The 2018 indoor season is starting to heat up and many of
the top Connecticut athletes will be competing at the SCC Coaches Invite this
Saturday. Several events have nationally
ranked athletes and returning All Staters who might contend for a class
championship or even a State Open championship this winters.
Here are some of the top competitors on the girls side entered in the meet:
Girls 55m
Senior Aisa Gay of Hamden was 2nd at the State Open last winter in the 300m and currently has the #2 55m time in CT. Gay was also State Open champion in the 400m and 200m last spring.
Junior Maya Mocarski of Frairfield Ludlowe has made big improvements since last spring where she didn't score in the Open. Right now, she has the 2nd fastest time in the 55m for the entire state.
Finally, North Haven's Erica Marriott is the top returner in the 55m from the State Open and recently won the Elm City Relays last weekend.
Girls 600m
There is a lot of potential for a fast race in the girls 600m, but it will be anybody's race. Erin McGill was part of Glastonbury's outstanding 4 x 800 that were New Champions and she has the 6th fastest time in the state so far for 600m.
Defending State Open champion in the 600m Leah Sarkisian Danbury is in the race, but is working her way into shape after playing soccer in the fall. She is always a factor.
Add in Montville's Mady Whittaker, who was 5th in the Spring State Open in the 800m and you could have a few girls under 1:40.
1600m
The eight lap race features the defending Open champion
for 3200m, Morgan McCormick of
Wilton who is
a two time State Open champion in cross country and a Footlocker
finalists.
Danbury's Lauren Moore has consistently improved since she picked up running three years ago and has recently run the 24th best time nationally over 1500m and won the North Shore Invite at the Armory.
Sophomore Elizabeth Stockman of Rocky Hill has quietly been making a name for herself this year. The Sophomore was 10th in the State Open this fall and won the Elm City Invite last week with a nice kick.
3200m
If Moore decides to double she will content with sophomore Kylie Raymond of Somers who was Class S champ last year an winner of the HK Invite this winter. Moore is the state leader in the 3k with a 10:35 and Raymond is #3 in CT over 3200m with a 11:26.
Long Jump
In the field events, Carly Carpino has had two victories over 17 feet and is the state leader with a 17'7.
Freshman Tess Stapleton
of Fairfield Ludlowe is the next seed.
She already brings an extensive list of accomplishments in the long jump,
winning the National 13-14 age group at the USA Hershey National Youth Indoor
track and field championships. Stapleton
has a lifetime best of 17'11.25 from last summer's USATF Junior Olympic
championships.
Pole Vault
Last year at this time Megan Biscoglio of Southington was happy to break 10 feet. Well a year later, thanks to her dedication to the event, the UConn bound senior has cleared 12'1 and is ranked 21st in the
US. Biscoglio will look to break Emily Savage's meet record of 11'7.
Branford senior Bridget Wirtz was 5th at the Open last winter with a jump of 11 ft, one place in front of Biscoglio. Anything can happen once the bar starts to go up.
Shot Put
The shot put is an event that usually takes years to master and many athletes can make dramatic improvement over a year. Last year in early January Suzie Okoli of Wilbur Cross had a PR of just over 30 feet. Now a year later the junior has thrown 38-03.50 which is the 2nd best throw in the state.
Celyna Custodio of Danbury picked up the shot for the first time last winter and didn't qualify for the Open in her initial year. Now the senior has a PR of 36-05.50 which is ranked 4th in state and will look to take home some post season medals.