While many of Connecticut's top high school athletes are already preparing for the outdoor season, another wave of talent is beginning to rise at the middle school level. Looking back at results from the 2025 outdoor season provides an early glimpse at several athletes in the Classes of 2030 and 2031 who could soon make an impact on the high school ranks.
Boys Standouts
One of the fastest returning middle school athletes in the state is Henry Laurans (Greenwich Country Day School / The Country School). Laurans ran 2:19.78 in the 800 meters and 5:06.98 in the 1600, showcasing chops in both events while competing among the top performers at the Connecticut Middle School Championships.
Another athlete to watch is Cameron Sawyer (Preston Plains Middle School), who posted the fastest returning 1600m mark at 5:05.66, just ahead of Laurans. Sawyer's performance at the state championship meet established him as one of the top distance runners in the Class of 2030.
There's just as much depth in the 800 meters right now, too. Kolbein Vigen (Old Lyme High School) ran 2:23.35, while Robert Walker (Plainfield Central Middle School) and Libardo Casas (East Hartford High School) both dipped into the 2:23 range. In the Class of 2031, Max Cohen (Catherine McGee) leads the returning 800m performers with a 2:29.60 PR, while Alden Comeau (CT Storm) has clocked 2:36.29 in the 800 and 5:32.55 in the 1600.
Girls Standouts
Among the Class of 2030 runners, Madison McGarry (Avon High School) emerged as one of the state's top middle school talents after winning the Connecticut Middle School Championship 1600m title in 5:29.27, and also posting a 2:41.11 in the 800.
Close behind in the 1600 is Madeline Staib (The Country School / Litchfield Track Club), who ran 5:33.81, but she also clocked 2:32.63 in the 800.
The Class of 2031 group is led by Amelia Palmer (New Canaan Middle School), who posted 2:28.60 in the 800 and 5:49.67 in the 1600. Another standout is Sofia Livolsi (North Haven High School), who ran the fastest returning 1600m time in the Class of 2031 at 5:45.75, while Reagan Balint (Danbury Hatters HCYS Track & XC Club) showed plenty of promise as well, going 2:38.03 in the 800 and 6:08.33 in the 1600.
Rising Depth Across Events
On the boys side, Connor Gauthier (Griswold High School) and Jake Hopkins (Suffield High School) both rank among the top performers in both the 800 and 1600, while Grady Vreeland (Griswold High School) and Tanner DeLucia (Lebanon Middle School) also posted competitive times in both events.
For the girls, athletes like Corrin McVeigh (Brooklyn Middle School) and Isabella Wyngaard (Plainfield Central Middle School) demonstrated similar versatility with strong performances in both the 800 and 1600 meters.
Looking Ahead
While middle school results often vary as young athletes continue to develop, the performances from the 2025 Connecticut middle school outdoor season suggest a strong pipeline of future high school distance talent.
With athletes like Henry Laurans, Cameron Sawyer, Madison McGarry, and Amelia Palmer already posting impressive marks, the coming seasons should reveal which of these young runners continue to rise as they transition to the high school level.