Track Standouts Among Best In New England

By Kelley Baylis

Four athletes from Newtown High School’s boys’ and girls’ track and field teams participated in the New England Championships in Saco, Maine on June 9. Juniors Reagan Cerney and Jake Feinstein, and seniors Lauren O’Connell and Peter Kerns headed up north to represent Newtown at the prestigious postseason meet. The top performers from the State Open, who were chosen as the best competitors from the state’s class meets, go on to compete among the best in New England.

O’Connell pole vaulted 12 feet, three inches for a runner-up finish behind Jacilyn Briggs of Keene, NH, who pole vaulted 12-9. Kerns ran the 400 meter dash and finished eighth in a time of 50.21. Feinstein competed in the 3200 and placed seventh in a time of 9:35.19. Cerney was 20th in the 800 meter run in a time of 2:25.31.

The athletes’ coaches could not have been more proud of the performances.

“The overall goal for the kids is to make it to New Englands. It’s our last official meet in the postseason. The best of the best are there and everyone is expecting top marks and times. We expect nothing less than everything they have at the end of the season. The kids gave us that on both the girls and boys side,” said Dan McIlrath, coach of the boys’ squad.

“One of the great things about Newtown track and field is that we work together,” said Doug Russell, coach of the girls’ team. “Coach McIlrath and I have very similar philosophies about the program. You work hard and it pays off. You want to qualify for [South-West Conference, state class and State Open meets] and if you work hard enough you may be one that goes to New Englands. All four of the student athletes that went to New Englands this year did exactly that.”

Each of the athletes had outstanding races. “Reagan came over to cross country last fall from soccer and ran in the top seven and continued to work hard during indoor (track) season, where she also went to New Englands in the 600, and reached the ultimate goal of New Englands in the spring. As a coach you cannot ask for anymore out of one of your student athletes,” Russell said.

“Lauren O’Connell has done everything right. She went to camps, to clinics, and trained with other vaulters so that she could learn and develop into the vaulter that she is today. She is the epitome of an individual who does everything she should do to reach her goal. Lauren’s ultimate goal this year was to get over 12 feet during a competition and to do it at New Englands is exactly where you want to get it done. I am very proud of both of these girls and I am also very proud of our entire program,” Russell added.

The boys did not fail to impress at the meet as well.

“Jake Feinstein is always a contender and has done very well this season. Jake ran a solid race and earned a seventh-place finish,” said McIlrath, adding that Feinstein has high hopes for next year since he was able to run a 9:13 two mile at Class LLs this year.

McIlrath was more than impressed with Kerns’ race and his improvements since he has joined the team. “Peter Kerns was the highlight for the boys’ side. Peter converted from soccer to track and has only been competing for two years. It is quite a feat to be able to not only qualify for New Englands, but to be among the top athletes in New Englands in only two years. This speaks volumes on Peter’s dedication and pure athletic talent. He ran a personal best of 50.21 and earned himself an eighth-place finish. He will do great things when he leaves this program on and off the field,” McIlrath said.

“I thought I didn’t make it but then I realized I came in sixth and I went insane and jumped over the fence to find my parents and Mr. Russell,” Cerney recalled of her State Open performance.

“When I cleared my opening height for pole vault I knew that I qualified for New England’s. I try not to view any meet differently than another, because I don’t want to psych myself out. The only difference is that this meet has better competition, but having competitors makes the meet more exciting for me,” O’Connell said.

Feelings of doubt and excitement came over all of the athletes when they first got the news of qualifying.

“My first reaction was just stunned. I was in the stands with the rest of the team and I heard over the announcements ‘Peter Kerns from Newtown, sixth place.’ I was overwhelmed and could not believe that I had made it to the New England Championship. I was so excited I didn’t even put my shoes on and ran over to the award table in socks ... which in retrospect wasn’t a good idea,” Kerns said.

Feinstein was overjoyed when he knew that he had qualified. “I was expecting to qualify all season long so I didn’t exactly train any differently for New Englands. Being at this meet was an excellent feeling, a feeling that made me realize how all of the hard work paid off, and how I’m competing against the best athletes in all of New England,” Feinstein said.

Making it into meets with such high levels of competition is a nerve-wracking experience for any athlete. “This meet was by far the most intimidating because of the amount of people there, but at the same time it made you feel awesome to be a part of something so great,” Cerney said. “The only other time I went to New England’s was indoor season, but both meets had the same level of competition and intensity.”

“I was a little nervous as always before races, but I managed to stay relatively calm. I’ve been to New England’s since sophomore year and the atmosphere this year was much larger, and the weather was way hotter. New England’s doesn’t compare to other meets, it’s much better,” Feinstein said.

Even the seniors got nervous at the meet as well. “I am always nervous before every meet, but who isn’t ever nervous? This meet I decided to not worry about my competition, placement, or height, and to just relax, have fun, and enjoy myself. I feel like that really helped me with my performance, and I am going to try and bring that same attitude to Nationals,” O’Connell said.

The Newtown track competitors keep things the same from meet to meet, with particular superstitions, to help them perform at a high level. “I have lucky clothes, a specific hairstyle I always wear, and I have to eat a Luna lemon zest bar before each race I run,” Cerney said.

“I have many things that I bring and do before every meet. I always have my water with enhanced electrolytes and multiple power bars. I always wear the same clothes, and hair style. I always go through my specific warmup at each meet,” O’Connell added.

 “Before every race I take a few sips of water, three deep breaths, close my eyes and say a quick prayer, and then it’s time to race,” Kerns said.

O’Connell, Feinstein, and Kerns will be heading down to National championships in Greensboro, NC this week. Feinstein and Kerns will team with Palmer Lintz and Dieter Gutbrod in the distance medley relay event.