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Archangelo finishes fourth in CIAC heptathlon with school-record performance

Madeline Archangelo won two events at the NCCC championship meet in May — the 100 hurdles and the high jump.

As the sun was setting on a busy day, athletes, parents and fans were swarming around the results that were taped to the white concrete wall at New Britain’s Veterans Memorial Stadium.

Canton senior Madeline Archangelo had earned a pair of third place finishes at the CIAC’s Class S championship meet in the triple jump and the javelin. Still, she had tears in her eyes and it was not because it was just her final state championship meet with her Warrior teammates.

Archangelo also had the top qualifying time in the 100 meter hurdles but missed the start of the finals because she was competing in the javelin. An athlete has to ask for permission to leave an event or risk being disqualified.

She arrived at the track for the 100 hurdles finals just seconds before it began and had to watch with a heavy heart as the competitors sped away.

Archangelo got another chance to compete in the 100 hurdles earlier this week in the CIAC heptathlon at Manchester High. Her fourth place finish in the 100 hurdles helped her finish fourth in the heptathlon with a school record-total of 3,965 points.

It’s the best finish for a Canton athlete in the heptathlon. The previous best was a ninth place finish from Amber Harraden in 2017 with 3,571 points – a record that Archangelo shattered on Tuesday.

Archangelo had top 10 finishes in five of the seven events in the heptathlon, including a second place in the javelin with a school record throw of 106 feet and two inches. Along with her fourth place time in the 100 hurdles, Archangelo was fifth in the long jump, sixth in the high jump and ninth in the shot.

While it can’t make up for a lost opportunity at the Class S championships, it was a positive finish to an outstanding track and field career for Archangelo.

“It was an excellent end to a three-year career for one of our most accomplished female athletes,” Canton High coach Tim O’Donnell said. “She will be sorely missed.”

After the first day, Archangelo was sixth with strong performances in the 100 hurdles (16.25 seconds), high jump (4-10¼), shot put and 200 meters. Day two included two of her best events – the javelin and long jump.

On the second day, Archangelo had a career-best leap of 16 feet, five inches. Only teammate Chelsea Mitchell and her older sister Emily Mitchell have jumped farther in school history. And then, Archangelo had her school-record throw in the javelin that moved her into third place.

In the final event, the 800 meters, Archangelo ran the race in 2:42.38, four seconds faster than she ran it a year earlier. New Britain’s Raven Jarrett won the heptathlon with 4,117 points with Seymour’s Patrick Jurkowski finishing second (4,065) and St. Joseph-Trumbull’s Nia Christie taking third with 3,978 points.

It was Archangelo’s third heptathlon. She was 17th a year ago and 19th as a sophomore.

Sophomore teammate Emma Gallant had a top 10 finish in the 2,000 meter steeplechase, finishing seventh with a time of 8:14.14.

In the hammer, junior Adam Obrzut was 14th with a throw of 96 feet, nine inches. Canton had three girls in the hammer throw with senior Sarah Bowman finishing 12th with a throw of 95-10. Freshman Sadie Barker was 15th (84-10) with freshman Julie Lau 20th with a throw of 74-06.

Canton’s Peter Fuller competed in the decathlon and was eighth after day one with 2,940 points. His best performance was in the high jump where he was second among the athletes with a jump of 6-4. But he was unable to compete on day two and was disqualified.

Brandon LeClair and Michael Cavanaugh competed but because they were not among the top 35 after day one, they weren’t allowed to continue on day two and they finished with the points they earned on day one.

2019 CIAC Heptathlon
Maddie Archangelo, Canton:
4th overall 3,965 points
100 hurdles, 16.25 (4th); High jump, 4-10¼ (6); Shot, 26-11 (9); 200 meters, 27.83 (14); Long jump, 16-5 (5); Javelin, 106-02 (2); 800, 2:42.38 (11)

2019 CIAC Decathlon
Brandon LeClair, Canton: 2,315, 42nd
100, 11.83 (28); Long jump 16-8 (54), Shot: 30-10¼ (38); High jump, 5-2¼ (30); 400, 1:02.48 (61)
Michael Cavanaugh, 1,979, 52nd
100, 12.86 (53); Long jump. 17-5½ (41) ; Shot, 34-1¼ (20) ; High jump, no height; 400, 59.14 (52)
Peter Fuller, Canton: DNF, 2,940 points
100 meters, 11.68 (18); Long jump 18-4½(23); Shot, 34-11 (16); High jump, 6-4 (2); 400, 58.68 (45)

Gerry deSimas, Jr., is the editor and founder of The Collinsville Press. He is an award-winning writer and has been covering sports in Connecticut and New England for more than 40 years. He was inducted into the New England High School Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2018.

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