 and Hall won the sprint medley relay in a meet record 3:34.06 to lead the Hall boys team to its first State Open title with 43 points. Hillhouse was second with 38 and Bloomfield was third with 36.5.

In the girls competition, Terry Miller won the 55 meters (6.95, meet record) and the 300 (40.13) to lead Bloomfield to the team title with 54 points. Glastonbury was second with 39 points and Danbury was third with 34.

Cozean trailed most of the 3200 race but made his initial move with about 800 meters to go.

“With four laps to go, if I wanted to win a championship for my team, I knew I had to go all in and make my first move,” Cozean said. “The last 50 meters I moved up and that got me in the race. The lean at the end got the win for me.

“It’s my first State Open win and that’s exciting. But the important thing for me was getting the points for the team.”

Martin had an impressive race in the 1600 battling Trey Cormier of Hall who is committed to Dartmouth. Martin, committed to Trinity College, took an early lead. But three laps in Cormier moved up to take the lead and set the pace. Heading into the last lap Martin re-took the lead and sprinted the last 200 meters to pull away for the win.

“I knew it was going to be a battle with Cormier,” Martin said. “I wanted to set the pace, but when he took the lead it actually was helpful. I just sat behind him and turned it on the last lap. A lot of hard work and long runs during practice paid off today.”

In addition to the win in the 300, Poole was second in the 55 hurdles (7.72).

“In the 300 I had to fight to get to first place and took the lead after the first lap,” Poole said. “I was able to hold on and win but I have a lot of work to do. I’m still not satisfied with my time and need to work harder to prepare for the New England meet.”

Malcolm Going of Danbury won the 600 (1:21.40) and went into the race with an aggressive game plan.

“I wanted to go out strong from the start of the race,” Going said. “I took the lead and held, but I could have gone faster. My goal is to defend my title at the New England meet.”

For Michael Browning of RHAM, after throwing 56-plus feet on his first throw and 57-plus feet on his second throw, the adrenalin was pumping on his third throw that went 59 feet, 4.5 inches to win the shot put.

And he is looking for more.

“I really had my adrenalin going on that last throw,” Browning said. “It’s great to win, but I really didn’t hit the mark (distance) I really wanted today. I’m really shooting for something big, something like 67 feet, something big.

“When I put it all together, when I put it all out there it’s going to be a lot bigger than just 60 feet and I know I can do it at New Englands (March 2 in Boston).”

In the girls competition, Okoli couldn’t have been happier with her win in the shot put.

“Last year, I was second here with a throw of 38 feet,” Okoli said. “I was more energized this year going into it. I felt a little nervous because it took my last throw to win it. This is my last year here and I wanted to get a State open win.

“I’m still in disbelief, but I always knew I could do it.”

Grace Hanratty of Old Saybrook won the 1000 in 2:58.14 with a strong surge in the middle of the race.

“I felt a little pressure going into the race, but at the 500-meter mark I decided to just take it out,” Hanratty said. “I have the speed and I felt comfortable making the move. I used my kick to pull away at the end.”

Mari Noble of Greenwich won the 3200 in 11:00.83 and Paige Martin of NFA won the pole vault in a meet record 12 feet, 0.50 inches. Tess Stapleton of Fairfield Ludlowe won the 55 hurdles (8.26).