MANCHESTER, Oct. 15, 2024 – The Central Connecticut Conference cross country championships at Wickham Park might be a stiffer challenge than the upcoming CIAC state championship meets on Saturday, Oct. 26 on this same course.
We will find out in 11 days.
The Avon High boys and girls cross country teams both finished in the top five at Tuesday’s CCC championship meet with Brahm Bulow finishing tenth in the boys race and Abigail Van Hoof taking eleventh in the girls race.
The Avon boys (5-2, 5-2 CCC West) finished fifth in the CCC championships behind league champion E.O. Smith, Hall, Rocky Hill and Southington. Andrew Kessler finished 23rd overall for Avon.
It’s the best finish for the Falcons at the CCC meet since they took second in 2021when they also won the CIAC Class MM championship. Avon will still have to deal with E.O. Smith at the Class MM meet but Hall (Class LL), Southington (Class LL) and Rocky Hill (Class M) are in different classes.
The Avon girls (6-1, 6-1 CCC West) finished fourth for their best finish at the CCC meet since taking third a year ago. Van Hoof and Ying Ying Cheng (16) each finished in the top 25 for the Falcons.
Avon is hoping to contend for another Class MM championship. They last won a state title in 2017. The three teams ahead of them on Tuesday will be in different classes at the state meets with league champon Glastonbury in Class LL and Hall and Simsbury in Class L.
2024 Central Connecticut Conference championships
At Manchester
BOYS
Top 10 team results – 1. E.O. Smith 66, 2. Hall 76, 3. Rocky Hill 97, 4. Southington 122, 5. Avon 154, 6. Glastonbury 192, 7. Manchester 246, 8. Windsor 251, 9. Bristol Eastern 270, 10. Plainville 299.
Other teams – 11. Simsbury 302, 13. Lewis mills 338, 16. Farmington 457. 29 teams finished the race
Top 10 individuals – Spencer Slayton, EOS 16:07.72 for 3.1 miles at Wickham Park, 2. William Liebler, Southington, 16:34, 3. Braeden Knotts, East Catholic, 16:38, 4. Daniel DiTunno, Rocky Hill 16:42, 5. Brian Smith, Rocky Hill 16:44, 6. Alex Cook, EO Smith 16:48, 7. Jaxson Koczur, Southington, 16:50, 8. Brendan Cook, EO Smith 16:51, 9. Donovan Connole, Hall 16:52, 10. Brahm Bulow, Avon, 17:02
Avon runners: 10. Bulow 17:02, 23. Andrew Kessler 17:23, 35. Chris Campbell 17:50, 42. Henry Albert 18:02, 44. William Lancaster 18:04, 60. Aidan McLaughlin 18:30, 65. Brady Lord 18:33, 80. William Nusom 18:54
2024 CCC championships boys results
GIRLS
Top 10 team results – 1. Glastonbury 40, 2. Hall 133, 3. Simsbury 142, 4. Avon 153, 5. Windsor 161, 6. Southington 200, 7. Conard 246, 8. Plainville 266, 9. RHAM 289, 10. Farmington 294
Other teams – Lewis Mills no team score. 24 teams finished the race
Top 10 individuals – Brooke Strauss, Glastonbury, 17;54.30 for 3.1 miles at Wickham Park, 2. Liv Sherry, Conard, 18:50, 3. Tess Sherry, Conard 18:54, 4. Lauren Parrett, Glastonbury, 19:23, 5. Sofia Holovatska, South Windsor 19:31, 6. Alexa Nunez, Wethersfield, 19:42.2, 7. Abigail Mathew, Glastonbury, 19:42.4, 8. Grace Wollenberg, Simsbury, 20:14, 9. Maya Donzella, Windsor, 20:17, 10. Julia Donofrio, Southington 20:23
Avon runners: 11. Abigail Van Hoof 20:25, 16. Ying Ying Cheng 20:51, 33. Laura Funderburk 21:33, 41. Spriha Dharan 21:55, 61. Miriae Ek 22:54, 78. Ella Godbout 23:42, 84. Anya Yu 23:58, 102. Colbi Carville 24:25
2024 CCC championships girls results-
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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