Previewing the CIAC State Open Championship

Girls Sprints and Hurdles


100m

Meet Record: 11.72     Last Year's Winner:  Terry Miller (Bulkeley) 11.72

Five sprinters have gone 12.20 or better during the season, but none of them posted their best time at the recent States Class meets. Reigning champ Terry Miller (now of Bloomfield) posted an 11.88 PR back in mid April but will be the favorite again after going 11.93 for Class S. Right behind are Windsor's Cori Richardson at 12.00, Canton's Chelsea Mitchell at 12.02, Danbury freshman Alanna Smith at 12.17, and Newtown's Carly Swierbut at 12.20.

200m

Meet Record: 24.17     Last Year's Winner:  Terry Miller (Bulkeley) 24.47

Six runners have done 25.00 or better this year, though as with the 100m, the majority ran their best at a meet other than last weekend's States Class meet that the seed times are taken from. Again, reigning champ Terry Miller is the top seed and sports a 24.18 PR from an April race. Windsor's Cori Richardson may be Miller's chief competition with a 24.71 best, but East Hartford's Nichelle Smith and Canton's Chelsea Mitchell are right in there at 24.79. Danbury's Alanna Smith and North Haven's Erica Marriott are a little further back.

400m

Meet Record: 53.16    Last Year's Winner: Carly Swierbut (Newtown) 55.48

Last year's champ Newtown senior Carly Swierbut is going in the 100m and 200m instead this year,  and Danbury freshman Alanna Smith staked a big claim to the favorite's role after winning Class LL with a 55.56 time. The toughest competition for Smith will likely come from States Indoor 600m champ Jillian Mars of Bloomfield who has a season's best of 56.81. Two others in the hunt with times under 58.00 are Class M champ Kate Carleson of Plainfield and Class S runner-up Raquel Rosa of Holy Cross.

100m Hurdles

Meet Record: 14.16     Last Year's Winner:  Katherine Jacobs (Northwest Catholic) 14.50

Indoor hurdles champ Tess Stapleton of Fairfield Ludlowe is only the second seed at States because her best time of 14.66 in the Class LL meet came in the prelims, and her tops for the year of 14.62 came during a 2nd place at Loucks. Top seed Kayla Clark of St. Joseph had her season's best of 14.80 at the FCIAC championship. Stapleton and Clark will likely be well out in front, four others who have done 15.40 or better for a strong chance at a finals spot include Joel Barlow freshman Mariella Schweitzer, Seymour's Patricia Jurkowski, Wilton's Shelby Dejana, and Danbury's Jaylyn Carter.

300m Hurdles

Meet Record: 43.18     Last Year's Winner:  Emma Langis (Ridgefield) 44.38

Reigning champ Emma Langis will again be the favorite after posting a 44.12 to win the Class LL meet. The States Open championship could be a reprise of LL because the runner-up there is second seed Emily Alexandru of Trumbull who ran a 44.72. Class M champ Isabella Newbury of Plainfield and Mariella Schweitzer of Joel Barlow are running a little further back.