Danbury Dream Invite draws elite competition


By MARTY OGDEN

What started simply as an agreement between a few Connecticut coaches nine years ago to get their best athletes together to try to give them an opportunity to qualify for Nationals the Danbury Dream Invitational has turned into a meet with a national reputation that continues to set records each year.  Multiple state and school records have been set and among the competitors have been All Americans, national champions and even one future Olympian (Donn Cabral) and a future world record holder (Cas Loxsom in the 4x800 meter run).

What is unique about the Danbury Dream Invite is that there is only one heat per race with the top 8-12 athletes accepted. The events vary each year depending on interest of the athletes and coaches.  This year Danbury boys' coach and meet director Rob Murray has assembled top-notch fields in the boys 800m, mile, two miles and the 800m sprint medley relay.  This year girls' fields will include the 800m, distance medley relay, 800m SMR and 4 x 200m.  In the field events there will be a boys and girls hammer throw and girls triple jump.

Fans are encouraged to come down to the track to cheer the runners on and the entire event will conclude in about 90 minutes.  There is no admission fee.

Danbury Dream Invitational

Danbury High School, 43 Clapboard Ridge Rd. Danbury, CT

Schedule

7:00 pm-   Facility Opens

8:00 pm - Hammer (Boys followed by Girls) / Triple Jump (Girls)

8:00 pm - SMR-800m (Girls followed by boys)

8:10 pm - DMR (Girls)

8:30 pm - 800m (Girls)

8:40 pm - 3200m (Boys)

9:00 pm - 800m (Boys)

9:10 pm - 4x200 (Girls)         

9:20 pm - 1 Mile - Boys  


The following are the entrants as of Monday night for the Dream Invitational:

Event: 800m -- Boys Meet Record: Chris FitzSimons Hamden 1:49.8 2010 Name School Seed Notes Tyler Gleen Trumbull 1:52.22 JR, NE 600m champ indoor, FCIAC Outdoor, Loucks Games Champ Mike Delfay Brewster 1:54.26 SR, Ran 4:16 last year at Dream, 2:30 indoor for the 1000m Terrell Cunningham Danbury 1:55.12 JR, New England champ 4 x 800m indoor and out Jake Roberts Danbury 1:56.20 SR, New England champ 4 x 800m indoor and out Ian Bartlett Ludlowe 1:56.81 Kenny Day Ridgefield 1:58.81 Pedro Pereira Danbury 1:58.99 Malcolm Going Danbury 1:59.09 Dan Linehan Brien McMahon 1:59.33 Charles Kieffer Warde 1:59.57 Jason Flynn Darien 1:59.88 One Turn Stagger -- Event: 1 Mile -- Boys Meet Record: Spencer Brown Wilton 4:11.16 2014 Name School Seed Notes Randy Neish Glastonbury 4:12.06 SR, Defending CT Open champ, already ran 1:51 and 4:12 this season. Eric van der Els Brien McMahon 4:13.52 SR, National Indoor 5k champion, state record in the 3k, CT Open champ in 1k, 1600m and 3200m this indoor. Footlocker finalist Zakeer Ahmad Staples 4:15.05 FCIAC runner up behind van der Els, 4:15, 9:21 James Lewis Staples 4:17.85 FCIAC 800m champ, State Open runner up in 1k Armstrong Noonan Darien 4:18.01 All American in 2 miles 9:05, NE runner up in 3200m Gabe Altopp Ridgefield 4:18.49 Penn Relays Runner up, 8:21, Footlocker finalist Ben Foster Staples 4:19.65 Ajax Diamandis Brien McMahon 4:19.87 Mike Rautter New Fairfield 4:22.52 Ian Mickool Ridgefield 4:23.11 Jack Adamski Danbury 4:24.22 Tim Moore Danbury 4:24.77 Trevor Reed Danbury 4:24.89 Bradley Fox Danbury 4:24.98 George Crist Fairfield Prep 4:26.92 Event: 2 Mile -- Boys Meet Record: Donn Cabral Glastonbury 8:56.35 2008 Name School Seed Notes Kevin Hazelwood Brewster 9:18.95 NY Indoor runner up Dan Nichols Danbury 9:34.53 NY Relays champion Brad DeMassa Ridgefield 9:41.30 Gilmar Barrios Stamford 9:44.46 Event: 800m SMR -- Boys Name School Seed Notes Danbury A Danbury 1:35.12 Danbury B Danbury 1:36.67 Danbury C Danbury 1:40.22 Danbury D Danbury 1:41.55 Fairfield Prep Fairfield Prep 1:42.03 Two Turn Stagger Event: 800 -- Girls Meet Record: Leah Sarkisian Danbury 2:14.05 2014 Name School Seed Notes Leah Sarkisian Danbury 2:15.88 SO, Class LL Champion 600m and 800m Ridgefield Katherine Ridgefield 2:17.58 FCIAC Champ 4 x 800, runner up 800 Julia Hergenrother Ridgefield 2:17.74 FCIAC Champ 4 x 800m Mia Nahom New Milford 2:17.92 SWC 1600m & 3200m champ Gabriella Prizio Derby 2:18.60 NVL 1600m and 800m Anna Landler Ridgefield 2:19.90 Marissa Crowley Brewster 2:20.04 Camryn Podgorski Brewster 2:20.11 Ava Kelly Ridgefield 2:22.00 Kristen Golz Brewster 2:23.46 Brigit Tower New Milford 2:22.02 Olivia Turk Danbury Rabbit One Turn Stagger
			
