Avon girls finish second in Class MM; Falcon boys qualify for State Open

The Avon High girls cross country team finished second in Class MM at Saturday’s state championship meets at Wickham Park. (Photo courtesy Avon HIgh cross country)

MANCHESTER, Oct. 26, 2024 – With two runners in the top 10, the Avon High girls cross country team finished second at the CIAC Class MM championships Saturday at Wickham Park in Manchester.

Sophomore Abigail Van Hoof was fourth for the Falcons with a time of 20:17 over the 5,000 meter course (3.1 miles) with Ying Ying Cheng taking eighth in 20:44. But Mercy High out of Middletown was too strong with three runners in the top 10 and five in the top 15 to win the state championship, 37-87.

The Avon High boys cross country team had two runners in the top 20 and finished third in Class MM behind East Lyme and CCC champion E.O. Smith.

East Lyme had a dominant afternoon with five runners among the top seven finishers in the race to outdistance E.O. Smith, 21-55. Avon was third with 121 points.

Despite finishing third, Avon will advance on Thursday’s State Open championships on Oct. 31 at Wickham Park.

The top two teams in each of the six divisions (Class LL, L, MM, M, SS and S) automatically qualify for the State Open along with the top eight teams by total team time. The Falcon boys had a total team time of 1:28.14.

It will be the first time since 2014 that the Avon High girls and boys teams will be participating in the State Open together.

The Avon High girls (6-1) were led by Van Hoof and Cheng, who earned All-State honors with their finishes. Laura Funderburk (22), Spriha Dharan (23) and Ella Godbout (30) showed the strength of Avon’s pack-style running.

It is the seventh time since 2011 under coach Al Dadario that the Falcons have come home with a first or second place trophy from the Class MM championship meet. It was the best finish for the Avon girls since finishing first in 2017.

Braham Bulow led the way for the Avon High boys, finishing 13th with a time of 17:08 with Andrew Kessler in 16th place with a time of 17:13. William Lancaster (27, 17:49), Henry Albert (32, 18:06) and Henry Lord (33, 18:08) rounded out the top five finishers.

This was the best finish for the Avon boys under head coach C.J. Fusco since winning the Class MM title in 2021. Avon has finished in the top five in Class MM in four of the last five championship races. There was no race in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the Class SS championship meet, the Canton High boys finished ninth with a total of 292 points. Ethan Lindquist led the Warriors in 34th place with a time of 18:56. Liam Vincent was 46h with a time of 19:24.

The Canton High girls cross country team finished 15th in Class SS, led by Macy McCullough, who finished 25th with a time of 23:16.

CIAC cross country results