By Michael Letendre

MERIDEN – The last thing you want to do is sleep on the girls track and field squad from Bristol Central this year.

And at the CCC South championships this past Tuesday from Platt High School in Meriden, the Rams made an incredible first place finish.

Both Central and Maloney won the meet, each scoring 124 points to snare a share of the CCC South title.

“These girls continue to amaze me,” said Central coach Kiara Bonilla via Twitter. “Coming in and competing with the top of the conference and coming in first as a team with a tie to Maloney! We were only supposed to score 75 [points] but came out with 124! That’s grit.”

On the flip side of the city, Bristol Eastern placed seventh with 54 points.

Central rules in the CCC South

The Rams had numerous top-eight finishers at the event as each first and second place winers earned CCC South All-Conference nods.

In the 100 meters, Central’s Gabriella Naranjo placed third in 13:29 seconds while teammate Rebecca Litwinczyk tallied sixth (13.54).

Litwinczyk added a third place finish in the 200 meters (27.28 seconds) while Naranjo (27.31) came in fourth.

Lynae Lewis was impressive in the 400, nabbing a time of 1:01.91, while Sophia Stark (third, 2:28.86) and Katie Tran (eighth, 2:38.80) were top placers in the 800 meters.

And Emily Blanchette was excellent in the both hurdle events.

In the 110 meter hurdles, Blanchette made a third place finish (18.29 seconds) and then in the 300 hurdles, she came in seventh place (53.45 seconds) while Bryanna Malcolm (eight, 54.27 seconds) was just a bit behind.

Central won the 4×400 meter relay challenge as Stark, Litwinczyk, Francesca Amara, and Lewis finished in 4:13.94.

In the 4×100 meter relay, Central’s combination of Blanchette, Naranjo, Amara, and Christina Browne took fourth place (52.40 seconds).

In the 4×800 meter relay, the foursome of Gabriela Drewniak, Johanie Juarez, Maura Waters, and Janelle Brand earned sixth place (12:32.31).

There was plenty of action in the field for the Rams as Kylee Barnes and Destinee Craft tallied All-Conference honors over a couple of the jumping events.

Barnes won the high jump with a leap of five feet even while Craft (four feet, eight inches) was the runner up.

And guess who won the long jump?

It was Barnes once again as she nabbed the league title with a leap of 16 feet, six-and-one-half inches.

Craft (15 feet, 11 inches) placed third in the long jump.

In the triple jump, Central had three of the top eight finishes.

Craft grabbed forth place (34 feet, 3.75 inches), Barnes finished in fifth (33 feet, four inches) while Browne was one spot behind (31 feet, 10 inches).

Kaiya Yuschak (sixth place, six feet, six inches) and Caitlynn Jiantonio (seventh, six feet) did well in the pole vault while in the shot put, Kaleah Richards made a throw of 27 feet, five inches for fourth place.

In the discus, Richards added a sixth place finish (71 feet, three inches) while Agenrick Coreano took seventh (68 feet, three inches).

And in the javelin, Agenrick Coreano nabbed sixth place with a make of 80 feet, three inches.

Bristol Eastern holds its own

The Lancers also had impressive finishes as well, starting with Mackenzie Fitzsimons – earning All-Conference honors in the javelin.

Her toss of 117 feet, nine inches won the event.

Also getting an All-Conference nod was Cecelia Gilbert in the 800 meters, earning second place with a personal record of 2:27.49.

Fiona Gallagher was tremendous as usual, nabbing fourth in the 800 meters (personal best 2:29.2) and fourth in the 3200 (12:19.95) which was also her top ever showing in the race.

Also for the Lancers, Isabell Fulton took fourth in the pole vault (eight feet), teammate Julia Armington earned fifth place in the 400 meters behind a personal best of 62.50 while Natalie Morris’s toss of 26 feet, 11 innings was good for fifth place in the shot put.

And the Lancers’ 4×800 relay team took fourth place as the combination of Cecelia Gilbert, Kaydence Meyer, Lauren Ayotte and Fiona Gallagher ran well in 10:21.78.

The Class championships take place on June 1 from Willow Brook Park in New Britain.

2022 CCC South Girls Outdoor Track & Field Championships

from Platt high school, Meriden

Team Results

Dual Champions: Bristol Central and Maloney (124 points)

The rest: Berlin (third place, 117 points), Lewis Mills (fourth, 101), Platt and Middletown (fifth, 65), Bristol Eastern (seventh, 54), Plainville (eighth, 43).

Bristol Central Results

100 meter dash: Gabriella Naranjo – 3rd Place (13:29 seconds), Rebecca Litwinczyk – 6th Place (13.54)

200 meter dash: Rebecca Litwinczyk – 3rd Place (27.28 seconds), Gabriella Naranjo 4th Place (27.31)

400 meters: Lynae Lewis – 3rd Place (1:01.91)

800 meters: Sophia Stark – 3rd Place (2:28.86), Katie Tran – 8th Place (2:38.80)

100 meter hurdles: Emily Blanchette – 3rd Place (18.29 seconds)

300 meter hurdles: Emily Blanchette – 7th place (53.45 seconds), Bryanna Malcolm – 8th Place (54.27 seconds)

4×100 meter relay: Emily Blanchette, Gabriella Naranjo, Francesca Amara, Christina Browne – 4th Place (52.40 seconds)

4×400 meter relay: Sophia Stark, Rebecca Litwinczyk, Francesca Amara, Lynae Lewis – 1st Place, All-Conference (4:13.94)

4×800 meter relay: Gabriela Drewniak, Johanie Juarez, Maura Waters, Janelle Brand – 6th Place (12:32.31)

High Jump: Kylee Barnes – 1st Place, All-Conference (five feet), Destinee Craft – 2nd Place, All-Conference (four feet, eight inches) 

Pole Vault: Kaiya Yuschak – 6th Place (six feet, six inches), Caitlynn Jiantonio – 7th Place (six feet)

Long Jump: Kylee Barnes – 1st Place, All-Conference (16 feet, six-and-one-half inches), Desitnee Craft – 3rd Place (15 feet, 11 inches)

Triple Jump: Destinee Craft – 4th Place (34 feet, 3.75 inches), Kylee Barnes – 5th Place (33 feet, four inches), Christina Browne – 6th Place (31 feet, 10 inches)

Shot Put: Kaleah Richards – 4th Place (27 feet, five inches)

Discus: Kaleah Richards – 6th Place (71 feet, three inches), Agenrick Coreano – 7th Place (68 feet, three inches)

Javelin: Agenrick Coreano – 6th Place (80 feet, three inches)

Bristol Eastern Results

Javelin: Mackenzie Fitzsimons (first place, 117 feet, 9 inches)

800 meters: Cecelia Gilbert: (second place, 2:27.49); Fiona Gallagher: (fourth place, 2:29.230

3200 meters: Fiona Gallagher (fourth place, 12:19.95)

Pole vault: Isabell Fulton (fourth place, 8 feet) 

400 meters: Julia Armington (fifth place, 62.50)

Shot put: Natalie Morris (fifth place, 26 feet, 11 inches)

4×800 Relay: Cecelia Gilbert, Kaydence Meyer, Lauren Ayotte & Fiona Gallagher (fourth place, 10:21.78).

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