While most Connecticut athletes were competing in separate invitational meets in-state, Hannah DeBalsi took her talents cross country to the star-studded Arcadia Invitational in California.
The Staples High standout made good use of the long trek to the west coast.
DeBalsi finished third overall in the Invitational 3,200-meter run with a fast early-season time of 10 minutes, 15.36 seconds. Sophomore Rylee Bowen of Sonoma Academy (NC) won the race with a nation-leading clocking of 10:13.20. Another tenth-grader, Annie Hill of Glacier (MT), was second at 10:14.14 (US #2).
DeBalsi led for most of the eight-lap race, hitting the opening 800m at 2:34 and 1,600m at 5:06. Her time ranks No. 3 nationwide,