Connecticut Outdoors: April 13th- April 19th Top Performers and Breakthroughs
Connecticut's outdoor season continued to build momentum during the week of April 13 through April 19, with many of the top performances coming from meets like the Bacon Academy Invitational, the Choate Tri-Meet, and the East Hartford-Windsor-St. Peters Clash.
Sprints & Hurdles
Tucker Larson (Choate Rosemary Hall Prep) continued his strong junior campaign with a sweep at the Choate Tri-Meet, clocking PRs of 10.92 in the 100m and 21.90 in the 200m, while also adding a 21-9 win in the long jump. His marks in the 100 and 200 now place him among the top junior sprinters in Connecticut.
Davian Johnson (East Hartford) showed his versatility across multiple meets, winning the 110m hurdles in 13.97 and triple jump at 44-2 at East Hartford - Windsor - St. Peters. He also claimed the 200m at The Patriot Games in 22.17 and placed third in the 100m at 11.21.
On the girls side, Tomari Gillespie (Windsor) posted a PR of 43.79 in the 300m hurdles, improving on a mark that dated back to last championship season, while also taking the flat 100m title in 12.64 at the East Hartford - Windsor - St. Peters meet.
McKenzyi Bell (Trumbull) delivered the fastest 100m time of the week at 12.27 in a deep field at Trumbull at New Canaan, then backed it up with a 200m win in 26.08 to solidify her position among the top junior sprinters in the state.
Breakthrough efforts added even more depth to the sprint events. Teo Della Pietra (Greenwich Country Day School) made a major leap in the 100m, dropping from 12.25 to 11.41, a significant improvement that now places him among the top sophomores in Connecticut.
Noah Hufnagel (Ridgefield) also saw major drops, improving to 11.85 in the 100m and 23.90 in the 200m, cutting more than a second off his previous 200m best. On the girls side, Cindy Cobbinah (Hotchkiss School) lowered her 100m PR to 13.13, showing strong progression from last season.
One of the biggest breakout performances came from Abigail Pierre-louis (Bunnell), who surged to 25.84 in the 200m, a two-second improvement that now leads all Connecticut freshmen while ranking 9th among the top times statewide.
Jumps & Multi-Event Impact
Ethan Rowe (Bloomfield) put together one of the most complete performances of the week at Farmington at Bloomfield, clearing 7-0 in the high jump for a new PR while also adding big improvements in both horizontal jumps, including a nearly four-foot improvement in the triple jump to 44-3.
Christopher Pettaway (Windsor) delivered one of the top marks in the state with a 23-9 long jump, a nearly two-foot improvement that now leads all Connecticut juniors.
Jessie Singleton Jr (Bloomfield) added another elite mark in the triple jump at 46-4.25, edging out teammate Rowe in a strong head-to-head competition.
On the girls side, Mijonia Hart (Naugatuck) dominated the field events at Naugatuck vs Woodland @ Oxford, winning the long jump with a leap of 18-3 that now ranks her as the #2 junior in Connecticut. The versatile junior also took first in the 100 meters, clocking 12.88 to complete the double victory and establish herself as the #4 junior in the state in that event.
Breakthrough performances were especially impactful here. Nelson Rodriguez (Waterbury Career Academy) had one of the most dramatic improvements of the week, jumping 22-1 in the long jump after entering the season with a best of 19-5. The mark not only ranks among the top in Connecticut but also established a new school record. He added another major PR in the triple jump, reaching 41-7.5.
On the girls side, Abigail Pierre-louis (Bunnell) continued her breakout week with a long jump PR of 15-6, showing multi-event potential to go along with her sprint success.
Throws
Lilian Morgis (Woodstock Academy) delivered one of the top marks in the state this season, throwing 140-3 in the discus to win the Bacon Academy Invitational. The throw not only improved her PR by nearly 10 feet but also established her as the Connecticut leader.
Stella Goss (Hotchkiss School) showed impressive range with PRs in both the javelin (127-3) and shot put (33-1.5), sweeping both events at the Choate Tri-Meet.
Morgis' performance also stands out as a key breakthrough, as her jump from 130-4 to 140-3 represents a significant leap at an already high level, further separating her from the field and setting a new school record.
Distance
James McDonald (Bristol Central) dropped nearly nine seconds in the 800m, running 2:09.03 to move into the top 100 statewide.