By Senior Correspondent Marty Ogden, Editing and Graphics by Ron Knapp
The holiday break is often a tough time for coaches to manage their teams after only a few weeks of practice as athletes are often missing several days of training due to visiting family or just away on vacation. But many CT athletes are showing they are locked into the season, putting up impressive performances all over the region.
MSTCA Boston Holiday Challenge
@ the TRACK, Boston MA
The Track at New Balance opened in April of 2022 and has already hosted professional meets, the NCAA championships and New Balance Nationals Indoors. This past weekend, they hosted the MSTCA Boston Holiday Challenge which drew athletes from all over the country including many of Connecticut’s top athletes.
The star of the day had to be Soheib Dissa who defeated a strong field which included Cole Boone of Virginia who ran 2:23 for the 1000m two weeks ago. Newtown’s Dissa, running unattached, was content to sit in third through the half mile in 2:06.1. But with three laps to go he went to work, running 30 seconds laps and dropping a 28 second bomb on the last lap to cross the line in a time of 4:06.64 to not only take over the national lead but run the 2nd fastest time in state history. He ran six seconds faster than his best time last year and has a legitimate shot at Gavin Sherry’s state record of 4:02.69.
Photo courtesy of Lakhdar Dissa
Also running strong in the same race was a pair of runners from East Lyme’s State Open runner-up cross country team. Sam Leone finished 7th in 4:21.31 and Class MM cross country champion Sean McCauley was a place behind in 4:21.32
Multiple relay All Americans Owen Martin and Jack Ouellette of Xavier both went under the 2:30 mark in the 1000m. Martin took 2nd in 2:28.51 which is not only the 11th fastest time in state history, it also broke JT Burke’s school record. Long time fans of the sport might remember one of the great rivalries in the sport between Burke and Staple’s Tom Sheeran. Burke broke the state record in 1989 winning the Class L championship in 2:29.71. A week later Sheeran turned the tables and won 2:29.80. Ouellette just barely missed the Xavier school record, finishing 3rd in 2:29.98.
On the girls side the spotlight was on Bloomfield’s Vanessa Agyemang. Last week she mentioned she wanted to go over 19-ft in the long jump. On Saturday she popped off a 19-00.75 jump on her 5th attempt for the win. Agyemang also…
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