Event: SMR 800m -- Girls 
Name	School	Seed	Notes
Ridgefield 	Ridgefield	1:51.50	
Danbury - A	Danbury	1:52.51	
Greenwich	Greenwich	1:54.00	
Danbury - B	Danbury	1:57.70	
Trumbull	Trumbull	1:58.22	
Two Turn Stagger			

Event: DMR -- Girls 
Name	School	Seed	Notes
Tolland	Tolland	12:08.00	CT State Open XC champ, All American in 2015 in DMR and 4 x mile
Coginchaug	Coginchaug	12:08.50	All American this indoor season
Greenwich	Greenwich	12:25.00	
Immaculate	Immaculate	12:30.00	
Carmel	Carmel	12:30.00	


Event: 4x200m -- Girls 
Name	School	Seed	Notes
Danbury 	Danbury	1:43.90	All New England
Ridgefield 	Ridgefield	1:46.50	
Greenwich	Greenwich	1:47.24	
Hamden	Hamden	1:47.66	
Two Turn Stagger			


Event: Triple Jump -- Girls 
Name	School	Seed	Notes
Rachel Fleischer	Derby	35-00.50	NVL Champion
Caylen Landrie	Danbury	34-10.00	FCIAC Champion
Ana Landler	Ridgefield 	33-07.00	
Ruby Mboya	Danbury	33-06.00	
Callie Doyle	Greenwich	32-10.00	
Kim Ramos	Danbury	32-10.00	
Tyra Hodge 	Danbury	32-05.00	
Emily Souza 	Danbury	32-02.00	
Four Jumps in the Triple Jump

Event: Hammer -- Girls 
Name	School	Seed	Notes
Erica Belvit 	Bloomfield	144-00	Top 20 in the nation
Brittany Jones 	Bloomfield	140-00	Top 30 in the nation
Amanda Howe	Derby	133-00	
Jes Litwa	Seymour	109-00	
Lauren Palmer	St. Paul	100-09	
Maya Habecker	Farmington	100-00	
Event: Hammer -- Boys
Meet Record:
Alec Faldermeyer 224'4	2009
Name	School	Seed	Notes
CJ Falcioni	Seymour	165-00	
Raheme Dawkins	Bloomfield	145-00	Top 60 nationally
Charlie Ritchel	Seymour	129-00	
Christian Sturm	St Paul	120-00	
Kelbin Rodrigues	Danbury	102-00	
Kyle Tuttle 	Danbury	101-00	
Jonah Hinh	Danbury	100-08	
Six throws in the hammer