NEW BRITAIN – The possibility of winning, for the Xavier boys track team, started to become more than a thought with about four events to go in the Class L track championship at Willow Brook Park Thursday afternoon.
Xavier coach Chris Stonier knew the Falcons would do well in the 3,200 meters, the second to last event, and they did, finishing in three of the top four places. It would come down to the last event, the 4×400-meter relay.
Windsor had led most of the meet. Windsor had the top seeded relay team. Xavier had to finish fifth. If the Falcons could do that, they would win by a half point.
“We picked up a couple extra points in the discus, we went second and fourth, and the triple jump, all three of the boys were surprises and the math started to math out,” Stonier said. “We have a lot of respect for Windsor. I knew if they had perfect results in the 200 and the 4×400, they were going to end up with 124 ½ (points). Which they did. Even then, they didn’t give an inch.”
Windsor won the 4×400 in a meet record 3:19.78. Xavier finished fifth. Xavier scored 125 points, a half point more than Windsor to win its second straight Class L outdoor track title.
“It was our best performance of the year on our biggest day of the year,” Stonier said. “We knew we were the underdogs and we thought if we leave with second place today, that’s a victory against this tremendous Windsor team.”
The Windsor girls won their sixth straight Class L title, easing the pain a little for Windsor coach Kelvan Kearse.
“One (team) will get a big plaque and one will get a little plaque and hopefully the boys will get something to match it Monday (at the State Open),” Kearse said. “They are definitely going to be fired up.
“That’s what it is. Just wait for the Open. Tell everybody to be ready. Buckle up. We’re coming. For real.”
Xavier senior Hunter Feitel, who won the pole vault Thursday, was the lead leg of the 4×400 team.
“On paper, they had us in every spot,” Feitel said. “Our coach always says miracles happen. State meets have some crazy things happen sometimes. Some kids excel under this pressure. I think we’re one of those teams.
“It was incredible, just seeing everything come together. We were halfway through the meet, watching our triple jumper, he’s sneaking points in there, we were watching the discus – we’re like, ‘This is great.’”
Senior Samuel Forte was a double winner (110 hurdles and 300 hurdles) and was a member of the 4×400 relay. Jack Ouellette won the 3,200 and his teammates, John Larkin and Owen Martin, were second and fourth, the event that swung the meet in Xavier’s favor. Oliver Guzy won the long jump and Xavier won the 4×800.
Meanwhile, Windsor was breaking meet records – seniors Maxim Copeland (21.26) and Taeshawn Berry (21.38) both broke the Class L record in the 200 and did the same in the 400 with Copeland winning in 47.38 and Berry finishing second in 47.69. The 4×100 relay team broke the meet record, along with the 4×400 relay.
Windsor teammates Maxim Copeland (21.26) and Taeshawn Berry (21.38) go 1-2 in the Class L 200 meters and both break the meet record #cttrack pic.twitter.com/WDCMdLKuvN
— Lori Riley (@lrileysports) May 30, 2024
The Windsor girls were also breaking records en route to their win over runner-up Hall, 129-84. Senior Kareema McKenzie, who is going to run at Brown next year, broke her own state record in the 300 hurdles (42.64), won the 100 hurdles (14.43) and helped the 4×100 team to a meet record (47.42).
“It feels good,” she said. “We all worked really, really hard.”
Class L track: @WHSPrincipalCT Kareema McKenzie sets a meet record in the 300 hurdles (42.64) after winning the 100 hurdles title earlier in the afternoon #cttrack pic.twitter.com/FxneiT76pa
— Lori Riley (@lrileysports) May 30, 2024
She felt bad for the boys team. It would have been nice to go home with two titles.
“Half a point, just a half a point,” she said sadly. “They tried their best.”