Avon girls race to 2nd place finish at State Open, going to New Englands

MANCHESTER, Nov. 4 – A year ago, the Avon High girls cross country team was embarrassed at the State Open. The Falcons had earned a berth in the Open with a second place trophy at the Class MM meet but finished dead last in the field of 22 teams.

Rachael Rosow (Tom McIntrye photo)

It wasn’t best of circumstances for the team. Many of the Falcons had minimal preparation for the Open. Nearly everyone in town lost power  for days and days just hours after the Class MM meet due to a freak October snowstorm that cut electric service to thousands of homes across Connecticut. Some Avon families were without power for 11 days. It was hard to run on roads choked with downed trees and power lines.

And on the day of the race, the Falcons were delayed getting to the race at Hammonassett State Park in Madison arriving very shortly before the start of the race.

The Falcons’ pride was wounded. They knew they could run better on the biggest cross country stage in the state.

Avon proved it Sunday at the 2012 State Open championships finishing second to Ridgefield and earning its first-ever berth to the New England championships on Saturday, Nov. 10, in Cumberland, Maine.

Avon coach Al Dadario encourages Sara Stokesbury (7). (Tom McIntyre photo)

Junior Rachael Rosow finished fourth in the field of over 190 runners with a time of 19:27 over 3.1 miles at Wickham Park in Manchester, outracing Thomston’s Cameron Chaplen to the finish by one second and beating Darien’s Anne Johnston by four seconds.

Avon junior teammate Sara Stokesbury was solid by finishing in 13th place with a time of 19:47. Sophomore Molly Hamel was 29th in 20:18 while freshman Ryley Higgins continued her late-season surge by taking 84th place in 21:18, just two seconds ahead of sophomore teammate Madi McHugh in 21:20.

Senior Katie McIntyre (116, 21:49) and junior Hannah Fusaro (117, 21:50) rounded out the top seven for the Falcons.

Ridgefield, the top ranked team in the state and the Class LL champions, easily won the race with 83 points while Avon was second with 149. Glastonbury (160) and Danbury (217) were third and fourth, respectively. Guilford, who was second to Avon in Class MM a week ago, finished 12th.

It was Avon’s best showing at the State Open meet since 1985 when the Falcons won the second of their two back-to-back State Open championships. The Falcons were second at the Open in 1983. Avon did compete at the Open in 1994 and 1992, finishing 20th and 18th, respectively.

Avon will be competing for the first time at the New England championships. The top six teams and top 25 finishers from Connecticut qualify. The last time that Avon finished in the top six at the Open was in 1985. But at that time, Connecticut was not participating in the New England meet.

STATE OPEN BOYS: Canton senior Matt Demarco, a first-year runner for the Warriors, finished in 96th place with a time of 17:44 at the State Open.

Avon finished second at the State Open. From left, Molly Hamel, Madi McHugh, Katie McIntyre, Sara Stokesbury, Rachael Rosow, Hannah Fusaro and Ryley Higgins. (Tom McIntyre photo)