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| St. Paul senior pole vaulter Vinnie Penisse set a school record in his event at 11 feet, six inches during Tuesday’s meet against Crosby and Sacred Heart. Penisse won the event at 11-6. (Copyright, Sports on CT-69) |
It was a good day for St. Paul senior pole vaulter Vinnie Penisse on Tuesday at Jimmy Lee Stadium in Waterbury.
Not only did he win the pole vault at 11 feet, six inches, he set a Falcon program record, according to head coach Jim Husbands, who began coaching the team in 2011. Husbands said they haven’t been able to find track records at St. Paul before his arrival, so Penisse’s mark puts him at the top.
“I’d like to see Vinnie over 12 feet,” Husbands said during the tri-meet against Crosby and Sacred Heart. “He’s done 11-6 consistently, he just needs to keep working on smaller things.”
Penisse was the lone individual winner for St. Paul at the meet, but there are plenty of Falcons working hard to achieve individual goals.
Senior Christian Sturm has qualified for the state meet in the shot put and is close in the discus. Sturm also competes in the hammer throw, and Husbands believes Sturm can make a run at a state record and a second straight state championship in the event.
Junior Eric Langland is taking aim at state qualification in the javelin, and Husbands said he is close to getting it.
The St. Paul girls won 66-53 over Crosby. The Falcons had two overall individual winners and one first place relay. Junior Melissa Lyder was first in the 300 hurdles with a time of 60.43. Fellow junior Alena Hauer took the top spot in the pole vault at six feet, six inches.
The 4×100-meter relay of Emily Biscoglio, Krista Christmas, Emma Schatz and Irene Rotondo was first in a time of 61.95.
CROSBY
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| The Crosby boys defeated St. Paul and came within nine points of Sacred Heart during Tuesday’s meet at Jimmy Lee Stadium. (Copyright, Sports on CT-69) |
The Bulldog boys beat St. Paul 110-25 and came within nine points (79-70) of Sacred Heart.
Crosby senior Bernardo Mbaya swept the throwing events in another strong performance. Mbaya won the shot put with a toss of 40 feet, seven and a half inches. He took the top spot in the discus at 123 feet, 10 inches. Mbaya was first in the javelin at 136 feet, nine inches.
Crosby also picked up single individual wins from Jaedon Wolfe (100 dash, 12.14), Evinn Campbell (400 meters, 52.64), Tolany Velez (300 hurdles, 46.09) and Elijah Lewis (800, 2:11.21). The Bulldogs also got a win in the 4×100 in 46.17 behind the team of Malik Patrick, Evinn Campbell, Wolfe and Raecuan Digsby.
The Crosby girls lost both meets on Tuesday. Sophomore Ja’Taya Evans won two events, which were the long jump and triple jump. Evans did 15 feet, 7 3/4 inches in the long jump and 29 feet, 3 3/4 inches in the triple jump.
