MySportsResults.com – News – CIAC Class LL Outdoor TF Championships Preview

By Senior Correspondent Marty Ogden, Editing and Graphics by Ron Knapp

Meet Info:

Wednesday May 31, Field Events at 10:00 a.m., Running Events at 10:30 a.m.

Defending champions: Boys Hall, Girls Glastonbury

2022 Runners up: Boys: Greenwich, Girls: Danbury

Boys Teams to Watch: Hall, Hamden, Ridgefield, Greenwich, Danbury, Trumbull

Girls Teams to Watch: Fairfield Ludlowe, Glastonbury, Ridgefield, Greenwich, Newtown, Staples 

Boys Events to watch:

Ridgefield’s Steven Hergenrother and his coach Bryan Kovalsky will have to make a choice for Wednesday. The junior is the next in a long line of national class distance runners hailing from the Nutmeg State and he is entered in the 1600m, 800m, 3200m and 4x800m where he has the state’s best times in all four events. But CIAC rules state that he can only run in three events. Will he run three individual events just enough to win and let his teammates probably get points in the 4x800m without him or will he save himself for the post season national meets? We will have to wait Wednesday to find out.

The past several years, sparks flew any time Greenwich and Hall toed the start line against each other. Greenwich’s Gianluca Bianchi has already broken the all time FCIAC record in the 400m and is the 8th fastest in CT history in the event. He will find himself running against defending New England champion Sam Sandler of Hall who pushed him to the line all indoor season and his teammate Jonathan York, the State Open indoor 600m champion. All three are entered in the 400m and 200m events and will most likely run in the 4x400m against each other. CT track fans should anticipate something special in these three events. Whoever comes out on top just might help determine the team title. 

Many people didn’t see Hamden rising to the top this year. They were 11th at Class LL last year, but improved to take the runner-up spot behind Class L power Xavier at the SCC Outdoor Championships last week. They traditionally have good sprinters and come in as the top seed in the 4x100m. But it is off the track where the Green Dragons will sneak up on teams. They have Christopher Hergott, the defending Class LL champion long jumper who has been over 23-ft three times this year plus Naeem Mills and Luis Calderon II who should also add significant points in the event. Then you add in Calderon in the triple jump who has gone over 44-ft five times this year and you start adding up some significant points in events that the other…