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Up the Hill
Linsey Arends climbing a hill with a little over a mile to go in the Eastern Connecticut Conference girls’ cross-country championship Oct. 18. Fellow freshman and eventual winner, Bacon Academy’s Jordan Malloy, is in the background. Photo by Marc Allard.
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Woodstock Academy girls’ cross-country coach Joe Banas has said all year long that his team is about a year away from being very competitive in both the Eastern Connecticut Conference and in Class MM.
Last week, the Centaurs showed they may be even closer than that.
Woodstock Academy finished second in the ECC girls’ cross-country championship race Oct. 18 at the Norwich Golf Course, losing out to only East Lyme, 57-83.
“We had two (Linsey Arends and Stella DiPippo) in the top five. Iris (Bazinet) ran well, Shannon (D’Alessandro) did her job,” said Banas. “My hat is off to (East Lyme coach) Mike (Flynn) and his team. He runs a nice program and all of his (runners) are coming back. We have to work between now and next year to close that gap.”
Arends and DiPippo were near the front the entire length of the 3.1 mile race. Both, however, had to contend with a fast pace at the start.
Montville senior and defending champ, Mady Whittaker, bolted out in front of the pack at the beginning of the race, trying to sap the will of some of her younger competitors.
It meant Arends had to adjust her strategy. She decided she had to stay in the hunt early, rather than hang back and save for the end.
“I wish I would have gone out a little slower, because I might have had more at the end to sprint up the last few hills. She definitely put the pressure on, turned the heat up, everyone wanted to stay up with her. She took off and everyone else wanted to take off after her,” Arends said.
DiPippo found the early pace to be a bit taxing.
“It was definitely tough the second the gun went off,” DiPippo said. “With all the hills that start out right away and when Mady went out super-fast, she brought everybody else with her. That made it really difficult from start to finish.”
Banas did have an accurate prediction.
He said he expected Whittaker might go out fast, but also expected her to possibly come back to the pack at the end.
The Montville senior did.
Arends stayed in second place until the final mile when fellow freshman, Jordan Malloy of Bacon Academy, passed her.
It was a battle that will likely be played out again many times over the next 3 ½ years.
“Probably, but I have Joe Banas as my coach and with him helping me, I can definitely beat her next time,” Arends said of Malloy.
Arends then was in the catbird seat to watch the battle between Whittaker and Malloy play out. Malloy saw her opportunity to pass the senior on the final incline of the race with about 600 meters left.
The Bacon Academy freshman completed the pass and took home what could have been considered the upset victory.
Arends remained in her spot, third place, in 20 minutes, 54 seconds.
“I’m pretty happy. I still think I could have done better. It definitely wasn’t my best race or my best time of the season, but it took a lot out of me and I think I did pretty good,” Arends said.
St. Bernard junior Brigid Kunka was able to pass DiPippo and the Woodstock Academy sophomore had to settle for fifth in 21:07.
“I ran faster than last year (when she finished third) which was my main goal this year. I was trying to beat (Kunka) at the end and go for fourth. I really thought I had her, but then she passed me again and I didn’t have any gas left. I’m happy with how I did,” DiPippo said.
Bazinet finished in 22nd with D’Alessandro in 26th and Megan Gohn 29th.
The Centaurs are back on the course this weekend when they travel to Manchester to take part in the Class MM state championship race at Wickham Park.
The Centaurs competed in the Class L state championship a year ago as they were three girls over the Class MM enrollment classification.
This year, they fell three girls under.
“To possibly make it into the State Open, it’s better to be in MM,” Banas said.
That’s from the competition side.
But there is an X-factor this year- the shape of the course.
Wickham Park and Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference officials normally allow teams to go to the course in the two weeks before to practice on it.
Due to the wetness of the grounds, that was disallowed this season.
The Centaurs will be running in the 12th, and final, race of the day Oct. 27 and the course could be a nightmare by that time.
“It’s beaten up and by the time our boys and girls race, there won’t be a ‘wild card’ of the 30 teams coming out of the ‘MM’ race,” Banas said.
The top two teams in each division by points automatically qualify for the State Open championship with eight “Wild Card” teams determined by overall team time.
Banas wants to see both of his young runners, Arends and DiPippo, break the top 12 which would qualify them as individuals for the State Open.
“I don’t want to put pressure on a 13-year-old, but I would love to see Linsey make it to New England’s, “Banas said. “It would be Manchester (CT) to Manchester (NH).”
Arends would have to finish in the top 25 in the State Open to accomplish that feat.
“I feel confident about States. I’m not sure how I will do, but I’m definitely nervous and excited. I hope to do well,” Arends said.
Her personal goal is to break 20 minutes in the race.
Boys’ cross-country
The Centaurs boys’ cross-country team had a healthy showing at the Eastern Connecticut Conference cross-country championship Oct. 18.
The Centaurs finished sixth out of the 19 teams in the conference.
“I am pleased with the sixth-place result. We only lost to teams that had previously beaten us during the season,” said coach Peter Lusa.
Only their three Division I opponents, East Lyme, Norwich Free Academy and Fitch, and two other schools, Bacon Academy and Waterford did better than the Centaurs who finished with a 191-point total.
Ethan Aspiras led the Centaurs with a 21st place in 18 minutes, 35 seconds.
He was followed across the line by Kenneth Birlin in 27th (19:12); Matthew Roethlein 48th (19:38); Hamilton Barnes 49th (19:39) and Christian Mink 54th (19:55).
“Nearly all the boys ran personal best times for the season on a difficult course. Our runners are peaking at the right time. I’m looking forward to the state competition,” Lusa said.
The Centaurs will compete in the last boys’ state championship race of the day at 3:10 p.m. Oct. 27 at Wickham Park in Manchester.
Marc Allard
Sports Information Director
The Woodstock Academy
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