Sports

Athlete of the Week: Catherine Voelpel

She has been doing it all for the Berlin girls track team.

Sophomore Catherine Voelpel recently finished fourth overall in the 400 meters at one of the state's biggest invitational meets, The Irv Black with 2000-plus athletes. 

She is undefeated this season in the 400 meters in Berlin's dual meets and is developing into one of the top 400 meters runners in the state.  She ran in the very difficult to qualify for Lindy Remigino Invitational on May 7th where she was in one of the premier seeded heats.

For those accomplishments, Voelpel has been selected as the Berlin Patch-Farmington Avenue Subway Athlete of the Week. 

Find out what's happening in Berlinwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The girls track team competed in two invitationals on Saturday, The Middletown Invitational and the Lindy Remigino (formerly Hartford Public) Invitational.  The Lindy Remigino has the toughest standards for entry so the field of athletes was very impressive.  The meet featured the fastest mile in the country, and two of the fastest 400 meter times in the country for the girls.  

Voelpel was in the very fast field of the 400 meters. There were two runners under 54 seconds, almost unheard of, if not unheard of in Connecticut. Catherine ran a personal best of 59.02.  She finished 10th overall and ran extremely well.

Find out what's happening in Berlinwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"Catherine got put in a tough spot having to be ready around noon and then wait out a 30 minute lightning delay then warm back up and then wait for another delay," Berlin coach Steve Soucy said. "She didn't end up running until 3 p.m. For a sprinter in the 400 meters that mental preparation and then let down can be excruciatingly tough."

Soucy hopes for big things from Voelpel and say that she has the ability to win the CCC division title and also to be a factor at the state meets. 

(Berlin Patch, in conjunction with the Farmington Ave. Subway Restaurant will honor an Athlete of the Week each Sunday. Each week, Berlin Patch will select a spring athlete, who will earn the Athlete of the Week distinction. That athlete will get, in return, a foot long sub at any time during the week, at the Farmington Ave. Subway.)


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