My selection for Coaches and Athletes of the 2010 Outdoor Track and field Season:
Boys' Coach of the Year is Bob Castronova of New London. Bob took his team to a 5th place finish in the ECC behind only NFA, Woodstock, Fitch and East Lyme of the Large Division. Then, in his first season at the helm, his Whalers came within a heartbeat of the Class M Championship as they finished second. The re-birth of the program can be attributed to a renewed interest in recruiting, good coaching and focused athletes.
Girls' Coach of the Year is David Tetlow from Ledyard who took his stellar group of sophomores to the runner-up spot in the ECCs and followed that up with a 3rd place in the Class MM Championship. A strong sprint corps, fast relays, excellent jumpers and swift distance runners anchored a very young and talented Colonel team. No telling what the team could have achieved had Wahnetah Carty not transferred to NFA.
Changing things up a bit for Athlete of the Year; the track always seems to attract the most attention and field athletes are often overlooked. In the interest of broadening the focus, there is a Field Athlete of the Year and Track Athlete of the Year starting with the 2010 spring selectees.
Boys' Track Athlete of the Year is Darrell Wattely of Montville. Darrell won the 100m and 200m dashes at ECCs setting a new ECC record in the 100m Dash along the way. He followed that up with victories in the Class M 100m and 200m events, as well as a win in the 100m Dash at the State Open. Capping off his season on Saturday, Darrell won the 100m Dash at New England Championships entering the final in lane 8 with the slowest qualifying time of the day. Darrell's times in the 100m and 200m led the ECC this season.
Girls' Track Athlete of the Year is awarded to Shatajah Wattely, also of Montville, in a close contest with Ledyard's Emily Loy. Shatajah won the ECC 400m Dash had the ECC season best time in the 400m, took 2nd in the 200m Dash and 400m at Class M, 3rd in the 400m at the Open and 7th at the New England Championships. Shatajah's strength and conditioning allowed her to maintain quality starts all the way through a very long postseason.
Boys' Field Athlete of the Year is Evan Rouse of Windham. On the track Evan struggled in the shadows of two other sprint standouts and had to make his name in the Long Jump, which he did with aplomb. Evan was 2nd in the ECC Long Jump, won Class MM in a record setting performance, came back on short rest to win the State Open and followed up with a 2nd at the New England Championships.
The Girls' Field Athlete of the Year is another hotly contested selection, NFA's Wahnetah Carty got the nod over Megan Rose Chapman of Stonington, as. Wahnetah was a standout for the Wildcats in all three jumping events this season. At ECCs she won the Long Jump and took second in the Triple Jump. Two weeks later she took 2nd in the Class LL Long Jump, 4th in the High Jump and 5th in the Triple Jump. At the State Open we saw her first 18-foot jump of the season that gave Wahnetah 4th place overall. She then followed that leap with another 18-footer at the New England Championships, good enough for 3rd place.