Hawks Continue Run Of Success At State Open

By Anna Hodge

A new group of Newtown High School indoor track and field athletes has proven that it has what it takes to compete at the regional and national level. Following their performances at the State Open at the Floyd Little Field House in New Haven this past Saturday, Jake Feinstein and Reagan Cerney are moving on to the next level of competition at the New England Indoor Track Championships in Boston on March 2.

On the girls’ side of the meet, Hillhouse took first overall with 74 points; Newtown was 12th, among 43 teams, with 12 points. Meanwhile, Staples earned first on the boys’ side with 47 points; Newtown placed 13th, among 52 teams, with 10 points.

Feinstein, a junior, broke his own school record in the 3200 meter event with a time of 9:28.53 and became Newtown’s first State Open champion in a distance event. Cerney, also a junior, took fourth overall in the 600 meter run, resetting her former school record with a time of 1:37.84. 

O’Connell, a senior, finished second in the pole vault with a vault of 11 feet. Because pole vault is not a featured event at the New England championships, Newtown’s Lauren O’Connell will compete at Eastern States Indoor Track championships on February 28. Feinstein, Cerney, and O’Connell all qualified for the National Youth Indoor Track and Field Championships, which will be held at Illinois State University March 10-11. 

“I am extremely excited to be competing against the best pole vaulters in the nation,” O’Connell said. “My goals for the next two meets are to improve my personal record and to improve my national ranking.”

O’Connell is ranked 104th among 5,281 vaulters. “I see that number and it makes me want to work harder so I can improve my ranking,” said O’Connell, adding that she hopes to end up among the top 75 vaulters.

In order to do this, O’Connell said, “I’m just going to do what I normally do which is give 100 percent at pole vault practices.”

Another NHS athlete who competed at State Open was sophomore Amy Anyoha, who took 11th in the shot put event with a throw of 33-9. On the track, junior Melissa Buccino finished 15th in the 55 meter hurdles, and senior Palmer Lintz took 13th in the 1000 meter run with a time of 2:41.64.