By Senior Correspondent Marty Ogden, Editing and Graphics by Ron Knapp
It all started a year ago when Katie McMorrow won the CIAC 2000m steeplechase. It was her first major championship and she used the confidence she gained from that win to propel her to win Class meet titles in cross country, indoor and outdoor track this year. The New Fairfield junior repeated as the CIAC 2000m steeplechase champion at Willowbrook Park in New Britain, winning in a PR of 7:07.02 which improves upon her seed time for the New Balance National championship which she will run on Saturday night. This moves her up #4 all time in CT history and makes her 37th nationally.
Trumbull’s Jane Hall is another steeplechase specialist. This is her fourth time she has competed this season and the 9th time she has raced this distance in her life. She closed out her high school career with a third straight PR of 7:18.70 which is a top 50 time nationally.
Hazel DeLucia was 3rd in the State Open 3200m this winter and just missed scoring at the Open with a 9th place performance thi spring in the same event. But in only her second attempt at the event, the Lyman Memorial junior strength showed through with a 3rd place finish in a time of 7:23.81 that lopped off almost 20 seconds from her 9th place finish last year.
After a 7th place finish last year, Guilford’s Olivia Jackson made one of her goals to come back and earn a medal at the CIAC steeplechase championship. As her 1600m time dropped down under 5:20 this season, that gave her the speed to take 4th in a PR time of 7:24.10.
Fresh off her first All New England finish, Hand’s Annecy Vlieks tried the steeplechase for the first time and had fun running 7:35.30, good for 5th place. Finally after finishing 15th last year, Trumbull sophomore Maura Kane earned the final medal of the day by taking 6th in 7:38.61
Heptathlon Day 1 (100mH, HJ, SP, 200m)
On day one of the heptathlon, Lakeview freshman Greysen Thomas jumped into the lead setting a PR of the 100m hurdles in the first event, running 16.67. She also leaped 5-0.25 in the high jump, sped 27.38 in the 200m and set another PR in the shot put at 23-11.5 to score 2324 points.
As the bronze medalist from last year, Bunnell’s Lincey Bazile is only 27 points behind Thomas and is within striking distance with the long jump, javelin and 800m taking place on day two. Isabel Northrop of Montville is currently in third with 2265 points and East Haven’s…
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