GHS Track & Field Excel at Conference Championships

For the third straight season, Glastonbury High School girls track and field won a Central Connecticut Conference (CCC) championship, bringing home the CCC West Division title after soundly defeating runner-up Southington (189-116) on May 23. 

The GHS boys also performed well, placing fourth overall at the multi-school event held at Willow Brook Park in New Britain.

“We’re very fortunate to have the depth that we had and the new athletes that joined the team,” stated GHS girls head coach Brian Collins. “It was a great accomplishment by the girls and it was great to see them focus on what the team needed each meet.”

Senior Kelley MacElhiney led the way for the girls in the conference triumph, winning conference titles in the 3200 meters (11:32.95) and teaming with Jackie Caron, Jackie Dudus, and Brooke Strauss to win the 4x800 (9:33.61) meter relay.

Senior Riley Carroll and first-year standout Audrey O’Hare also took home individual titles. Carroll won the 100 meter with a blistering time of 12.76 and O’Hare was victorious in the 400 meters with a time of 1:00.35. 

O’Hare is part of an “outstanding” freshman class that was forced to step up this season as Collins and his team navigated several obstacles this spring.

“We were hit hard with injuries to some of our top athletes,” stated Collins, “We were able to cover some events with some of our other athletes as it seemed that many stepped up every meet.”

Second place finishes at the conference championship included: Carroll (200 meters), Annika Paluska (800 meters), Lila Garbett (1600 meters), Alex Edwards (300 meter hurdles), and the 4x100 relay team of Carroll, Alyssa Healy, Alayna Taylor, and Jenna Fradin.

Healy also placed third in the 400 meters, heading a group of third place finishes that also featured Strauss (800 meters), Dudus (1600 meters), Abigail Mathew (3200 meters), Fradin (long jump), and the 4x400 relay of Carroll, Healy, Paluska, and O’Hare.

Dudus (3200 meters), Eloise Mulready (high jump), Anna Hilary (pole vault), and Fradin (triple jump) also placed fourth.
Rounding out the top-five finishes were Taylor in the 200 meters, Caron in the 800 meters, MacElhiney in the 1600 meters, Edwards in the 110 meter hurdles, and Celia Ryan in both the high jump and long jumps.

Collins said, despite the injury setbacks, the team has once again produced a “great season” and credited his entire roster for stepping up and filling the voids when needed. 

On the boys side, junior Tye Karpicky shined in the field by placing second in both the shot put and discus. Fellow junior Kiyah Atighechi placed right behind Karpicky in the discus, finishing third. 

Senior Dominic Pena was the runner-up in the 800 meters, crossing the finish line in 1:57.37, He also anchored the 4x400 relay team, joining Jackson Boyd, DeAndre Williams, and Jace Lewis as the team took fourth. 

The Guardians had several other fourth place showing as Crawford Cauthen (3200 meters), Nathaniel Lawrence (pole vault), Aiden Katzman (long jump), and Alex Bulger (triple jump) finished in the fourth spot.

​Fifth place showings included: Williams in the 400 meters, Sam Hageman in the 1600 meters, and Adam Pardo-Nasto in the javelin.