By Senior Correspondent Marty Ogden, Editing and Graphics by Ron Knapp
MySportsResults provides a glimpse of the top returnees in our preview as the outdoor track and field season has gotten underway for the 2023 season. Check out who some of the top boys who will be sure to grab your attention on the track in this first of several previews. Historically, indoor track was just supposed to be something for distance runners to do between cross country and indoor, but in the past few decades, the sport has grown into much greater importance, especially in the northeast. Ridgefield’s Steven Hergenrother has kept his racing schedule old school, running only a few very high level races, including legs of the State Open champion sprint medley relay and runner-up 4x800m. He arrives with credentials that should make him a threat to win just about any race he enters in Connecticut and could rank high up in the national standings. Besides being the top returning 1600m runner with a best of 4:09.49 from his third place finish at New Englands last year, he won the State Open in cross country and put up a sub 4:10 mile and an 8:26 3k in open races at Boston University this winter. He also ran 1:54.25, the 8th fastest 800m time in CT history, to win Eastern States to show off his range.
Hall’s Gabriel Sisk was State Open runner-up last year in the 800m, was part of the Open and New England 4x800m champions and also anchored his team to third place in the sprint medley relay to earn All-American status at New Balance Nationals Outdoor. This winter he dropped down in distance and was State Open and New England runner-up in the 600m.
As the competition got better Tyler Bartlett of Fairfield Ludlowe improved with it. He was 5th in the Class LL, State Open and New England championships with a best of 1:54.79. This winter, the senior, who will attend Villanova University next year, was Class LL champion in the 1000m and SMR and followed that with a State Open runner-up in the 1000m.
Across the town, Fairfield Warde’s Parker Brokerick had a breakout season this winter finishing undefeated in the 1600m on his way to his first State Open crown. He followed that up with a mile PR of 4:15.79 to finish 2nd at New Englands. That time puts him in elite company, moving ahead of Wilton’s Spencer Brown and Danbury’s Willie Ahearn on the CT all-time mile list.
Francis Porrini III of Bristol Central has been an iron man the past few years, running over 40 races last year and about two dozen this winter. The Ram still had the energy at the end of the season to run the 7th fastest 2k steeplechase time in state history, taking 5th at Nike Outdoor Nationals in a time of 6:03.42 and qualified for New England with a 4:17.64 1600m PR. His strong outdoor season was followed by Regional qualifying performances in cross country and indoor track.
Sometimes you can’t only look at last year’s results to determine who will be the contenders for this year’s titles. Soheib Dissa of Newtown wasn’t on many people’s radar last year but he did take third in the CIAC 3000m steeplechase. While a sub 4:30 1600m doesn’t attract much attention, it should when that person is only a freshman. This fall he made New Englands in cross country with a 17th place finish at the Open, but even that didn’t foretell the success he would enjoy during indoor track. As a sophomore, he won the State Open 1000m title and also broke the Southwest Conference 800m with his 1:56.56 at New Balance Nationals Indoors.
Ryan Gruczaka was a star for Stonington’s Class M championship team last year helping his team with the 4x800m and taking the runner-up spot in the 1600m and 3200m. At the Open he was able to take 8th, breaking 4:20 to take 8th. This fall he cracked into the top ten at the cross country Open and finished a strong third in the 1600m this winter at the Open. He’s run between 4:19:and 4:21 several times in the past couple of years so it seems to be only a matter of time before he breaks into the low teens for the four lap outdoor race.
With all the seniors last year Owen Martin stood out as the top freshman. Running for Pomperaug, he won the SWC, took 4th in Class L and just missed scoring at the Open in the 1600m distances. After transferring to Xavier he has found even greater success. Martin was Class L champion in cross country and was top ten in the Open. During the indoor track campaign, he not only ran a leg of the State Open and New England 4x800m team, he took 2nd in the 1600m at the Open. To top off his season, he helped his team to All-American honors in the 4xmile with a 4th place finish.
New Milford’s Collin Walsh showed flashes of brilliance last spring with a 15:39.40 for 5000m and the 11th best 3000m steeplechase in state history. During the fall cross country season, he took 5th at the Open and earned All-New England honors with an 18th place finish. This winter he became much more consistent and won the Class L and State Open 3200m titles and earned another All-New England honor with a 4th place finish in the 2-mile.
In one of the most exciting races of the indoor State Open, Ben Lorenz of Staples battled Walsh the entire 3200m distance and finished less than a step behind to take 2nd in 9:20.63. After taking 5th to earn All-New England in the 2-mile Lorenz came back the next week to surprise everyone and run a state leading time in the 2-mile with a 9:17.14.
Isaac Mahler of Hall was third in that exciting 3200m race but had many other noteworthy accomplishments. Last spring as a sophomore he ran 9:29.72 and made his way to New Engands. While that was an indication of future success, he very much lived up to that potential when he finished 3rd at the cross country State Open and 6th at New Englands, breaking 16-minutes in both races.
We can’t forget about Suffield’s Griffin Mandirola who has switched from baseball to outdoor track for the first time. Last winter as a sophomore, he made New Englands in the 1000m. While he didn’t run much faster than last year he still qualified for the regional meet for the second year in a row. But in cross country, he went under 15:50 at Wickham Park and took second at the State Open. That alone, shows he is a potential top finisher in any event he chooses to run this spring.
