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Track and Field

Local athletes get back out on the track and pick up some victories

Avon High track

The new Avon High track and field facility is still awaiting its first competition.

WEST HARTFORD, July 1, 2020 – It’s been a long spring with the contagious COVID-19 coronavirus erasing the opportunities for many, many activities that we long have taken for granted.

Athletic competition has been hard to find but the rate of infection, hospitalizations and deaths has been on a downward trajectory in Connecticut due to the hard work and sacrifice of millions of state residents over the past four months.

So, the opportunities are slowly emerging. Last week, the state’s first socially distanced track and field meet was held at Hall High in West Hartford. Evening thunderstorms put a crimp in the Return to Track event hosted by 2-4-1 Sports and the Hartbeat Track Club but there was some competition on the track.

Avon High’s Jack Martin didn’t get a chance to compete against his peers this spring but had an impressive run in the 800 meters with a school-record time of 1:56.34, outlasting Danbury’s Gabriel Kwarteng by 0.29 of a second.

Canton High graduate Chelsea Mitchell, the State Open and New England champion in the 100 meters a year ago, won the women’s 100 meters in 12.21 seconds. She won the New England title with a time of 12.20 seconds last June.

Westport’s Tess Stapleton was second in 12.43 seconds with Norwalk’s Jade Ferdinand third in 13.30 seconds. Mitchell will be attending William and Mary in the fall.

Avon High graduate Anish Rajamanickham won the 400 meters with a time of 51.45 seconds with Ellington’s Nicholas Srvo finishing second (52.29) and Justin Tavares of New Hartford third in 52.79 seconds.

Avon’s Mason Bussiere was third in the one mile with a time of 5:09.60.

Rain limited to the initial meet to seven events – 100 meters, 400 meters, 800 meters, an elite 5,000 meter race won by two-time Olympian Donn Cabral, a two-mile race, one-mile race and the triple jump.

Another two meets are scheduled for Monday, July 13 and Monday, July 27 with competition in nine events (100, 200, 400, 800, 1,600, 3,200 meters, elite 5K, triple jump and long jump).

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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