This time, it's a smooth journey for Stonington boys, who take second straight Class S title
Feb. 10—NEW HAVEN — The bus made it to the highway Thursday.
That was already an improvement over last week's Eastern Connecticut Conference meet, which took place on a frigid morning, below zero, and affected Stonington High School's method of transportation, what star runner Josh Mooney later termed "a situation."
This time, it was a smooth journey for the Bears, who won their second straight Class S boys' indoor track championship at the Floyd Little Athletic Center, topping runner-up Bloomfield 72-52.
The Bears got wins from seniors Ryan Gruczka in the 1,000 meters (2 minutes, 42.23 seconds), Sergio de Oliveira in the 3,200 (9:59.87) and Mooney in the 55 hurdles (7.46 seconds) and long jump (22 feet, 1.75 inches).
Stonington also got a win from the 4x800 relay team of Landon Pelletier, Oliver Cooke, Anders Dahl and Gruczka, which finished in 8:25.99.
"Last year, (coach Ben) Bowne was like, he was just so excited about it and it kind of seemed like a pretty far-fetched thing," said Gruczka, who signed to run at the Division I level next year at Northeastern. "It's kind of become an 'OK, we can do this' thing. It's not really out of our reach."
Gruczka also finished second in the 1,600 (4:24.76) and Mooney, who will compete at UConn, was second in the 55 dash (6.52) just moments after winning the hurdles. Bryan McLean of Derby won the dash in 6.51 seconds, leaning into the finish line ahead of Mooney.
Dahl was fourth in the 600 and led Stonington's 4x400 team to a fifth-place finish.
Other Class S titles belonged to Old Lyme's Dylan Sheehan in the boys' shot put (51-2) and Old Lyme's Chase Gilbert in the girls' 3,200 in 10:54.12. Gilbert, a freshman, also led the Wildcats' 4x800 relay team to a victory in 9:49.96, joined by Maddy Morgado, Aggie Hunt and Olivia Powers, and to a second-place finish in the 4x400.
The Old Lyme girls finished second to Bloomfield, which ran away from the field with 114 points. The Wildcats edged Shoreline Conference rival Old Saybrook 46-42 for the runner-up spot.
At last Saturday's ECC Division II meet, Stonington arrived late for the 10 a.m. start when their bus initially started but could only creep along the back roads due to the weather.
The bus turned around and brought the athletes back to the school, where an impromptu car pool was put into motion to get the five-time defending team to the Coast Guard Academy for the meet.
Mooney won three ECC titles, taking the 55 dash, the 55 hurdles and the long jump, while Gruczka won the 1,600 in a meet record 4:23.96 and also took the 3,200, while Dahl won the pole vault and the 600.
Ledyard won the meet, however, amassing 143 points to Stonington's 102.
"It stung a little bit," Gruczka said of the loss. "I always believe in Bowne and what Bowne has in plan for the team and the way that we run our races."
Stonington won the 2022 Class S championship by holding off Bloomfield 56-53. The Bears also won the Class M boys' track title during the outdoor season.
On Thursday, the wins by de Oliveira in the 3,200 and Mooney in the long jump came late in the meet to put Stonington's point total out of reach.
"I told the kids, 'We come here, we do what we're capable of, it's our meet to lose. I believe in you guys. You guys have always stepped up on big occasions,'" Bowne said.
"Last year's team was a lot different. We had a ton of seniors. That group was so focused. It's a much smaller group this year I'm bringing here. I was probably more nervous this year than I was last year up until a week or two ago."
As for Old Lyme's Gilbert, the Shoreline Conference and Class S champion during cross country season, running her first season of indoor track took a little bit of adjustment.
"The air is stuffy. It's a small track with a lot of corners. It's been an interesting experience," Gilbert said. "But I like it. I love running. ... My first meet (of the season), I wasn't feeling too good, so I started off on a low note."
Gilbert ran her first event toward the start of the 4:30 p.m. meet Thursday, then finished up with the 3,200 triumph around 9 p.m., saying it was difficult for her to sit still for that long.
"I have a lot of the same teammates from cross country season but also a lot of new ones," Gilbert said. "My teammates and I ... they worked so hard. I love watching their races and cheering them on, even if they didn't get a PR, knowing they gave their best effort."
Other local boys' place-winners were St. Bernard's Kolby Quinn (3rd, long jump), Bacon Academy's Ryan Moores (3rd, 1,600), St. Bernard's Colin Britner (5th, 1,000), Montville's Dylan Horkey (6th, 1,000) and Bacon's Josh Fenton (6th, pole vault). Old Lyme's 4x800 team was third and Montville was third in the sprint medley relay.
Among the top local girls' place-winners were Old Lyme's Zoe Eastman-Grossel (2nd, 55 hurdles), Montville's Kamryn Plikus (2nd, pole vault), Old Lyme's Powers (3rd, 600), Lyman Memorial's Gabriela Dinisoe (3rd, pole vault), Old Lyme's Morgado (4th, 1,000), Bacon Academy's Avery Anderson (4th, 1,600), Lyman's Leah Comeroski (5th, 300), Stonington's Addison Labbe (5th, 3,200), Bacon's Megan Braga (5th, 55 hurdles), St. Bernard's Payton Lowe (6th, shot put), Montville's Maya Suarez (6th, 1,600) and Montville's Isabel Northrop (6th, 55 hurdles).
Lyman Memorial's girls' 4x200 team was third and Stonington's 4x800 team was fourth. Stonington finished fourth in the sprint medley relay and Lyman Memorial fifth.
