Five members of Wilton Running Club — including three Wilton residents — are qualified to compete at the USA Track and Field national championships this week.
The five athletes — Alex Brichkowski, Shelby Dejana and Flynn Crowther of Wilton, along with Kyle Dobson of Norwalk and Ashley Nicoletti of Newtown — qualified for nationals with top-five finishes at the USATF Region 1 Championship held July 9-12 at Fitchburg State University in Fitchburg, Mass.
The USATF National Junior Olympics Track and Field Championships begin today and conclude next Sunday.
Brichkowski qualified for nationals in two events, as she finished second in both the 100-meter hurdles (in a time of 17.12) and 200-meter hurdles (31.60) in the girls 13-14 age division.
Brichkowski also had won both events at the Connecticut USATF championships in June.
“Alex has been developing over the past few years in the hurdles and this year was definitely the culmination of all the hard work she has put in to date,” said WRC Coach Kevin Foley.
“Each race she runs produces another PR (personal record) for her and she holds all our club hurdle records now.”
Crowther placed fifth in the 800 meters (with a time of 2:14:24) in the boys 13-14 age group to qualify for the nationals. He was only .16 of a second outside of third place.
“Flynn keeps getting better year by year and meet by meet and his potential is tremendous. He has been a leader the past two years in our middle distance group and someone that everyone looks up to,” said Foley.
Crowther has chosen not to compete in the national event this year in favor of training for his first high school cross country season.
Dejana finished third in the girls 11-12 high jump with a height of 4’4”. She also made the finals of the 100 meters in a time of 13.74 and competed the day before in the five-event pentathlon, where she placed fourth.
“Shelby had quite a weekend and showed her athleticism as she PR’d in both the 100 meters and high jump after completing her first ever multi-event on Friday. It takes a lot of heart to compete in seven events in two days and do them all well,” said Foley.
Dejana, in her first year with the WRC, placed first at the Connecticut USATF championships in June in the high jump (3’11”) and was second in both the 100 meters (13.88) and 200 meters (28.9).
Dobson took second at regionals in the boys 13-14 long jump with a leap of 17’11”.
“Kyle is a tremendous athlete and capable of much more. He was off the board on his longest jump and would have gone 18’6” had he stuck it,” Foley said.
This past spring, Dobson won the Western Connecticut Conference middle school championship with a leap of 18 feet, which was a league record. He also won the Connecticut USATF championship last month with a jump of 17’3”.
Nicoletti qualified for nationals in the girls 11-12 long jump with a jump of 13’7”, placing fourth in the event.
Nicoletti is no stranger to the national meet, having qualified in the 100 meters and 200 meters the past two years.
“This is Ashley’s first year long jumping and she has proven to be a very good jumper. I am not surprised because she has significant foot speed and power for an 11-year-old,” said Foley.
Nicoletti placed first in both the 100 (13.73) and 200 (28.55), and well as second in the long jump (13’5”), at the Connecticut USATF championships in June.
Five other WRC athletes competed at the Region 1 meet
Avery Martin finished 12th in the 800 meters in the girls 9-10 age division, with a time of 3:11.21.
James Wise, competing in the boys 9-10 age group, placed 16th in the 100 meters (16.58) and 13th in the long jump (8’8”).
John Wise, in the boys 13-14 age group, was 17th in the 100 meters (13.27) and 11th in the long jump (13’6”).
Lily Kealy finished 12th in the 200 meters in the girls 13-14 age group (29.17), and Tatum Kelly, also competing in the girls 13-14 division, was 14th in the 100 meters (13.58) and 11th in the 200 meters (28.86).
State championships
Wilton Running Club had 21 athletes compete at the 2015 USATF Connecticut Association Junior Olympic Track & Field Championships on June 27 in Litchfield.
WRC finished the day with 11 first-place finishes, nine seconds and five thirds.
In the girls 11-12 age group, Nicoletti was a double winner, with first-place finishes in the 100 meters (13.73) and 200 meters (28.55). She also was second in the long jump (13’ 2.75”).
Dejana placed first in the high jump (3’10”) and was second in the 100 (13.88) and 200 (28.9).
Leah Martins was third in the 400 meters (1:16.34), fourth in the long jump (10’ 10.5”) and seventh in the 200 meters (33.73).
Elena Tan finished second in the 800 meters with a time of 3:00.49.
In the girls 9-10 age group, Avery Martin was second in the 800 meters, in a time of 3:23.64.
In the girls 13-14 age group, Brichkowski took first in both the 100m hurdles (17.65) and 200m hurdles (31.68), and was third in the high jump (3’10”).
Tatum Kelly was also state champ in two events, taking first in both the 100 meters (13.54) and 200 meters (27.93).
Tess Pisanelli finished second in the 1500 meters with a time of 5:28.34.
Lily Kealy was fifth in the 200 meters (29.62) and ninth in the 100 meters (14.31), while Eleanor Emrie placed fifth in the long jump (11’ 3.5”), ninth in the 200 (30.75) and 11th in the 100 (15.11).
In the boys 9-10 age group, James Wise finished first in the long jump (10’ 11.25), fifth in the 200 (36.47) and sixth in the 100 (16.39).
In the boys 11-12 age group, Robert Brichkowski was first in the high jump (3’ 10”), third in the 100 (15.36) and fourth in the 200 (33.92), while Julian Pojano placed eighth in the 400 (1:31.8).
In the boys 13-14 age group, Kyle Dobson finished first in the long jump (17’ 2”), and was also second in the 100 (12.74).
Flynn Crowther was first in the 800 meters (2:24.2) and second in the 1500 (5:03.66), while Sean McHale was second in the 800 (2:36.42) and third in the 1500 (5:10.43).
Andrew Bucciero placed third in the 400 meters (1:08.98), seventh in the 200 meters (30.7) and 11th in the 100 meters (14.84).
John Wise finished fifth in both the 200 meters (28.07) and long jump (13’ 6”), and was seventh in the 100 (13.43).
Matthew Kelly was fifth in the 100 (13.37) and sixth in both the 200 (28.73) and long jump (12’ 7.75”).
Connor McCabe finished eighth in both the 200 (31.71) and long jump (11’ 6.25”), and placed ninth in the 100 (14.47).
William Maggio took eighth in the long jump (11’ 5.5”) and was 12th in the 100 meters (15.57).