Boys Sprints and Hurdles
100m
Meet Record: 10.55 Last Year's Winner: Leon Campbell (Hartford Public) 10.93 (10.87 pre)
Hamden's Christopher Pigatt has all the right credentials in this race. He's the States Indoor 55m champ, top returning runner from last year's race where he was 5th, and he's top ranked and seeded off of wins in the SCC and Class LL meets with a 10.79 best. With one of Pigatt's closest competitors focusing on other events, it's Class L champ and Middletown meet winner Nathan Burnett of Windsor who may stay up in the spoiler's role at 10.81. Three other guys who may toe the line in big ways are Class MM champ Neal Eley of Hillhouse at 10.91, FCIAC champ Ryan Raybuck of Greenwich also at 10.91, and Tariq Phillips of John F. Kennedy at 10.96.
200m
Meet Record: 20.86 Last Year's Winner: Leon Campbell (Hartford Public) 21.92
It's rare to see a freshman leading the parade at States, but Bloomfield's Malcolm Beckford is top seed after posting a 21.99 to win Class S. Hamden's Rodney Davis has the overall best time at 21.90 but did not compete in the Class meets, and his teammate the 100m favorite Chris Pigatt was the Class LL champ and has a 22.07 best. Sacred Heart's Edwin Phillips at 22.02 and Class L champ Tariq Phillips of John F. Kennedy at 22.08 should also be in the sprinting.
400m
Meet Record: 46.59 Last Year's Winner: Kyamli Hay (University) 48.67
Derby's Ja'kwan Hale was runner-up in the States Indoor 300m, but he has set himself up as the clear favorite after a 48.08 time in the Class S meet. Two other guys who've busted below 49.00 are Class LL winner William Remkiewicz of Glastonbury at 48.77 and Wilbur Cross's SCC winner Caleb Owen at 48.99. Three recent runners-up who should also be right in there are Notre Dame's Warren Murphy (49.05 at SCC), Bloomfield's Kymali Hale (49.09 in Class S), and Ridgefield's Simon Jupp (49.13 in Class LL).
110m Hurdles
Meet Record: 14.15 Last Year's Winner: Deshaune Poole (Hillhouse) 14.57
Two guys have been circling each other all year in the high hurdles, and States Indoor champ Edwin Williams of Sacred Heart comes in top seeded at 14.28 off of a Class S win. But Indoor States runner-up and SCC and Class MM winner Deshaune Poole of Hillhouse is top ranked at 14.26, setting up the ultimate showdown. Three others lurking a little ways behind under th 14.80 threshold are Amity's Richard Papa, Windham's Class M and Greater Hartford champ Enrique Lopez-Garcia, and Norwich Free Academy's Osarentin Osagie.
300m Hurdles
Meet Record: 37.63 Last Year's Winner: Aren Seeger (Naugatuck) 38.00
Hillhouse's Deshaune Poole is the top returner from both of last year's hurdle races, and he is a bit of a clear favorite in the 300m Hurdles after winning the Class MM title and posting a season's best at Middletown of 37.98, a mark that sets him up for a run at the States Open record. Windham's Enrique Lopez-Garcia.took the Class M race in 38.72 to position himself as the chief contender after a 12th last year, and New Britain's Class LL winner Chaz Williams and Norwich Free Academy's Osarentin Osagie should also be up for medals.