Weekly Recap: Boys Win Class M Indoor Track & Field Championship

Track & Field:

Last week at the SWC Championships, the boys 4x400 Meter Relay team was edged at the line to fall to third place.  This week, the team of Ryan Murphy, Kevin Peterson, Noah Adams and Colin Burke finished strong and took first place, propelling the Bobcats to their first ever Class M State Championship.

"I'm thrilled for the team," Brookfield coach Ed Butt said. "They showed a lot of character, bouncing back from the disappointment of last week and staying focused.  If you work hard and things fall your way, anything can and will happen."

The relay victory was the only first place finish for the Bobcats, emphasizing how much of a team effort it was for them to get the job done.  The time of 3:38.06 broke the school record.

"Ryan always gives you everything he has, Kevin really came through and Noah as a junior is incredible, he came through big time," Butt said of the first three runners of the relay team, who handed the baton to Burke. Burke typically leads off but was running anchor, a stride behind in second place.  

"I wanted to see Colin chase," Butt said.

Burke and Murphy also came up big in their other events, with Burke breaking two-more school records as he took third place in the 300 Meter Dash (36.99) and fifth place in the 600 Meter Run (1:28.03), while Murphy placed third in the Long Jump.

As was the case in last week's SWC's, Brookfield got a big lift from their jumpers as Jack Gernert and Samuel Grainger tied for second place in the High Jump with Tyler Appleby taking fourth place.

Other members of the team who scored points were Christopher Ackell, who took second place in the shot put, just missing out on taking first place by one foot. His throw of 51-02.50 was a new school record.

Daniel McArdle took fifth place in the 1000 Meter Run and Kirk Gardner finished second in the 55 Meter Hurdles, also breaking a school record with a time of 7.96.

The girls team finsihed in 20th place overall, scoring all their points in the 4x400 Meter Relay.  The team of Aileen Tobin, Alexandra Willey, Kristi Pino and Djenne Parris came in fourth place in the event, breaking a school record with a time of 4:28.32.

Tobin and Parris both just missed scoring points in their other events with both finishing in seventh place, one spot out of the points in the 300 Meter Dash (Parris) and 1000 Meter Run (Tobin).  

High Jumper Nicole Clayton also finished one spot out of the points in her event while Wendi Westmark was a mere two feet out of the points in the Shot Put.  Her throw of 32-06.50 was good for yet another school record.

The boys team qualified 10 athletes for the State Open Championship to be held on Saturday in the New Haven Athletic Center.  All four members of the relay team as well as alternates Ackell and Spencer Mannion, who has been sidelined with an ankle injury, will compete.  Ackell will also compete in the shot put, while Burke will compete in the 300.  Gardner will compete in the 55 hurdles and all three high jumpers, Gernert, Grainger and Appleby, will compete.

"Our success the last couple of years has been as a team," Butt said.  "We only had one first place finish and we still were able to win."

Boys Basketball (8-7, 5-5):

The Bobcats began the week with one of the more disappointing losses of the season, dropping a road game on Monday at New Fairfield 64-52.  The following night the boys were at Weston and trailed the entire game until Danny Burkhart scored on a lay-up with 9.8 seconds remaining to give Brookfield the much needed win.  

The victory put them in position to to clinch a berth in the state playoffs, all they would have to do was beat rival Immaculate on the road, something none of the members of the Bobcat squad had ever done. Sparked by Burkhart and Nick Paez, who scored 17 of the first 19 points for the team, Brookfield jumped out to a 10 point lead and held on for a win.

After scoring 23 points in the win at Weston, Burkhart totaled 22 against the Mustangs, with Paez finishing with 21.

Brookfield kept pace in the SWC standings, as they remain tied for the eighth and final spot with four conference games remaining.  Brookfield has back-to-back conference match ups at home on Monday against Stratford (13-3, 8-2) and Tuesday against Bethel (12-4, 6-4) before playing a non-conference game at home on Saturday against Rocky Hill.

Girls Basketball (12-6, 9-4):

The Lady Bobcats ended their three-game losing streak in a big way, by sweeping a four-game schedule this week.  On Monday and Tuesday they took care of business at home by defeating .

On Thursday they celebrated in style, by downing Immaculate 52-39.

To finish off the incredible week, they hit the road on Saturday and got a career high 16 points from senior Kerry Fleming in a 55-33 win over Stratford.

The strong week puts the Lady Bobcats in position to battle for a top-four seed in the SWC playoffs with only two games remaining.  On Monday they play at Bethel (2-16, 1-11) before ending the regular season at home on Wednesday against Lauralton Hall (13-3, 12-1). 

Hockey (12-2, 4-0):

The IceCats were a perfect 3-0 on the week.  They dominated two road games in shutout fashion to begin the week, beating SWC rival Masuk 7-0 on Monday and downing Shepaug-Litchfield 4-0 on Wednesday.

The boys then returned home to on Saturday and they scored a 4-2 win over Rocky Hill-RHAM Middletown to make sure the celebration was a good one.

Senior captain Justin Sullivan scored the game-winner on a one-timer in the third period, taking a perfect feed from freshman John Vitti to do so.

Brookfield-Bethel-Danbury play their final two SWC games this week as they host New Fairfield-Immaculate on Monday afternoon and Joel Barlow on Wednesday. They play in Norwich on Friday against St. Bernard-Bacon-NFA.

Wrestling (6th Place SWC Championship):

The Bobcats concluded the regular season by defeating Bethel 42-36 on before falling to Stratford 42-27 on the road.  The Bobcats used seven pins to honor their six seniors in the emotional win over the Wildcats.

Brookfield then played host to that took place Friday and Saturday in the BHS Big Gym.  Too nobodies surprise, New Milford was the champion scoring 250.5 points while the Bobcats placed sixth with 99.5 points.  Masuk and Newtown tied for second with 135 points, Pomperaug finished fourth with 125 points and Bethel just beat out the Bobcats for fifth place with 102 points.

Mike Delvalle won the 135 pound weight class championship with an 8-4 decision over New Milford's Ian Curtis.

Jack McKeever won the 140 pound weight class championship with a 7-0 decision over New Milford's Kameron Bradshaw.

Joel Wamser won the consolation round of the 189 pound weight classwith a 5-0 decision over Masuk's Kyle Hoskins.

The Bobcats finished the season 8-4, which puts them in fourth place in the SWC.