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On Their Way
Left: Woodstock Academy junior Ethan Aspiras on his way to a 38-second victory in cross country. Right: Sophomore Linsey Arends passes NFA freshman Eliana Duclos. Arends held on for a first-place finish. Photos courtesy of Jeff Arends.
The Woodstock Academy girls’ cross-country team is solid in the top two spots.
The rest of the group still has some catching up to do.
“It’s the same story as last year,” Woodstock Academy girls’ cross-country coach Joe Banas said. “Even with the 1-2 finish, it doesn’t guarantee a win. Unfortunately, at this moment, the pack has not moved up.”
The result was a 23-34 win over Ledyard, but a 25-33 loss to ECC Division I foe, Norwich Free Academy, last week.
It was the only meet the Centaurs are scheduled to run on their home course at Stonebridge Road this season.
Linsey Arends and Stella DiPippo did what they had to do.
Arends, a sophomore, battled NFA freshman Eliana Duclos throughout much of the race.
“At first, I was going to try and go out slower to see if I could get her on the hills. I did, but then I got really competitive. At the end, I was kind of dying. I did get her on the hill, though, and that was my goal,” Arends said.
Arends bested her time on the home course from last year as she finished in 20 minutes, 19 seconds.
Her competitiveness on the hill with Duclos may also have helped DiPippo.
The Centaurs junior outkicked Duclos at the end to finish in second by just a second with a time of 20:45.
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“It’s always nice to finish 1-2. It’s what we did last year and in middle school where it was reversed with her always first and me always second. It’s a tradition. We have to keep it going,” Arends said.
Banas said he spoke to Arends before the race as his runner was having her doubts about taking on the NFA freshman.
After Arends and DiPippo, however, followed a sea of red.
The Wildcats (4-0, 1-0 Eastern Connecticut Conference) captured the next four spots behind the Woodstock Academy pair.
A Ledyard runner, Ally Tran, snuck in front of the fifth and sixth runners for NFA, but they were right behind her.
“At the two-mile mark, I didn’t have to take out a piece of paper, I knew the score. The handwriting was on the wall. I’m proud of the team, but we have to start working on the hill. We still have a chance in a few weeks but I really think it’s coming down to an East Lyme-NFA final,” Banas said.
While the ECC team championship could be beyond the Centaurs’ grasp, an individual title is still a strong possibility for either Arends or DiPippo.
“Any girl who finishes in the top 10 in the ECC is going to be an elite runner,” Banas said.
Meghan Gohn finished 10th for the Centaurs (2-3, 0-1) with Iris Bazinet in 13th and Julia Theriaque right behind her to account for the team’s top-five runners.
The Centaurs have a break from dual-meet competition and will travel to the Ocean State Invite on Sept. 28.
Banas said it could be a big deal for runners like Arends and DiPippo.
The course at Goddard Park in Warwick, R.I., is also conducive to good times.
Banas calls it the most “pancake” or flat course the Centaurs may run this season.
Boys Lose 2
Like the girls, the individual parts may matter more than the collective in boys’ cross-country this season.
The Centaurs fell to 2-3 overall and 0-1 in Division I of the Eastern Connecticut Conference by falling to both Norwich Free Academy 20-42 and Ledyard 23-38. But that didn’t faze Ethan Aspiras.
The Woodstock Academy junior raced across the Stonebridge Road course in his only home meet of the season in 16 minutes, 49 seconds.
That was 38 seconds better than second-place finisher, Payton Ramsey, of NFA. Aspiras knew he had the advantage coming in. His times were 25 seconds better than any of the top NFA or Ledyard runners. But he was taking no chances.
“I was going out fast. I wanted to get in front of all of them right away because in the race before, I didn’t get out in front and finished second,” Aspiras said.
Behind him was a pack of NFA runners, not that he was paying attention.
“I made myself not turn around. One rule of running is to never look back because in that one second of turning back, the runner behind can pass you. All I knew was that there was an army behind me, I had to keep going forward,” Aspiras said.
Coach Peter Lusa was pretty happy with the junior’s performance.
Hamilton Barnes finished 10th overall with Vince Bastura in 19th and Evan Gianfriddo in 20th.
The boys will also compete in the Ocean State Invitational in Warwick Sept. 28.
“The Ocean State Invite is really fun for me. There are not a lot of big hills. It’s mostly flat so I’m just looking for another personal best on that course,” Aspiras said.
Marc Allard
Director of Sports Information
The Woodstock Academy
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