Gillespie, Rivera Shine at New England Track Championships

Two high school track athletes from Manchester wrapped-up their seasons with impressive performances on Saturday at the 66th New England Championships in Burlington, Vt.

, a sophomore from Northwest Catholic in West Hartford, won the 1,600 meters in 4:50.87 while battling illness at the end of the race, which prevented her from defending her 800-meter championship from 2010. She qualified in both events for the Nationals next weekend in North Carolina but has elected not to compete.

Arianna Rivera, a Manchester High School junior, finished fifth in the 100-meter high hurdles as the top placer from Connnecticut in 15.08 seconds and was seventh (No. 2 from the state) in the 300-meter intermediate hurdles in 45.94. Her 4x100-meter relay team finished in eighth place in 50.34 seconds. Rivera, who will compete in the CIAC heptathlon June 14-15, did not qualify for the Nationals.

For Rivera, who won both hurdles in the Class LL championships before finishing as runner-up in each event at the State Open, 2011 was a breakthrough year that far exceeded the expectations set by her and Indians girls’ coach Shelldon Simpson. Both knew the season would be full of success but to what degree, they were uncertain. As a sophomore, Rivera won the 300-meter hurdles in the CCC North Championships and was fourth in the 100-meter hurdles.

“I felt I ran very well in both races. I knew I had to do the best I could,” said Rivera, a starting guard on the Manchester girls’ basketball team. “I didn’t know what to expect today. I knew I wanted to come this far. My goal this season was to get as fast as I could and I did that.”

Rivera’s training after the State Open on June 6 focused on improving her starts, Simpson said. “We wanted her to get out of the blocks a lot better,” Simpson said. “I think she accomplished that for the most part. In the 100 hurdles, she was consistent in her technique. In the 300 hurdles, she hit the second hurdle and the second-to-last hurdle. I think that affected her a little.”

Simpson said Rivera’s schedule for the New England meet was grueling, too demanding to give her the rest she needed to attain optimal performance. She did the 100-meter hurdles qualifying, ran the 100-meter hurdles finals soon after, then almost immediately went to the relay. Almost without pause, Rivera was running the 300-meter hurdles finals. In nearly all other meets, Simpson said, there is more time between events for Rivera.

She was unable to cool down and warm up properly, he said. Driving rain and cool temperatures hindered all athletes and Rivera had little chance to break the school records she set in both events at the State Open.

“I’m pretty excited about what she did today,” Simpson said. “A lot of people wouldn’t be able to do what she did. As soon as she stepped on the track, everything pretty much happened back to back. Once she warmed up, she tried to stay as loose as possible.”

The relay slightly improved on its seed. Cynthia Tetteh ran lead-off, followed by Rivera, Ivie Efianayi and Nicole Clemons in the anchor leg. 

Gillespie’s season could be characterized as the transformation from her primary focus being the 800 in 2010 to her main event in 2011 becoming the metric mile. The 1,600 used to be an event that would “waste energy” for the 800. Now that she has learned the nuances of the 1,600 and how to train better for it, she prefers the 1,600 to the 800, which is more of a speed race.

Gillespie, whose mother teaches at Northwest Catholic, was runner-up in both events as a freshman in the CCC West Championships. She won the 800 and was third in the 1,600 in the 2010 Class S Championships, then was runner-up in the 800 at the State Open. She won the 800 at the 2010 New England championships by defeating the Danbury girl who had beaten her in the State Open.

In 2011, Gillespie was nearly unstoppable. She won both of her events at the CCC West Championships, the Class S Championships and the State Open, setting the meet record in the 1,600 (4:49.89) at the Open. The only girl to beat her during the season was Glastonbury senior Lindsay Crevoiserat – whose specialties are the 1,600 and 3,200 – and that was in the 1,600 at the Lindy Remigino Invitational on May 7. Since then, Gillespie has lowered her time further in the 1,600.

Despite her weakened condition, which featured nausea, tightening of leg muscles and a headache, Gillespie was pleased that her time in Vermont was a mere second off her personal best. Her goal clearly was to win both events but upon finishing the 1,600, she said she didn’t know how she’d be able to complete the 800 and decided to withdraw. Her inability to compete at the Nationals next weekend clearly has whet her appetite and Gillespie has stated that a high priority for her junior year is to participate at the Nationals if she qualifies.

“Going out with a win was a good way to end the season,” Gillespie said. “I couldn’t get past it to run the 800. There was not enough time to fully recover. The 800 was a really great race. It would have been a really, really tough race for me and I would’ve wanted to feel 100 percent to do my best. A lot of unexpected things happened but I was very happy with the season."

Jacob Shippee, an East Catholic junior, placed sixth in the boys’ javelin with a throw of 170-feet-2 inches. He placed fourth in the State Open after being runner-up in the Class S Championships.