By Ron Knapp, MySportsResults Editor-Owner
More PHOTOS from John Nepolitan
Over the years the Millrose Games have always held a special place in my heart as fan and coach where magical moments were made by high school and professional athletes. As a spectator, the memory of watching the ‘Chairman of the Boards’ Eamonn Coghlan win the Wanamaker Mile at the Millrose Games in NYC’s Madison Square Garden in the 80’s is still vivid enough that I can recall being part of the roar of the crowd as he circled the small wooden track. As a coach, the recollection standing track side watching Conard’s Gavin Sherry finish second in 2020 and then return in 2022 to earn the win in the Boys HS Mile at The Armory will remain two of my most prized moments.
This year watching the 117th Millrose Games provided a different form of excitement although from the comfort of my home using The Armory’s live webcast as well the national coverage by NBC of events later in the afternoon. When the coverage had concluded I couldn’t recall a time when so many world, facility, national and personal records were bettered. There must have been something magical in the air at The Nike Track & Field Center at The Armory in NY to propel these athletes to their unbelievable performances.
For Connecticut athletes, the magic of the Millrose Games started in one of the earlier events as the Hall-West Hartford boys 4x800m team of Donovan Connole, Thijs Doot, Yohannes Dewander and Jonah Schulman took over the top spot this season with their season best of 8:02.95. They bettered their 3rd place Yale HS Classic time in early January by almost 5-seconds and served notice as a team to be reckoned with in the upcoming state meets.
Shortly after, there was no sleight of hand but rather a flurry of magical wings that lifted Torrington’s Michael Ahoua on his final attempt in the Boys Invitational Long Jump. He needed only two inches to take over the lead from Brian Harris of Stafford VA. Watching Ahoua’s last leap, I remained in awe as he hit the board and soared 24 feet and four and a half inches to take the lead. I held my breath while Harris took his last attempt and then exhaled as didn’t better his earlier attempt of 23-6.75. The final leap of 24-4.5 is only 1-inch short of the CT state record by Dyshon Vaughn of Career at the New Balance Nationals Indoor that earned him a first place in March of 2018.
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