Holy Cross sophomore sprinter Raquel Rosa had a huge day on Friday at the 5th Torrington Varsity Alumni Club Track and Field Challenge, held at Torrington High School.
Rosa won the 200m and 400m dashes, and she did so in record fashion. Rosa took first place in the 200m with a time of 25.99 seconds, beating out the 2016 record of 26.26 set by Sacred Heart alum Nicole White. In the 400m, Rosa crossed the finish line at 58.80, besting the 2018 record of 59.52 set by Plainfield’s Kate Carleson. The Holy Cross girls finished seventh as a team with 31 points. The Newtown girls were first with 112 points.
Rosa wasn’t the only athlete to put up a record effort in Torrington. Wilby sophomore jumping sensation Messiah Harling finished at 46’8″ in the triple jump, good for first place and the meet record. The old record was 44’11.5″ by Naugatuck’s Fejiro Onakpowa in 2016. Sacred Heart senior distance standout Jenna French finished second in the 800m, but did so in record time. Her 2:20.91 bested the 2:24.71 run by Wamogo’s Brooke Neller in 2015.
The Torrington meet had a ton of Naugatuck Valley League influence to it. In the girls 100m dash, for example, the second and third place finishers were Christina Capozzi of Kennedy and Alana Daunis of Wilby. Northwestern’s Hannah Gibb finished first with a time of 12.85. Capozzi and Daunis were right behind her at 12.86 and 12.87.
There were plenty of individual winners from the NVL at the meet. Harling took first in the 100m dash (11.07); Tariq Phillips of Kennedy was first in the 200m (22.57) and 400m (51.36) dashes; Elijah Lewis of Crosby claimed first in the 800m (2:01.95); and Nyron Drunnamanio of Sacred Heart finished first in the high jump (6’2″). The Wilby boys 4x400m relay of Daniel Navarro, Dylen McKitty, Sean Thomas and Harling was first with a time of 44.69. The Wildcats finished fourth as a team of 55.50 points. The Simsbury boys were first with 92 points.
There were a pair of two-time second place finishers on the boys side of the meet. Kyle Moser of Holy Cross was second in the shot put (44’8″) and the discus (132’8″) while Maurice Mathews of Crosby took second in the 100m (11.18) and 200m (22.89) dashes.
For full results from the meet, go to mysportsresults.com
