Standout performances in several events, as well as numerous personal best times/distances, would propel the Joel Barlow High indoor track teams at the South-West Conference championships last week.
The Falcon girls would take eight medals in all on Saturday, Feb. 3, at the Floyd Little Athletic Center in New Haven. Totaling 59 points, they tied for third out of 14 teams, a marked improvement from a ninth-place finish a year ago.
Newtown was the winner with 95, recapturing the title it last won in 2022. New Fairfield was runner-up with 66.
The Falcons struck gold early with a victory in the 4×200 meter relay. Vika Abukhovich, Sedonia Holub, Olivia Taylor and Jenna Najjar combined to post a winning time of one minute, 48.5 seconds, more than two seconds ahead of runner-up Newtown.
Barlow took fifth in the 4×800. Stephanie Bardani, Eleanor Walker, Katie Kinyon and Clara Mehner posted an 11:14.12.
In the 1,000 meters, Alex Bardani took fifth as well, coming in 3:21.47, a season record. Two medals came the Falcons’ way in the 55-meter hurdles. Phoebe Cora Smith’s time of 9.16 was second only to Newtown’s Aashni Petty and also a personal best. Jordan Carr took the bronze for the Falcons in 9.52.
Two competed for Barlow in the 1,600. Olivia Kotula’s 5:44.98 took ninth and Alex Bardani immediately followed in 5:49.27, a personal record.
Lauren Klein Wassink, Isabelle Wildgoose, Mehner and Sydney Borofsky ran for Barlow in the 1,600 sprint medley relay (SMR), taking eighth in 5:14.67. Najjar claimed the silver medal in the 300 meters in 42.44, a personal record and less than a second behind Brookfield’s Olivia Walters. Abukhovich also scored for Barlow, taking fourth in 43.31, also a personal record.
Kotula went the distance Barlow in the 3,200 in 13:30.86, taking ninth.
Barlow captured two medals in the field events. Its second gold was in the pole vault with Carr reaching a height of 12 feet, two inches. In the long jump, she leaped 16’ 1” for sixth and Smith was 11th with 14’ 6.5”.
Klein Wassink took the silver in the shot put with a toss of 33’ 11”, a personal record. She also competed in the high jump, clearing 4’ 2” for ninth.
The Falcon boys faced a more competitive field. While they did bring home a couple of medals, they took ninth out 14 teams with 16 points.
Defending champ Bethel was the winner again, this time with 143 points. Weston was runner-up with 77 and Newtown took third with 49.
Both medals came in the distance events. Jackson Sobelman clocked a 4:31.85 in the 1,600, taking the silver and finished second only to Bethel’s Evan Bureau.
Barlow’s other medal was in the 3,200. Taking the bonze, Devin Tala had a third-place time of 10:05.51, also a personal record.
The Falcons’ lone relay team competed in the 1,600 SMR. Ile-Eso Aihiokai, Jackson Ohnemus, Lucas Jandura and Jack Decker took ninth in 4:27.21.
Barlow will next take part in the state Class M finals on Saturday at 4 p.m., also in New Haven.