Also keep a close watch for performances by: Jack Mattingly – E.O. Smith, Brayden Bayek – Rocky Hill, Cian Gara Grady – Manchester, Colin Goldschmidt – Hall, Devon Rosemark – Danbury, Luke Davis – Simsbury, Daniel Coyne – Simsbury, Tristan Burke – Wilton, Michael Kraszewski – Hale Ray, Harrison Grenier – Hand, Ryan Pereira – Danbury
Sprints and Hurdles
While last year, the distance runners and throwers took the bulk of the headlines, sprinters and hurdlers have flashed their way into the record books this winter and looks like they will speed to some outstanding times this spring.
Based on last year’s results, there is no doubt Cheshire’s Colin Brown is the top returning sprinter. He was State Open and New England champion in the 100m and took third in New Englands in the 200m. The senior, who has committed to Sacred Heart University, was having a solid indoor season and ran 6.42, the 12th fastest 55m time in state history. But unfortunately, the senior who was All-New England the previous winter, did not run the State Open but he did return to break seven seconds in the 60m at New Balance Nationals Indoors.
Last spring was Noble Gorgon‘sfirst year running track. The Simsbury junior made an immediate impact, breaking 11 seconds for 100m, taking 2nd at the State Open, 4th at New Englands and running a leg of the State Open championship 4x100m relay. He used the experience from his first season of track and really took off this past winter, finishing undefeated in finals up to New Englands with a season best of 6.35 for 55m which made him the 6th fastest short sprinter in CT history. He will attend UConn next year.
Rivalries are what make sports so exciting. Greenwich’s Gianluca Bianchi and Sam Sandler of Hall have been battling it out for the past two years and you never know what will happen when they meet up. Last spring Sandler took second in the State Open and won New Englands with Bianchi taking third in both races. This winter both broke the Class LL meet record with Sandler again coming out on top but the Greenwich senior came away with the State Open and New England wins. Bianchi’s time of 34.29 was the 5th fastest time in CT history with Sandler less than two tenths behind finishing off his indoor career ranked 7th on this list. Both were members of outstanding 4x400m teams and should provide more chapters to this story before Bianchi heads to Princeton and Sandler joins the team at Southern Connecticut next year.
Josh Mooney is a man who can do it all. Last year, the Stonington junior won the CIAC decathlon title but before that he was the State Open champion in the 110m hurdles and 3rd at the Open in the javelin. This past winter he remained undefeated in the 55m hurdles and tied the Connecticut state record in the event with his time of 7.26, which at the time was the leading time in the nation. He stepped up at New Balance Nationals and took 3rd in the finals to earn All-American honors, breaking the state record in the process with his time of 7.80. He will be attending UConn next year.
For two years in a row, Jonathan York of Hall surprised everyone by winning a State Open title from the second heat. Last year as a sophomore, he won the 300m and this winter he did the same but this time in the 600m. In short, never count him out. Last spring he was All-State and All-New England in the 400m and was part of several very successful relays including All-American honors in the 4x400m and SMR.
Last year Michael Johnson won the indoor 55m hurdles and the 110m hurdle State Open titles and then finished 2nd to Mooney at New Englands. The Lewis Mills junior also took 2nd in both meets in the 300m hurdles and in the CIAC decathlon. This winter he lowered his time in the 55m hurdle to 7.39, the third fastest in state history and earned All-American status with his 3rd place finish at NBNI.
One reason the sprints were so exciting this winter was due to the depth in the various events. Enfield’s Mason Pilkington was Class L champion in the 55m, running 6.42 which tied him with Colin Brown as the 12th fastest time in state history. Pilkington continued his season taking 2nd at the Open and 6th at New Englands.
Xavier was Class L champions and 3rd in the State Open this winter and while the Falcons are known for their distance runners, Stylz Mitchell certainly contributed a big chunk of their points. The junior took 4th in the 55m and 300m in the State Open and became the first X-man to break 35 seconds in the longer race. He also made finals in the 55m at New Englands to take 7th. He finished his season with a second place in the Rising Star section at NBNI in the 60m.
In the winter of 2022, Derby’s Bryan McLean was Class S champ and State Open runner-up. Moving onto the spring, he broke 11 seconds to take 2nd in Class S. This past winter he took the Class S 55m title before false starting in the State Open. He also took 3rd in the Eastern States 55m dash.
Noah Colangelo was a defensive back on Killingly’s Class MM runner-up football team. His speed was on display when he took 3rd in the State Open in the 300m and 7th at New Englands with a PR of 35.15. He should move up quite a bit from his 18th place finish in the 100m at the State Open last year.
Also keep a close watch for performances by: Arlon Poteat – Manchester, Brian Dessalines – Crosby, Maximillian Musial – Amity, Blake Battaglia – Wilbur Cross, Daniel Anderson – Naugatuck, Sam Forte – Xavier, Joe Nham – Hall, Amir Phelmetto – Hillhouse, Harrison Goldenberg – Greenwich, Fareed Abu Rabia – Hall, Achillius White – Windsor.
Stay tuned for upcoming previews of boys in the field as well as girls on the track and in the field.
Anyone can submit their meet photos or videos by clicking pic below or emailing to mysportsresults@gmail.com
View the Connecticut State Outdoor Track & Field Records
soundRUNNER Spring Spike Month/Nights
It’s time for Spike Month at all four SoundRunner stores. Athletes and coaches will get 20% off spikes and 15% off everything in the store (unless it is already discounted) beginning March 20 through April 21.
Coaches, if you want to arrange for a Spike Night or Morning then please contact a Store Manager at your local store listed below. If your athletes cannot attend a spike night then they can come into one of four stores during those dates and get the discount as well.
Branford – dean.tresca@soundrunner.com
Fairfield – eileen.gould@soundrunner.com
Glastonbury – darren.elledge@soundrunner.com
Old Saybrook – nick.cunningham@soundrunner.com
