Fairfield Girl Wins Gold At National Track & Field Meet

FAIRFIELD, Conn. -- Southport resident Tess Stapleton won two medals, one gold, over the weekend at the USA Hershey National Youth Indoor track and field championships in New York.

Tess Stapleton of Southport won two medals, including gold in the long jump, at the USA Hershey National Youth Indoor track and field championships.
Photo Credit: *Photos courtesy of Olivia Stapleton*

Tess Stapleton, left, with Heads Up Running coach Justin Tomczyk, won two medals at nationals, in the long jump and high jump.
Photo Credit: *Contributed by Olivia Stapleton*

Tom Renner

03/14/2017 5:30 a.m.

Stapleton, an eighth-grader at Roger Ludlowe Middle School, won the long jump and finished seventh in the high jump in the 13-14 age division at the meet, which was held in Staten Island, N.Y. Stapleton competes for Heads Up Running Track Club of Fairfield County.

Stapleton soared a personal best 5.27 meters (17-feet, 3-inches) to win the long jump. She won the event by more than eighth inches, a sizable margin in a meet against national caliber athletes. Runner-up Leah Ellis posted a mark of 16-5 ¼.

Stapleton’s distance would have won the Fairfield County Interscholastic Athletic Conference indoor meet. According to DyeStat.com, Stapleton’s long jump would put her fifth among high school athletes from Connecticut for the current indoor track season.

In the high jump, Stapleton cleared a personal best 4-feet, 11-inches.

"Tess is a very dedicated and gifted athlete,’’ Heads Up coach Justin Tomczyk said. "She works extremely hard and it shows in the results."

Tess will now turn her attention to the outdoor season for Ludlowe, where she will compete as a jumper and sprinter.

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