I have seen the future and the future is looking good. The Connecticut Middle School State
Championships were held on Saturday at Manchester High School and we got a peek
of the next generation of Connecticut track and field standouts.
Four meet records were set on this warm day. Both hurdle marks went down. In the girl's 55HH race, defending champion Sam Pomeroy of New Fairfield Middle School ran a 9.18 to take down Mia Christie's time of 9.22 set two year ago. Pomperoy also took 4th in the long jump with a 15'5 jump.
National AAU pentathlon champion, Gary Moore Jr. broke Trawson
Naives hurdle record of 8.45 by running
8.41.
He also came back at the end of the day and helped his Edgewood teammates Ralph Hawkins, Shahanie Jaynes and David Chambasis take gold in
the 4 x 400m with a time of 4:02.19
Another double winner was Danbury Flyers Alanna Smith who ran 12.55 to take the 100m and came back to win the 400m in 58.17. This is Smith's 3rd consecutive title in the 100m and 2nd title in the 400m.
Smith's teammates on the Flyers Briana Gilliard, Kimberly Williams, Sofia Whelchel and Giuliana Robles set the meet record in the 4 x 100m by running 52.02. Sage Park's team also broke Tolland's record of 53.89 by running 53.22.
The boys also broke the 4 x 100m when Portland's team of Simon Nihezagire, Jack DeToro, Brady Talerico and John-Paul Runte crossed the line in 47.61, breaking RHAM's record of 48.36 set in 2010.
In the distance events, 6th grader Leilani Gibson from New Haven took the 1600m in 5:25.60 and also won the 800m in 2:30.68.
A familiar last name for high school fans might be Tia Stapleton, who's
old sister Tess was the State Open champion in the 55HH this indoor
season. The Ludlowe freshman is also currently
leading the state in the long jump with an 18'8.5. Well the apple doesn't fall far from that
branch of the apple tree because her younger sister Tia, who competes for Roger
Ludlowe Middle School won the long jump with a leap of 16'0. 
She also took fourth in the high jump clearing
4'6.
In the battle for the team title, James Moran Middle School of Wallingford brought home the title outscoring Two Rivers Middle School of East Hartford 49- 43. Moran didn't have a single champion, but they did it in a truly team fashion, raking up a number of seconds, thirds and fourths.
Runner up finishes for Moran included Shane Gilhuly running 8.91 in the 55HH, the 4 x 800m crossing theline in 10:46.80 and Eamon Burke finishing the 1600m in an outstanding time of 5:03.44.
New Fairfield Middle School girls' team clinched their first title when Riley Gibbons won the high jump
This gave them 61 points to Moran's 47 and Fairfield County rival Roger Ludlowe's 46.6.
MALE TEAM SCORES
1 JAMES H. MORAN 49.000
2 TWO RIVERS MIDDLE 43.000
3 PORTLAND 37.000
4 SAGE PARK 36.000
4 GRISWOLD 36.000
FEMALE TEAM SCORES
1 NEW FAIRFIELD 61
2 JAMES H. MORAN 47
3 ROGER LUDLOWE 46.6
4 DANBURY FLYERS 40.5