Connecticut Boys XC Class LL - L - MM Previews


MileSplit CT is kicking off the previews of another XC season like no other with an in-depth series of articles that will continue through the month!

Following on a 2020-21 year for cross country that was shortened or missing entirely for teams in Connecticut, this year the outlook seems more promising for an extended schedule that will culminate with State Open and national championships. Still, at the beginning of September we are keeping our XC fingers crossed that all the sections and conferences can be restored to the traditional fall slate of action.

We begin coverage of this year's XC season with previews that will try to pull together the somewhat murky info from last year's XC meets along with more insights from the track season's long distance races and even from the estimates of who might be returning this year for a team that are based on 2019 XC results. So yes, this year we begin the XC campaign with a lot more questions than in past years. But we also hope to have a lot more race and interview videos, photo albums, and feature pieces to go along with the weekly rankings and wrap-ups that begin mid to late September.

An Invitation: We are making a commitment to cover all the schools in the state, which naturally includes the teams from the six classes (LL-L-MM-M-SS-S) of the CIAC. But we are also trying to give attention to teams from the other associations such as the Founders League, Fairchester Athletic Association (Fairfield+WestchesterNY, better known as FAA), and Housatonic Valley Athletic League. No matter which CT school you are running for, we'll be watching out for you. Please set up a MileSplit account for yourself if you do not own one and claim your athlete's profile if you are a runner or your team profile on CT MileSplit if you are a coach. Answers to any questions about MileSplit accounts can likely be found on the support pages. And teams are encouraged to tag MileSplitCT in your social media so we can share your exploits.

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The previews and rankings for the XC runners and teams will be using not only the raw times from the meets but also the speed ratings from the Tully Runners system that are becoming an ever more central part of XC coverage.  Speed ratings for XC runners are composed from comparing the times from individuals on a wide variety of courses under varying conditions and are much more informative than the "best time" lists from performances on widely ranging course types.  In 2020, however, few of CT's meets were speed rated.

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The battles at the six Class championship races are all of equal importance to the teams competing in them, but it is true that the larger classes provide most of the twelve teams that qualify for the State Open meet beyond the the top two from each class.

The big schools usually have the most powerful squads. In 2021 the boys LL class includes 26 schools with a seed size of 732 or more, the boys L class has 27 schools with sizes 565-731, and the boys MM class has 30 schools sized 424-564. There are 46 listed schools that are split with their girls in one class and boys in another, though many of them do not field XC teams.

Nearly all the teams will be competing in heated League battles starting around the middle of October before heading to Wickham Park in Manchester for the class Divisional championship meet on October 30 and the state Open championship on November 6. Big dual and invitational meets begin in September, and at the end of it all a few of the strongest teams and runners will go to the New England championship on November 13 in Thetford VT and the Nike Cross Regional Northeast or Foot Locker Northeast Regional at the end of the month.


Check out the preseason previews below.


PREVIEW OF RUNNERS

PREVIEW OF Teams

Class LL Individuals

Class LL Teams

Class L Individuals

Class L Teams

Class MM Individuals

Class MM Teams