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In a close one, Avon girls secure another undefeated season

Seniors on the 2013 Avon High cross country teams after their final dual meet Wednesday.

Seniors on the 2013 Avon High cross country teams after their final dual meet Wednesday.

AVON – On an emotional Senior Day, the Avon High girls cross country team continued its remarkable NCCC winning streak. In its closest dual meet since 2010, the Falcons captured their 48th consecutive NCCC match with a 27-29 win over Suffield Wednesday to finish the regular season undefeated for the third year in a row. 

Avon finishes the dual meet portion of the schedule 13-0. The Falcons also beat East Windsor and Sport Medicine Science Academy from Hartford at Fisher Meadow. 

On the boys side, Avon dropped a 23-34 decision to Suffield to finish their dual meet campaign at 9-4. The Falcons did blank East Windsor and SMSA, 15-50. 

It’s been a tremendous senior class at Avon. In four years, the girls have won two NCCC championships and have a great opportunity to win their third straight next Wednesday at the league championship in Windsor Locks. In dual meets, Avon is 49-2 with its last loss coming to Suffield by one point in 2010. The Falcons finished second in Class MM in 2011 and a year ago, Avon won the Class MM championship, finished second at the State Open and qualified to race in the New England championships for the first time ever. 

On Wednesday, Suffield (12-1) nearly beat Avon but senior Sara Stokesbury and freshman Christina Martin ran strong to help the Falcons fend off the upset bid. Stokesbury finished fifth in a time of 19:54 but she was able to pull away from a pair of Suffield runners. Martin held off the late charge of Suffield’s Katie Baker by one second – finishing in 20:08. 

Avon's Christina Martin holds off Suffield's Katie Baker in Avon's 27-29 win Wednesday.

Avon’s Christina Martin holds off Suffield’s Katie Baker in Avon’s 27-29 win Wednesday.

If Martin had finished ninth instead of eighth, the meet would have been tied and determined by the sixth varsity runner on each team. And Suffield’s No. 6 runner was seven seconds ahead of Avon’s No. 6 runner. 

Avon junior Maddie McHugh won her fifth dual meet of the season with a time of 18:46 over the 3.07 mile at Fisher Meadows, nearly a minute faster than her winning time on the same course nearly a month ago. Junior teammate Molly Hamel was second in 19:02. 

While there were tears on Senior Day, the season isn’t over. The Falcons head to Wickham Park in Manchester on Saturday to the Wickham Invitational, run on the same course that the CIAC state championship meets will be held on Oct. 26. 

Avon will conclude the regular season by competing at the NCCC championship meet in Windsor Locks next Wednesday, Oct. 16, beginning at 2 p.m. 

Teams get one point for each dual meet victory among NCCC teams. They also get one point for each team they beat at the NCCC championship meet. Should the teams finish tied following the NCCC meet, the top team at the NCCC meet will win the tiebreaker and the championship. 

In the boys meet, Avon’s Collin Pritchard was second in 17:23. Suffield’s Patrick Begley easily won the meet in 16:45. Avon’s Andrew Suter was third in 17:38. But from that point, it was all Wildcats. Suffield had our of the next six runners while East Windsor had a pair. 

Avon’s James Grant, Matt Reagan and Eric Kirk finished tenth, 12th and 13th, respectively in a 23-34 loss to Suffield (12-1). The Wildcats had five runners among the first eight spots in the race. Ellington (13-0) and Canton (11-2) look to be contenders for the league championship with Suffield. 

GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY
Avon 27, Suffield 29
Avon 15, East Windsor 50
Avon 15, SMSA 50
Suffield 15, East Windsor 50
Suffield 15, SMSA 50
At Avon
Winner: Maddie McHugh (A) 18:46 for 3.07 miles at Fisher Meadows; 2. Molly Hamel (A) 19:02, 3. Monique Labarre (S) 19:23, 4. Nina Beglay (S) 19:31, 5. Sara Stokesbury (A) 19:54, 6. Laura Sweeney (S) 20:02, 7. Eva Hogan (S) 20:04, 8. Christina Martin (A) 20:08, 9. Katie Baker (S) 20:09, 10. Erin Reynolds (S) 20:17, 11. Kristen Goldie (A) 20:20, 12. Rachael Rosow (A) 20:24
Records: Avon 13-0, Suffield 12-1, East Windsor 0-11, SMSA 0-12 

BOYS CROSS COUNTRY
Suffield 17, East Windsor 44
Suffield 23, Avon 34
Suffield 15, SMSA 50
Avon 21, East Windsor 37
Avon 15, SMSA 50
East Windsor 15, SMSA 50
At Avon
Winner: Patrick Begley (S) 16:45 for 3.07 miles at Fisher Meadows, 2. Collin Pritchard (A) 17:23, 3. Andrew Suter (A) 17:38, 4. Kevin Powell (S) 17:42, 5. Justin Walch (S) 17:43, 6. Clay Harmon (EW) 17:48, 7. Michael Allen (S) 17:49, 8. Ryan Jones (S) 17:49; 9. Dan Guagni (EW) 17:52, 10. James Grant (A) 17:59, 11. Ben Gee (S) 18:02, 12. Matt Reagan (A) 18:07, 13. Eric Kirk (A) 18:09
Records: Suffield 12-1, Avon 9-4, East Windsor 8-5, SMSA 0-13

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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