The Woodland boys outdoor track and field team officially kicked off their season on Saturday, May 20th, and will continue through the first week of June. Competing in the Naugatuck Valley League (NVL), Woodland will face Seymour, Wilby, Oxford, Naugatuck and Kennedy in regular dual meets, the team will also participate in one invitational.
Led by head Coach Mario Longo, nearly 50 boys compete this season. Coach Longo returns for a ninth season with the Hawks and brings a lot of energy and dedication.
“We should have solid performances with many athletes moving on to compete at the state level,” explained Coach Longo. “We have a lot of juniors who are really developing and stepping up this season to fill some of the gaps we had in previous years.”
He will be joined by assistant Coach Posca who is returning for a second season with a focus in the sprints and hurdles. This season, the Hawks are looking to qualify as many athletes as possible for NVLs and even Class S State Championship. To qualify for the NVL meet, athletes must hit specific times, distances, or heights, but only three athletes per school can compete in each event at the NVL Championship. The state meet has even tougher standards, so making it to Class S won’t be easy—but the boys are ready to take on the challenge.
Some of the top performers to watch this season include distance runners Trevor Genthe, Gabe Diamante and Mason Menzies, who are expected to lead the way in the mid- to long-distance races. In the sprints, Marcus Estes, Jaren Hoffman, and Owayne Graves bring serious speed and energy to the track. TJ Lewis will be leading For the jumpers, Markell Brown, Luke Poynton, and Chris Savarese have been putting in the work and are looking to make a big impact. In the field events, Mark Poulin, Colby Marsan, and Javier Medina are expected to be key contributors in the throwing events.
While Woodland has strong talent across all areas, Naugatuck is looking like the team to beat in the NVL this year. But with hard work and dedication, the Hawks are ready to compete and make their mark this season.
