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Avon boys take advantage of chance to beat Canton; Girls take aim at titles

AVON – Hundreds of runners milled around the fields near Coginchaug Regional High in Durham for the recent Going to the Sun Invitational meet.

The Avon High girls cross country team turned in one of the most dominant performances seen at the event this decade placing four runners in the top 10 and all seven of its varsity runners in the top 20 to win the event for the first time.

However, the seven runners on the Falcons’ boys varsity squad were in street clothes. The only running they did that day was chasing a Frisbee or jogging around the course to cheer on their teammates.

Their focus was on a dual meet with Canton the next day at Fisher Meadows.

“We have a shot to beat them,” Avon coach Gene Macy admitted. Avon had not beaten the Warriors since 2008, when they managed a one-point victory. In that time, Canton had won two NCCC championships, a Class SS title and finished second in Class SS twice.

On this bright and sunny Friday afternoon, two solid packs of Avon runners helped the Falcons beat Canton, 26-31. Canton sophomore James Yost came from behind to win the 3.1 mile race in 17:22 but Avon’s Mike Oberhausen, Connor Wise and Justin Alessio finished third, fourth and fifth respectively. Alessio passed a Canton runner in the final 500 meters.

“I knew it would be close,” Macy said. “We don’t beat Canton very often. This is a good win not only for the conference but to build confidence as a team.” Avon has just five wins over Canton in the last 20 years.

A group of four Avon runners – Jack Wendler, Colin Ponzani, Dan Innes and Jeff Demers – each finished ahead of Canton’s No. 5 runner, adding two more points to Canton’s score.

“They ran a great race,” Macy said. “They showed a lot of heart over the last 800 meters and that is where you need it.” Avon also beat Somers, 19-42 while Canton gained a split with a 22-37 win over the Spartans.

It was the second loss of the season for Canton and it showed that the race for the NCCC championship will be a tight one. Teams earn one point for every team they beat in the dual meet season and one point for every team they beat the conference meet on Friday, Oct. 19 at Windsor Locks.

Avon, Canton, Bolton, Coventry, Suffield and Ellington each look to be contenders. No one team is dominant. “We have a nice pack of runners,” Macy said.

Canton lost six of its top seven runners from a year ago. Yost was the No. 6 runner a year ago. Canton’s No. 2 runner, Matt DeMarco, was playing football last fall. Sophomore Dean Yost, senior Julian Franklin, senior Dave Benedetti and freshman Zack Oliver round out the top six runners.

On the girls side, there isn’t any doubt on the favorite to win the NCCC championship this fall. Avon has looked dominant in the first two weeks of the season. The Falcons won their first four dual meets, easily captured the Varsity II race at the Windham Invitational over Cheshire, 25-80 and Staples and won the Going to the Sun Invitational over East Hampton, 30-79.

The Falcons are deep, led by junior Rachael Rosow who hasn’t lost a dual meet in her high school career. Rosow also won the Wickham and Going to the Sun events. Sophomore Molly Hamel, Maddie McHugh and Kristen Goldie are joined by senior Katie McIntyre and juniors Sarah Stokesbury, Julia deSimas and Hannah Fusaro.

At the Going to the Sun meet, Rosow was first with Hamel fourth and McHugh fifth. Stokesbury was sixth and McIntyre was 14th.

All seven varsity runners are under 22 minutes for 3.1 miles and there are junior varsity runners right behind them ready to grab a varsity spot should anyone’s time slip.

“The goal is to try and win a state championship,” Avon coach Al Daddario said. “I think they have a shot. They trained all summer and trained very hard. They’re better. And they have to stay up. They can’t take a meet off.”

Suffield should provide the stiffest competition in the league. Avon finished second in Class MM last year to Guilford, who should be competitive again. The Class MM meet will be Saturday, Oct. 27 at Windham Park in Manchester.

The Canton High girls team is small with about a dozen runners, led by juniors Eliza Chekas, Emily Jarka and Emily Coleman. Sophomores Emma Frawley and Miranda Fitzpatrick round out the top five.

 

Gerry deSimas, Jr., is the editor and founder of The Collinsville Press. He is an award-winning writer and has been covering sports in Connecticut and New England for more than 40 years. He was inducted into the New England High School Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2018.

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