By Senior Correspondent Marty Ogden, Editing and Graphics by Ron Knapp
This may sound cliche but just getting to the State Open is a big deal. Besides the fact you have to be good enough to qualify for one of the four CIAC Class Championships, you have to compete well enough on the day to either win or possess one of the next 14 best performances. Many outstanding athletes missed their opportunities due to illness, injury or a small mistake that caused them to be disqualified. But after months of races, jumps and throws, the best of the best will arrive at Floyd Little Athletic Center at noon on Saturday to prove for once and for all who are the best individual, relays and teams in CT for the 2025 indoor track season. Let the games begin.
Top two teams in 2024: Glastonbury, EO Smith
Returning Defending Champions and Performance from last year:
55m – Samiya Eady, Manchester, 7.20
300m – Lauren Kropo, Naugatuck, 40.95
1000m – Brooke Strauss, Glastonbury, 2:56.68
Long Jump – Saphyr Brown, Bloomfield, 19-1.25
Teams in the Hunt
Not everyone starts off equally at the State Open. Teams that are able to advance their best athletes though the class meets are at a huge advantage. Also, teams that rely on only one or two stars aren’t guaranteed to do well because the turn around from event to event is much shorter with only 18 competitors. Instead of a dozen heats of the 55m and 300m there are only three which always make it tough for athletes to double or triple. Two teams have the stars and the depth that should make this meet a real battle. Bloomfield brings their incredibly deep sprint core and Glastonbury has their State Open champion cross team led by All American Brooke Strauss who will lead the charge. Other teams that should finish high in the rankings include Naugatuck, Lyme Old Lyme, Joel Barlow and Conard.
Sprinters to Watch
Lauren Kropo had one of the greatest Class meet performances ever for a sprinter in CT. The Naugatuck junior not only swept the 55m, 300m and 600m, she broke three meet records and cracked CT’s all time top performance list in all three events. She is seeded four seconds ahead of her next competitor (Sarah Roberts of Mercy) in the 600m and in the 300m, the next three fastest girls this season did not qualify for the Open due to Dqs at the Class meets. The next best seed is Zoe Eastman-Grossel of Lyme Old Lyme who is about a second and a half back which is a tremendous distance in the 300m. Kropo’s biggest challenge will…
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