By Senior Correspondent Marty Ogden, Editing and Graphics by Ron Knapp
36th Wilton XC Invitational Should be the First Real Test
At Allen’s Meadows, Wilton CT with AthleticNet Live Results from Paynes Corner Timing
While last weekend saw many teams compete in “rust buster” meets, it seems like most of the rest of the state is opening up this weekend after a couple of weeks of training. Highlighting the weekend will be the 36th Annual Wilton Invitational, held at Allen’s Meadows. The girls race will be particularly strong with six of the top ten teams in the Marathon Sports CT High School Coach’s XC Preseason Poll scheduled to compete which should give fans an inside look at which teams are living up to their potential in this early season meet.
Glastonbury, the top ranked team in the poll and the defending State Open champions, will face off against Greenwich, the Class LL defending champions. Coaches were split over which team has better returners with both teams receiving six, first place votes and only one point separating both teams. Trumbull, Staples and New Canaan are the 4th, 6th and 7th ranked teams and Cheshire, the 9th ranked team is also entered. Last year Footlocker All American Brooke Strauss broke the meet record, running 13:45.71 for 4000m last year. That record might be challenged as Lyme-Old Lyme’s Chase Gilbert, another Footlocker finalist and top returner from the Open who is expected to toe the line. A pair of sophomores, Lauren Parrett of Glastonbury and Sophie Passalacqua of Greenwich are the next two returners from last year’s State Open and have shown great progress throughout their freshman years are also scheduled to compete. Staples is also sending All New England 3200m runner Sarah Bogdan who should be among the leaders.
The boys field is expected to have Greenwich, Staples and Amity the 4th, 5th and 10th ranked team in the state according to the Preseason Coaches Poll. Greenwich may miss some runners due to the SATs this weekend and that begs the question, who else might be taking the test this weekend? That will certainly throw things for a loop. It took Soheib Dissa running a course record of 15:26.29 to defeat NXN qualifier Alex Fisher last year. Fisher of Loomis Chaffee is expected to return and he will face several other of CT’s top boy runners lining up against each other on Saturday. Another prep school runner Teddy Hojlo of Brunswick in Greenwich was a sub 9:10 2 miler last year as a freshman….
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