New Haven, CT - The CIAC's smallest Class the S always packs a big punch, and the impact is especially great since it includes last year's girls' Open champ and boys' 3rd place Open squad Bloomfield. The Warhawks were the dominators on both sides of last year's Class S meet with the girls besting Old Saybrook by 115-48 and the guys winning over OS by 97-58.25. Immaculate and Canton were 3rd and 4th for the girls, and Northwest Catholic and Windham were 3rd and 4th for the boys.
Bloomfield lost some key contributors from last year, including Open girls 600m champ Jillian Mars and boys Class S shot put winner Aaron Williams, but the Warhawks could still well surpass last year's margin of victory on both sides. The speed and power events of the 55m, 55 hurdles, long jump, and shot put for Class S are at least as powerful if not way better than any other Class on both the boys and girls sides.
Two of the girls champs from last year who come in top rated and looking to repeat wins both here and at the Open are Grace Hanratty of Old Saybrook in the 1000m and Chelsea Mitchell of Canton in the long jump. Other returning top-rated S champs include Olivia Lombardi of Oxford in the high jump, Cate Coppes of Old Saybrook in the pole vault, and Alliya Boothe of Bloomfield in the shot put. Bloomfield's 4x200m and 4x400m squads are also favored to repeat, as is Immaculate's 4x800m team. The situation in the sprints will be interesting as always as Cromwell's Andraya Yearwood and Canton's Chelsea Mitchell should battle in the 55m, with Mitchell also favored in the 300m. Last year's 55m-300m reigning champ Terry Miller of Bloomfield could also be a big factor again.
The only reigning champions that are favored again on the boys side are Bloomfield's 4x200m and 4x400m relay squads. Three juniors have crushed this year to really put their stamp on their events, as Bloomfield's Michael Campbell is throwing 11 1/2 feet further in the shot put at 58-6 than he did while taking 6th last year. Pushed by teammate Sean Dixon-Bodie, Bloomfield's Korey Steele at 23-0 in the long jump has upped his mark from last year by almost a 1 1/2 feet, and Haddam-Killingworth's Matt Jennings has pared more than 9 seconds off his last year's 3rd place time in the 1000m, and he is also the top seed in the 1600m. Sports Science's Keith Berrouet is favored in both the 55m and 300m after placing 2nd and 6th in the two events last year. Canton's Peter Fuller will be hoping to rebound from a dip in last year's meet and sky like he did later at New England and Nationals.