By Chris Villani

Sports Writer

The Milford High boys’ winter track team has shown strong improvement this season, and head coach Dan Gordon credits some newer athletes who have stepped into significant roles.

The Scarlet Hawks’ revamp started in the dash, where Gordon said a “complete overhaul” was needed when senior captain Patrick Delaney suffered a season-ending injury that knocked him out in the second week of December.

“In his absence, a couple of sophomores have stepped up in a huge way,” Gordon said.

Jarrett Brown was Milford’s top freshman in the sprint during last year’s spring track season and he’s followed that up with a winter season that has seen him qualify for the state meet. Yael Lopez has also improved a significant amount and become one of Milford’s top sprinters.

Perhaps the biggest strides this season have been made by co-captain Ben Parson. Gordon said Parson’s success is the byproduct of an “amazing” effort during the offseason. 

“He was at the track five days per week through the fall, which is not so common with a lot of high school athletes,” the coach said. “The amount of dedication he showed in the offseason was truly eye-opening. I knew he was in for one heckuva season when I saw the work he was putting in during the fall.”

Taylor Feliciano and Shawn Pierce add depth to the sprinting crew and have made it among the most formidable in the Hockomock League. 

“They are young,” Gordon said, “but they are the future of the league for sure.”

Mark Butters, another captain, followed up an all-star campaign in cross country by earning a spot in the state meet in the 1,000 meter run. 

“He is having a great season and he is a great captain,” Gordon said. “I can count on Mark to run multiple events and I know I will always be getting a chance to win.”

Sophomore Andrew Fletcher is in his first season running indoor track and has followed in the footsteps of the older distance runner, Butters.

“He is one of the best sophomores in the league,” Gordon said. “We know he will be making a big jump in his performance over the next few weeks, he is ready to take it to the next level.”

Senior captain Chris Benson has led the throwers all season and Gorton called him “a model of consistency and passion.”

“He is an excellent captain and gets the most out of his talents,” Gordon said.

If MHS had a weakness last season, it was the hurdling events. Aloiye Okhipo entered the season without a natural event and the coaching staff elected to have him give hurdles a try. He’s now the top hurdler on the boys’ team and earned multiple victories during the dual meet campaign.

Gordon said he wants to see as many athletes as possible compete in the postseason meets throughout February, including the league championships, the state meet, and the all-state meet of champions. The Scarlet Hawks are also aiming to qualify the sprint medley relay for the national championship, which will be held in Boston this year. The quartet of Brown, Feliciano, Parson, and Butters ran a qualifying time earlier this season, but were disqualified for a technical violation.

“That happens sometimes,” Gordon said. “But we know they can hit that time. We know they can do it.”