Feinstein Beats Distance Rival, Boys Take 11th In State Meet

By Kelley Baylis

Jake Feinstein won the 3200 meter race at the Class LL state championship meet in Manchester on May 29, setting a Newtown High School record and recording a personal best time in the process, as the Newtown boys’ track and field team finished 11th overall. The boys brought in a total of 22 points. Staples finished in first place with 97.33 points, winning the meet by more than 30 points.

Feinstein won the two-mile event in a time of 9:13.25 and was less than three seconds off of the Class LL meet record. He beat Fairfield Prep’s Connor Rog (9:18.26), Class LL champion and second place State Open runner a year ago. Feinstein was narrowly beaten out for first by Rog in last year’s LL race. “He did so in spectacular fashion and out-kicked Rog on the entire last lap,” Newtown Coach Dan McIlrath said.

All of the boys who competed put in their best efforts, and had solid efforts, McIlrath noted.

“The meet went very well. There were some great performances all around and I was happy about how things turned out. Of course, you always hope for all athletes to advance to the next meet, but we can’t always get what we want,” said McIlrath, alluding to the State Open.

In the 400 meter dash, Peter Kerns placed sixth with a time of 50.59. In the 800 meter, Dieter Gutbrod finished eighth with a time of 1:59.64.

The 4x400 relay, run by Rob Russo, Gutbrod, John Hampford, and Kerns, placed tenth with a time of 3:34.28. The 4x800 relay, run by Pat Sullivan, Palmer Lintz, Gutbrod, and Feinstein, finished fourth in a time of 8:04.22.

Discus thrower Mac Morlock was sixth with a throw of 126-04, impressing everyone as a first-year track and field athlete.

McIlrath also pointed out that Gutbrod in the 800, Hampford in the 300 hurdles, and Jordan Hensel and Mitch Russo with personal bests in the 3200, all did well.