(All photos by Mary Albl)
By MARY ALBL
Hannah DeBalsi has yet to run an official race yet this cross country season. But that hasn’t stopped the attention from mounting or the spotlight from reaching the junior from Westport.
DeBalsi, who is in her third season running for Staples High, entered the fall as MileSplit’s No. 1 female high school runner, and was a national favorite among other preseason Internet rankings.
The premature accolades are warranted though. Last cross country season DeBalsi went undefeated in the state of Connecticut, won the New England title and captured second place at the Foot Locker National Championships.
She continued her impressive performances into the track season as she won the New Balance Outdoor two-mile crown and then became the first girl ever in Connecticut track and field history to break 10 minutes in the two mile when she ran a 9:55.05 at the Brooks PR Invitational in Seattle, finishing second.
“I guess there is some pressure that comes along with being ranked so high, but if anything, I think it's going to help me,” DeBalsi said. “When I race, I want to prove that I deserve that spot. There's probably a target on my back right now, so I'm just going to do my best to make sure I keep that target on my back.”
DeBalsi said the strategy behind not racing early on is due to the fact of the longevity of the season and peaking toward the end. But that doesn’t mean she isn’t training.
“I haven't officially raced yet because I want to peak in late November and December,” she said. “To do that, I'm trying not to race too much and focus on training right now. The girls team (Staples) as a whole hasn't raced in anything besides a dual meet anyway. My first race will most likely be FCIACs (Oct. 16, Waveny Park, New Canaan) but we haven't really nailed down the details of my season yet.”
When DeBalsi does finally race though, she definitely would like to defend all of her titles. She is the defending FCIAC, Class LL and State Open champion. She’s also the defending New England champion.
The main goal for DeBalsi, however, is Footlockers in December.
Along with a strong list of individual goals this season, DeBalsi is blessed to be on one of the stronger teams in the state.
Staples is currently ranked No. 4 in the latest CT Coaches Poll. The Wreckers finished second at the FCIAC Championships last fall, fifth at LL and third at the Open.
“It would also be great to potentially pick up some titles as a team too,” DeBalsi said.
While DeBalsi is the clear No. 1 favorite in Connecticut, she may see a few girls give her a good run come October.
“It's a bit hard to tell who's going to be the biggest challenge yet just because it's so early,” DeBalsi said. “Connecticut is a talented state, so I'm sure there will be a deep field at states. There haven't been many CT results to look at yet, but the ones I saw from Wilton (Invitational) were pretty respectable, including Gabi Richichi's time.”
Richichi, a senior from New Milford, might just be DeBalsi’s biggest in-state rival. Richichi finished third at the State Open last fall and recently ran 13:59 on the 2.5 mile course at the Wilton Invitational at Allens Meadow.
Along with Richichi, Darien senior Anne Johnston, along with Cyrene Nicholas of Branford, Danae Rivers of Wilbur Cross, Staples’ Erica Hefnawy, Amity’s Emily Criscuolo and few names from powerhouses Tolland, Glastonbury and Ridgefield should in in the mix for a Top 10 finish come states. On the boys’ side, Darien’s Alex Osttberg, who was a preseason Top 10 runner by MileSplit, has run well early in the dual meets. Last week he set a course record at Beardsley Zoo Park. He ran the 2.8 mile course in 14:59. Ostberg finished third at the State Open last year. Wilton’s Spencer Brown, who was fifth at the Open last fall, won the Wilton Invite (3.1 miles) in 15:32.
