By Senior Correspondent Marty Ogden, Editing and Graphics by Ron Knapp
The Penn Relays is the granddaddy of all track meets and the O’Grady Relays have been a well established destination from CT teams since its beginnings in 1979. But one of the oldest of the state meets featuring relays for track and field is the Dave Tetlow Relay Invitational that started as the Ledyard Relays with meet records from 1975. The 3rd Ellington Invitational is a relatively new addition to the track schedule in the Nutmeg State. Both meets attracted mostly Class MM and small schools from east of the Connecticut River and there were several noteworthy performances.
Dave Tetlow Relays Invitational
Ledyard HS, Ledyard CT
The Dave Tetlow Relays Invitational had several of the top performances in the state on Saturday. This high school meet for medium and small schools was renamed after the legendary Ledyard coach and meet director who has contributed so much to Connecticut track.
Breaking 40-seconds in the 300m hurdles is often the sign of a potential State Open scorer, especially when it is done early in the season. Elliot Childs of Waterford was 20th at the State Open last year but this year he looks to be part of the conversation to make New Englands. He won in a meet record hand timed 39.0 seconds and Daniel Hand’s John Daniels and Theodore Burrell of St. Bernard battled to the end running 39.6 and 39.7. The three currently have the top three times in the state.
While all eyes this weekend were on the battle of the titans between Danbury and Windsor in the 4x100m at O’Gradys, Fitch put up a solid hand time of 43.0. The team of Porter Carter, Bernard Drayton, Adonis Fine and Calvin McCoy now own the 3rd fastest time in the state behind those two powerhouse programs.
When the official was announcing Thomas Matlock’s best shot put mark, there must have been a great deal of excitement mixed with a little disappointment. The East Lyme junior set his outdoor PR but just missed the 60-foot mark by a single inch. While still off his indoor PR of 63-0.25, he finally moves onto the CT outdoor all time performance list into the #12 spot with over a month left in the season to move up. Matlock is closing in on the meet record of 62-4 set by Fitch’s Bill Borden in 1977.
Another future star has arisen in the throws. Bacon Academy’s Ashleen Walsh swept the discus and javelin events. She was a USATF Junior Olympic All American in the javelin…
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