By Christopher DeMuth
The New Canaan boys track and field team continued its strong season on Tuesday, with a dominant 95–45 win over St. Joseph High School. The meet, held at New Canaan’s home track, showed the Rams’ steady improvement across nearly every event. Athletes from all grade levels contributed points, setting numerous personal records and sweeping several events.
Sprint Events
New Canaan demonstrated depth in the sprint events, beginning with the 100-meter dash. Though St. Joseph’s top sprinter claimed first, New Canaan packed the results behind him. Sophomore Willem Wrede led the Rams with a third-place finish in 11.89 seconds. Juniors Tristan Bardales (11.96) and Mark Silva (11.98) followed close behind, with Silva setting a new personal best. Senior Spencer Paine and sophomore Charlie Koch both clocked in at 12.03, rounding out a strong group effort.
The 200 meters featured more of the same. Wrede took third again, finishing in 25.18, while Paine (25.23) and junior Quinn Kilkenny (25.75) added valuable depth. Kilkenny’s time was a personal best, and junior Max Volanakis wasn’t far behind with a 25.86. New Canaan had six runners break 27 seconds and nine under 30—an encouraging sign of sprinting depth.
The 400-meter dash saw New Canaan sweep the top four spots. Senior Ryan Boulanger led with a lifetime best of 54.09. Freshman Leo Baroni (54.63), junior Ryan Jordan (55.13), and Bardales (55.47) followed. For Bardales, it was his second personal record of the day. In total, 12 Rams set personal records in the 400, and every runner finished under 1:06.
Distance
New Canaan’s dominance was even more pronounced in the distance events. In the 800 meters, senior John Disturco ran a personal best 2:06.01 to take first. Paine, doubling back from the sprints, finished second in 2:07.14. Sophomore Charles Cavanagh secured third in 2:07.67, also a personal best. Six more Rams posted PRs in the event, contributing to a commanding sweep.
The mile (1600 meters) featured a dramatic finish. Boulanger and junior Ryan Monohan were neck-and-neck coming down the final straight, with Boulanger outleaning Monohan at the line—4:37.51 to 4:37.57. Kilkenny claimed third with a 4:39.97.
In the 3200 meters, junior Blake DiCapua took the win with a new personal best of 12:10.78. Freshman Oscar Humphreys placed second at 12:55.77. Their consistency helped lock in more distance points for the Rams.
Hurdles
Freshman Peter Tsapralis stood out in the hurdles. In the 110-meter high hurdles, he placed second in 18.82, just ahead of teammate Dane Mitchell. Tsapralis returned in the 300-meter hurdles to take second again, clocking 47.60. Fellow freshmen Brandon Barua (51.70) and Mitchell (52.96) also placed in that event, while junior Nathan Dinning ran a personal best 54.15.
Though young, New Canaan’s hurdle crew showed promise. With continued development, this group could become a strength in future meets.
Relays
The relay events highlighted New Canaan’s teamwork and depth. In the 4×100 relay, the A-team of Caden Leslie, Koch, Wrede, and Bardales took second in 45.85, just behind St. Joseph. The B-team of Jack Seelert, Ethan Kremer, Eli Kremer, and Silva placed third in 47.35.
In the 4×400, the Rams returned to form. The A-team—Baroni, Boulanger, Monohan, and Paine—won with a season-best 3:44.61. The B-team (Jordan, Wrede, Cavanagh, and Disturco) finished third in 4:07.62, also one of their best times this season.
Freshmen Cooper Smith, Humphreys, Lucas Azzopardi, and Jake Tirana closed the meet with a win in the 4×800, clocking in at 10:11.54.
Building Toward the Postseason
Beyond the wins and personal records, Tuesday’s meet reflected the team’s overall growth. Underclassmen contributed at every level, and veterans like Paine, Boulanger, and Disturco showed consistency and leadership. New Canaan not only scored big—it showed it can compete with the depth of a program its size across all event groups.
