Wlasuk Wins New England Titles; Five Other Hawks Compete Among Top Track Athletes

By Anna Hodge

After claiming conference, Class LL, and State Open championships, John Wlasuk wasn’t finished winning championships and has now proved he’s the best in New England.

The Newtown High School outdoor track and field throwing standout earned titles in shot put and discus throws at the New England Interscholastic track and field championships, held June 11 in Burlington, Vermont.

Wlasuk had a toss of 179-10 in the discus, and a 57-11 performance in the shot put event.

“It’s a good feeling to win, and it’s even better when you can win two events at such a big meet,” said Wlasuk, who also claimed the indoor New England shot put title this winter.

“When I started throwing in eighth grade I never thought about winning states, let alone winning three New England championships this season. At the beginning of this outdoor season, I set out to win a quadruple double, shot put and discus at SWCs, LLs, Opens and New Englands.”

Wlasuk says that he could not be much happier with his performance this season. He adds that there was a heavy downpour of rain during the shot put competition, and, although he wanted to break 60 feet, he was pleased to win the event.

“Hopefully I can [break 60 feet] at Nationals this weekend,” said Wlasuk, who will compete at the 2011 USA Track and Field Championships held June 23-26 at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.

 “By the time discus started it had stopped raining and I was able to set a new [personal record] and win with 179-10.”

Five other Newtown athletes made their presence known at the event as well. Sophomore Jake Feinstein finished eighth in the 3200 meter run, with a time of 9:17.30. Feinstein was also a part of the 4x800 meter relay team, along with Pat Sullivan, Palmer Lintz, and Dieter Gutbrod. The relay took eighth in 7:57.91, meaning each athlete ran, on average, about a 1:59 half mile.

The championships are not the end of the road for the Newtown athletes. While the members of the relay team and Feinstein have another track and field season to look forward to, Wlasuk will be competing in track and field at the University of Connecticut next year.

“I am looking forward to the challenge of throwing the heavier implements,” said Wlasuk, going on to explain how the events change at the collegiate level. “In college, the shot put goes from 12 pounds to 16, the discus from 1.6 kilograms to 2 kilograms, and the javelin remains the same. I will also throw weight, which goes from 25 to 35 pounds. I am going to be the first thrower in UConn history to throw all four events.”