Waterford’s Childs sets 300H record, New London’s Arnold a double-winner at Tetlow Relays

Ledyard — Until this season, Elliot Childs was the second-best hurdler in the Eastern Connecticut Conference.

Childs, from Waterford High School, remained in the shadow of Stonington’s Josh Mooney, who was the national champion last season in the 110-meter high hurdles as a senior.

“I always will be,” Childs said good-naturedly of the shadow cast by Mooney. “You can’t beat Josh Mooney. He’s one of one. As a hurdler in Connecticut, it’s hard not to be in his shadow. Oh yeah, I still compare myself to him every time I run. That’s the standard. That’s what you aim for.”

Childs, though, had reason to celebrate Saturday at the Tetlow Invitational Relays at Ledyard High School, capping a week of standout performances with a couple more.

Childs set the Waterford school record in the 300 hurdles in 39.0 seconds to begin the meet, then ran the anchor leg on the Lancers’ winning relay in the 4x110 shuttle hurdles. Childs and his teammates in the hurdle relay, Rhys Tickner, Jordi Cassar and Cameron Webster, punctuated their win with a series of leaping chest bumps, repeated until they choreographed the jump just perfectly.

At a dual meet against Stonington earlier this week, Childs won four events: the 110 hurdles, 300 hurdles, long jump and triple jump. The Lancers are unbeaten in dual meets at 3-0 overall, 2-0 in ECC Division II.

“I just wanted a PR today (in the 300 hurdles),” said Childs, whose previous best was 40.56. “I was hoping for sub-40 (seconds) because I’ve been building up to it, really, since last season obviously.

“It was pretty much a school day with how early we had to wake up (to travel to the meet). I just had to get myself in the mindset for it. ... It’s been a really good start to the season (for the Waterford team). I look forward to how the rest of it goes.”

Among the long list of highlights Saturday was the return of New London’s Darielys Arnold to the forefront in the long jump after suffering a setback due to shin splints during the indoor season.

Arnold, the defending State Open champion in the long jump, won Saturday at 17 feet, 2 inches, her best mark of the outdoor season thus far. She also added a win in the triple jump, her first time ever competing in the event, at 34-7 and ran her first-ever 400 meter event as part of the Whalers’ co-ed 4x400 relay.

“It’s a good day,” Arnold said. “Indoors it was something else. I didn’t come to practice a lot and a lot of messing up. Coach (Jelani Lucas) pushed me to keep going and now coach (Natalie Bowens) and him. She’s helping me so that my (timing) to get on the board is perfect.

“I’ve got to prove it to myself.”

Meanwhile, Montville’s Kamryn Plikus, a sophomore, won the pole vault at 10-0, somewhat of a disappointment after setting the school record earlier this week at 11-0.

But Plikus joined teammates Katherine Myjak, Isabel Northrop and Evelyn Granscog in winning the 4x100 shuttle hurdles and Plikus was third in the high jump at 4-10. The Wolves, who won the ECC Division II championship meet during indoor track, is also unbeaten in duals this spring at 3-0.

“I think today I just didn’t have a lot of speed as I usually should of,” said Plikus, a sophomore who won the ECC title indoors and finished second in the Class S state championship.

“I think people are like, ‘Well, you still got first place,’” Plikus said. “I could care less about placing. I’d rather just have a consistent height and I haven’t really been consistent this season. ... I have high expectations of myself.”

Bacon Academy freshman Ashleen Walsh won the girls’ javelin (109-1) and discus (102-5), while teammate Mutia Quarshie took the shot put (34-7). Fitch’s Hannah Thomas won the 300 hurdles (47.9).

East Lyme’s Tommy Matlock took the boys’ shot put with a toss of 59-11 and teammate Matthew Carrier topped a field of 36 runners in the boys’ 3,200 in 9:45.4. Bacon Academy’s Liam Sweeney won the discus (139-7), Ledyard’s Brady Moorehead the javelin (140-4) and Fitch’s Gianni Colebut the high jump (6-0).

v.fulkerson@theday.com