Avon High freshman Madison McGarry took the lead in the final mile and won her first cross country state title in the CIAC Class MM championship race on Saturday at Wickham Park in Manchester.
McGarry became the sixth girl in school history and the first since 2019 to win a cross country state championship with her winning time of 19:18.4 over the 3.1-mile course.
She helped her Avon teammates finish fifth in the Class MM race. The Avon boys also finished fifth while the Canton High girls finished fourth in Class S. The Canton boys took 13th in Class SS.
East Granby sophomore Rockwell Madden became the first Crusader in school history to win a state championship in cross country by winning the Class S championship with a 17-second win over Old Saybrook’s Gordon Martino.
For McGarry, it was her fourth individual title of the season. She also won at the Winding Trails Invitational in Farmington, the Blue Dragon Invitational in Middletown and the Wickham Park Invitational on this course a few weeks ago.
Windsor’s Maya Donzella had the early lead but McGarry stayed close and was able to take the lead after the second mile. McGarry beat Woodstock Academy’s Emelia Langevin (19:31) by 13 seconds to win the title. East Lyme’s Kathryn Wren was third in 19:42. Donzella faded to fifth.
McGarry is the first girl to win a state title in cross country since Rhiannon Richmond in 2019, who won the Class MM championship in 19:59. McGarry’s time of 19:18.4 is the fastest time by an Avon girl winning a state title at 3.1 miles. Rachel Roscow won the Class MM title in 2011 with a time of 19:31 here at Wickham Park.
McGarry and freshman Hollie Vale, who finished seventh, qualified for Friday’s State Open championship. Senior Abigail Van Hoof missed qualifying by one place, finishing 13th in 20:29.4. The top 12 earn automatic bids to the Open.
With 135 points, the Avon girls finished fifth in Class MM behind East Lyme (60), Woodstock Academy (76), Pomperaug (116) and Guilford (122). It was the fifth straight year that the Falcons finished among the top seven in Class MM.
The Avon High boys finished fifth in Class MM with 157 points, led by Henry Albert (17:16.4), who finished 21st. Leo Rasy (17:27, 24) and Andrew Kessler (17:29, 25) also finished in the top 25.
Canton’s girls team finished fourth in Class S with 168 points. Lyme-Old Lyme edged Shepaug by two points, 57-59 for the championship with Lyman Memorial (130) finishing third.
Marisa Bering led the Warriors with a 28th place finish in 22:38 with Caroline Watson in 36th place in 23:23.4.
It’s the best finish for the girls team at the CIAC championships since finishing third in Class SS in 2017.
The Canton boys finished 13th in Class SS led by Max Dendinger, who was 21st overall with a time of 18:06.
Madden was with a pack of five runners at the two-mile point of the race, just a few seconds behind Old Saybrook senior Gordon Martino.
In the final mile, Madden picked up the pace and began to pull away from the group. “Even when I got in front, I was trying to gain my lead because everyone here is so good,” he told Marty Odgen of MySportsResults.com. Madden won the race by 14 seconds with a time of 16:37.2.
It was his second invitational win of the season. He was first in the Varsity Small race at the Wickham Park Invitational in October in 16:55.3. Madden finished third at last week’s NCCC championship race – the best performance by an East Granby runner in the past decade.
The Granby boys finished third in Class SS with 104 points, led by three runners in the top 15. Sophomore Nico Merz (17:14) was fourth with Gavin Baron (12, 17:27), and Patrick Busbey (13, 17:30) also in the top 15. Haddam-Killingworth won the Class SS title with 33 points followed by East Hampton with 89.
NOTABLE: McGarry is the sixth girl to win a cross country state title at Avon.
Rhiannon Richmond (2019, Class MM), Ryley Higgins (2015, Class MM), Rachel Rosow (2011, Class MM), Claire Smith (2009, Class MM) and Mary McNutt (1975 Class S and 1974 Class M) also brought home individual state championships. … Five boys have won individual cross country state championships at Avon – Jack Martin (2019, Class MM), Brian Lenihan (1994, Class M), Jeff Hyman (1981, Class M), Buddy Harris (1971, Class M) and Bob Patrick (1963, Class S) won individual titles.
