Windsor boys, Tolland girls win at Open

State Meet Highlights

 
The Connecticut (CIAC) State Championships follow the five class championships that take place 4-7 days prior. In CT, it's called "The Open" championship and it was contested on a Monday. But it's here where the best finally matchup against the best. Unfortunately, one of the state’s best of all-time, Alex Ostberg, missed the final weeks of his season with an injury.

Top Performances:

 
- Junior Danae Rivers of Wilbur Cross ran sub-2:10 in her class championship but won the Open with 2:14.94. Then she took on Hannah DeBalsi and edged her out for the second year in a row, 4:48.33 to 4:49.67. She also helped her team to second in the 4x400.

 
- Junior Hannah DeBalsi of Staples won the 3,200 comfortably in 10:28.76 and also was second to Danae Rivers in the 1,600. (More on that below).

- Mark Doyley, a sophomore from Weaver, won the boys 100 (10.82) and the 200 (22.15).

- Courtney Rush from Windsor outdueled Simeon Okoro from Weston in the boys 400, 48.52 to 48.77.Rush led Windsor to the 4x100 relay title; Okoro anchored Weston’s win in the 4x400.

- Jaliyah White of Hillhouse broke the meet record in the 300 hurdles with 43.18. A year earlier she had tied the record.

- Randall Neish of Glastonbury won the boys 1,600 meters in 4:16.86, holding off 800-meter champ Spencer Brown (4:17.25).

- Gabriella Curtis of Wilbur Cross, a junior, won the 100 hurdles in 14.78 and placed second in the 300 hurdles (43.95).

- Elizabeth Knoll of Staples won the girls high jump with 5-7 and took three attempts at the meet record height of 5-9.25.

- Damon Vega from Windham Tech swept the boys hurdles, running 14.44 and 39.03 seconds, respectively.

- Sophomore Cassidy Palmer of Stafford won the girls 100 meters for the second straight year with 12.28 into a -3.9 headwind. She was also fifth in the 200.

- The Windsor boys ran a strong time of 41.78 to win the 4x100 relay.

- Dan Hardiman from Farmington threw the discus 176 feet for the win.

- Anthony Bravo from Staples won the high jump (6-6) and the long jump (23-9).

- Chris Rough from Westhill broke the Open record in the boys pole vault with a clearance at 16 feet.

Top Teams:

Tolland won the Open championship for girls, edging out Windsor 52-50. On the boys side, Windsor was an easy winner with 57.50 points.

Top Competition:

The girls 1,600 meters final is where Hannah DeBalsi and Danae Rivers lock up. DeBalsi is the dominant distance athlete in the state and Rivers is the dominant half-miler. And for the third time, DeBalsi placed second. In 2013, senior Claire Howlett won the race while DeBalsi was the runner-up in 4:54.55 and Rivers was fourth in 4:57.55. In 2014, DeBalsi said she considered diving to try and win but thought she might hit Rivers if she tried it. Rivers ran 4:47.45 for US#20 and DeBalsi ran 4:47.50. This time, there was slightly more separation. Rivers ran 4:48.33 to DeBalsi’s 4:49.67.

Record-breaker: The notable record out of this meet came from Jaliyah White in the 300 hurdles, who finally earned outright ownership of record with 43.18. Pole vaulter Chris Rough of Westhill also made waves with his 16-foot vault.