Connect with us

Avon

Avon runners race to personal bests, break school records

Avon’s Rachel Martin, shown earlier this season, had a top 10 finish at Friday’s Haddam-Killingworth Invitational in New Haven. (Photo courtesy Bill Brewster)

AVON – It was a busy two days for the Avon High indoor track and field program. The Falcons had athletes competing in multiple meets on multiple days this weekend as they continue to prepare for the upcoming Central Connecticut Conference championship meet.

Some participated in the NCCC Invitational at Hartford Public on Saturday while others were entered in the Haddam-Killingworth Invitational on Friday at the Floyd Little Athletic Center in New Haven.

At the Haddam-Killingworth Invitational, Avon had several top 10 performances. Senior Zach Bortoff had two top 10 finishes and set a pair of new school records.

Bortoff finished second in the 1,000 meters with a school record time of 2:45.98, about a second off the pace set by Suffield’s Nick Sinofsky in 2:44.84. The time did earn Bortoff an invitation to compete in the upcoming CIAC Class M championships.

Bortoff also set a new school record in the 600 meters, running a time of 1:30.13, good enough for a seventh place finish at the H-K Invitational.

Jon Hernandez finished 12th in the 1,600 meters with a personal-best time of 4:56.34 to qualify for the CCC championship meet. Zach Tilsch was ninth in the long jump with a leap of 18-10½ fee and 14th in the 55 meter dash with a time of 7.07 seconds. Both are good enough to qualify for the Class M championship meet on February 9.

For the girls, Christine Oberhausen led Avon at the Haddam-Killingworth Invitational with a pair of top five finishes. Oberhausen was fourth in the 600 meters with a season-best time of 1:45.0 and took fifth in the 300 meters with a time of another season-best time of 45.41 seconds.

Hayley Dougela broke the school record in the 55 meter hurdles with her time of 10.09 seconds. She finished 14th in the event.

Maddy Sides was ninth in the 600 meters with a Class M qualifying time of 1:48.58 while Christina Martin ran a personal-best time of 3:25.65 in the 1,000 meters, also qualifying for the Class M meet. Rachel Martin also finished ninth in the 1,600 meters with a time of 5:53.59.

The Avon girls finished 15th at the H-K Invitational while the boys were 19th.

At the NCCC Invitational in Hartford, Matt Nyklicek was third in the 1,600 meters with a time of 5:01.14, good enough to earn a CCC bid. Rachel Martin earned a personal best time of 3:20.35 in the 1,000 meters to qualify for the CCC and Class M championship meet. Riannon Richmond had a personal-best time of 3:32.72 in the 1,000 meters to earn a CCC championship invitation.

The Central Connecticut Conference championship meet will be Saturday, January 28 at the Floyd Little Athletic Center in New Haven.

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 30 years.

Click to comment

You must be logged in to post a comment Login

Leave a Reply

More in Avon