Previewing the CIAC State Open Championship

Boys Field


Long Jump

Meet Record: 24-4.5     Last Year's Winner:  Dyshon Vaughn (Career) 23-9

Brien McMahon's Justin Forde is the long and tall of it in the horizontals as his 24-6.25 best at the FCIAC puts him at US #7 (forget about the MileSplit national rankings whose data seems to come from only from the West and South). States Indoor  and Class S winner Sean Bodie-Dixon is more than 2 feet back at 22-3. Also looking for top places over 22 feet are Derby's Javan Guevara-Cragwell, Enfield's Matthew Santy, and Granby's Andel Smith.

Triple Jump

Meet Record: 50-4.5     Last Year's Winner:  Justin Forde (Brien McMahon) 49.6.5

Reigning champ, Indoor Nationals champ, and US #2 Justin Forde won by more than 2 feet last year, and it could well happen again for the Class LL champ who comes in at 51-9.75. Class S winner Sean Dixon-Bodie of Bloomfield at a US #28 distance of 48-1.5 is the closest competition.

High Jump

Meet Record: 7-00.25     Last Year's Winner:  Chet Ellis (Staples) 6-6

Toss out the seed heights here, as the battle should pit reigning champ and Indoor States winner and Nationals 3rd place finisher Chet Ellis of Staples in yet another matchup with Brien McMahon's Middletown Invite winner Justin Forde, both of whom have gone 6-10. Enfield's Class LL winner Matthew Santy will be trying to jump into the top group after going 6-8, and Class S winner Sean Dixon-Bodie of Bloomfield should also be in the running.

Pole Vault

Meet Record: 16-0     Last Year's Winner:  Nathaniel Llanos (Danbury) 14-0

Coginchaug's Hayden Rovelli was the States Indoor champ after finishing 8th in last June's outdoor championship, and he will be the favorite after taking Class S at 14-6. Naugatuck's Zachary Koslosky is 2nd ranked after going 14-4 at Middletown, and Fairfield Ludlowe's Jackson Hemphill was 2nd there at 14-0. Aidan O'Connor of Lewis Mills will also be in the running after winning Class M at 14-3..

Shot Put

Meet Record: 61-1.5     Last Year's Winner:  Michael Browning (RHAM) 55-7.25

With reigning champ Michael Browning closing out his senior season in April, Bloomfield's Class champ Nicholas Campbell is the favorite at 56-2.5. Four other guys who have gone beyond 54 feet include Manchester's Nate Quaye, Bloomfield's Aaron Williams, Montville's Tyrone Mack, and Simsbury's Jonathan Prell.

Discus

Meet Record:  182-11     Last Year's Winner:  Bernardo Mbaya (Crosby) 157-10
Manchester's Nate Quaye was the Class LL champ at 156-7 and leads four other guys who have gone past the 150 mark, Bloomfield's Aaron Williams and Michael Campbell, Pomperaug's Nathan Holst-Grubbe, and Simsbury's Jonathan Prell.

Javelin

Meet Record:  204-5     Last Year's Winner:  Brian Jalowiec (Derby) 180-6
Sheehan's Jordan Davis is at US #7 at 208-1, and the Class M winner is well ahead of the nearest competition, which includes New Milford's Class L champ Andrew Grinnell and Coginchaug's Class S champ Joseph Venables.