Richmond breaks record in 3,200 meters; Relay team runs best time since 1976

Avon’s 4×400 relay team (From left, Anish Rajamanickam, Tyler Hinrichs, Hari Patchigolla and Jack Martin) finished third in 3:30.10 — the best time by an Avon 4×400 relay team since 1976. (Photo courtesy AHS Track and Field)

MIDDLETOWN, May 4 – The Avon High track and field program was busy over the weekend with athletes competing at the Amity Midnight Invitational – a meet under the lights in Woodbridge – on Friday night and the Middletown Invitational on Saturday.

Rhiannon Richmond broke her own school record in the 3,200 meters on Saturday in Middletown, finishing third with a time of 11:08.32, beating Danbury’s Stephanie Quieroz by 0.52 of a second to finish third.

Avon’s Anish Rajamanickham also took third at the Middletown Invitational with a time of 50.50 in the 400 meters. Only Lyman Hall’s Michael Toppin (49.61) and Wilbur Cross’ Caleb Owen (49.68) were in front of Rajamanickham.

Avon’s 4×400 relay team (Tyler Hinrichs, Rajamanickham, Jack Martin, Hari Patchigolla) finished fifth with a time of 3:30.10, the fastest time by the Falcons in this event since 1976 and the No. 6 best time in school history. The top five times in team history were run during the 1976 and 1976 seasons.

Martin, a freshman, took fifth in the 800 meters with a time of 1:58.27, good enough to qualify to participate in the freshman 800 meter race at the upcoming New Balance Nationals on June 13-16 in Greensboro, North Carolina.

Hinrichs had a personal-best time of 42.79 in the 300 meter hurdles in Middletown and finished tenth.

It was cold and wet at Amity’s Midnight Spartan Invitational but Thomas Howard finished first in the 110 hurdles with a time of 14.94 while Jack O’Grady finished third in the high jump with a leap of 5-feet-6.

Avon’s 4×100 relay team (Thomas Ko, Thomas Howard, Rajamanickham, Grady) finished second with a time of 44.28 seconds.

Allison Janes was fifth in the shot put with a throw of 27-2 feet and fourth in the discus with a throw of 83-2 feet.

In the 5,000 meters, Sarah Lancaster had a personal-best time of 20:06, good enough for seventh place. Mark Nunziata had a top 15 finish in the 5,000 meters with his time of 16:25, the sixth best performance in the event in school history. Dan Carvalho (17:10) and Lucas Hester (17:20) each finished in the top 20.

Avon returns to action on Tuesday when they travel to Conard in West Hartford. Next Saturday, the Falcons will be competing in the 88th annual Greater Hartford Invitational in East Hartford.

NOTE: In their last two dual meets, the Avon boys lost to Hall, 98-51 and Simsbury, 86-64. The Avon girls also lost to Hall, 130-20 and to Simsbury, 104-46.