Are you ready for the Madness?
This is the most exciting time of the year for high school sports. The CIAC’s version of March Madness is so long it starts in February.
Here’s a little preview of what to look for.
The State Open track championships take place today at the New Haven Athletic Center.
Look for Amity to have a big day as always.
If you like drama, watch Hillhouse’s Terrell Wilks as he tries to win State Open titles in his first season ever on the track. It’s actually a remarkable story as Wilks is clearly one of the fastest kids in the state but has no track training.
Can he win on speed alone? I watched some of the NFL combine workouts on the NFL network the other day and they said to get the fastest 40-yard dash time, which is crucial for potential draft picks, that a runner should keep his head down for the first 20 yards and then stand up straighter as you head down the field.
I never knew that. I wonder if Wilks has been taught the tricks of sprinting.
He’ll need them today as he is seeded second to Danbury’s Michael Lorick in the 55-meter dash.
Wilks’ quest is a precursor for what will surely be the Ann-Marie Clarke show once again. Clarke has been battling a bit of a hamstring pull but is the odds-on favorite to win the 55-hurdles and the 300 meters.
She is also a top choice in the long jump but hasn’t worked on the event much so she’ll be hard-pressed to win the event.
If you’ve never been to the State Open it’s a veritable three-ring circus. If you’re going print out the start lists on the CIAC site at this address: http://www.casciac.org/it07o.shtml
Have fun.
The Class championships of wrestling will also be held today at four sites throughout the state.
Again Amity is a major player with several Spartan wrestlers looking for titles. Ryan Roddy was perhaps the most impressive at last week’s SCC Championships.
One thing about the wrestling pairings is that there will be upsets. Don’t always look for the No. 1 seed to win the title as many wrestlers suffer losses throughout the season due to illness or other factors.
Many times you’ll see someone seeded sixth who actually is the best wrestler in the class. It is a grueling day of competition but the wrestler who can stay the freshest and post easy wins in the early rounds usually has the best chance of wining a title.
The State Open for wrestling will be held next week at the New Haven Athletic Center.
The SCC girls’ basketball tournament also starts today with four games on tap at West Haven. It’s anyone’s guess who will win this tournament but my guess is: Mercy.
I’ll wrap up the weekend’s action early in the week and talk more basketball too.
Hey, it doesn’t look like the Huskies are going to the Big Dance this year so we’ll have plenty of time to watch the local teams make their run.