After the first two official weeks of practice, Connecticut will kick off the competitive part of its season next week, beginning with the Mercy Invitational on Tuesday.
Just few days later on Saturday, a pair of longtime meets will consume the weekend with the 36th annual Windham X-C Invitational and the 26th annual Wilton Invitational. MileSplit CT will be on site for the first time this season at the Windham Invite.
Taking a quick glance at the best of the best from the state and it looks like the Tolland High girls have a great chance to defend their title at the CIAC Open Championships on Oct. 31.The Eagles, who defeated Glastonbury, 74-136, at last year’s state meet, return five of their varsity members. Senior Courtney Akerly, a ninth-place finisher in 2013, leads her teammates. She owns a best of 18:30.60 for five kilometers, which she did to place 21st overall at the New England Championship.
Tolland’s next four harriers dipped under 20 minutes last year. That quartet includes junior Caitlin Swanson (18:33.30), sophomore Katherine Deloretto (19:05.60), sophomore Hayley Collins (19:35.60) and senior Molly Kozlowski (19:39.40). The Eagles will also be looking to hold onto their Class M crown. That meet is scheduled for Oct. 24.
Glastonbury and Staples should also figure into the mix at the state meet with solid squads. Junior Allison Mcardle, owner of an 18:59.70 best for the 5K distance, leads the Tomahawks. As for the Wreckers, their No. 1 runner is also one of the best in the nation – junior Hannah DeBalsi.
This past spring, the Staples standout captured her first national title by winning the two-mile run at the New Balance National Outdoor Championships in N.C. In cross-country, the defending state and New England titlist was also a runner-up at the Foot Locker Nationals in San Diego in early December.
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Below is a list of the returning class champions. The state and class meets will all be held at Wickham Park.
LL – Glastonbury
L – Wilton
MM –Branford
M – Tolland
SS – Griswold
S - Immaculate
Last year's CIAC Open Championship results