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Canton runners win H-K Invitational for first time

CANTON, January 23 – The Canton High indoor track and field team continues to break down barriers. A year ago, the boys indoor track team won a NCCC championship in just its second varsity campaign.

On Saturday, the Warriors captured their first invitational event with an impressive victory in the Haddam-Killingworth Invitational at the New Haven Athletic Center at Hillhouse High in New Haven.

Canton beat some impressive programs including Tolland (3rd in Class M in 2010), Hartford-based Capital Prep, Berlin, Coginchaug and Northwest Catholic (4th in Class S in 2010). With two relay teams and Dylan Smith coming up with victories, Canton scored 41 points to outlast Old Saybrook with 35. Tolland was third with 33 points in the field of 40 teams.

The indoor track and field season consists primarily of developmental meets, although there are some established meets and the conference championship events. Canton will defend its NCCC championship on Monday, Feb. 7, at Hillhouse.

At the H-K Invitaitonal, Canton was dominant in the 1,600 meter sprint medley relay with Nick Chekas, Dave Solomon, David Kucia and Kyle Hall racing to an easy nine second victory with a time of 3:50.25, which qualified the team for the upcoming CIAC Class S championship meet on February 10.

The Warriors also won the 4×400 meter relay with Kevin Kurnat, Solomon, Jon Melite and Tyler Fitzgerald earning a three-second win as Canton turned in a state qualifying time of 3:43.65.

Dylan Smith won the shot put with a throw of 43 feet, five inches, winning by nearly two feet over his nearest competitor.

Kucia set a new school record in the 55 hurdles with his time of 8.19, good enough for third place in the event. He broke his own record set in last year’s NCCC championship meet of 8.48 seconds.

Kurnat also qualified for the Class S meet with a fourth place finish in the 1,600 meters in 4:41.78.

Chekas took sixth in the 1,000 meters with a time of 2:56.54 while Melite was eighth in the 600 meters in 1:32.32. Peter Leduc was 10th in the 3,200 meters in 10:21.32, earning a spot in the Class S  championships.

In the girls events, Lindsey Phelps was seventh in the 55 meters in 9.81.

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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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