(Catherine Avalone – New Haven Register) The Amity boys won their second straight Southern Connecticut Conference cross country championship title, Thursday, October 22, 2015, at Hammonasset Beach State Park in Madison.
MADISON >> In the sport of cross country, every single point matters. So does every single runner.
The Amity boys walked away knowing just how true that sentiment was Thursday at Hammonasset State Park.
Despite one of the Spartans’ top runners going down and not being able to finish, Amity rallied together to score 46 points and edge Fairfield Prep (57) for the Southern Connecticut Conference title.
“You never know what is going to happen,” Amity head coach Bob Orgovan said. “It’s high school, anything can happen. Today tells us to be thankful for our wins.”
PHOTOS: SCC Championships
It is the second straight year Amity has won the SCC title and the first time in program history the Spartans have won back-to-back titles.
“We were very pleased with today,” Orgovan said.
FULL RESULTS SCC XC CHAMPIONSHIPS
Amity, ranked No. 2 in the state coaches poll, got everything they could handle from Prep. The Jesuits placed three runners in the top seven as sophomore Drew Thompson won an exciting race on the 5,000-meter course in 15 minutes, 44 seconds.
(Catherine Avalone – New Haven Register) Fairfield Prep’s Andrew Thompson won the SCC championship meet in 15:44, Thursday, October 22, 2015, at Hammonasset Beach State Park in Madison.
“It was pretty special,” Thompson said of winning his first SCC title. “The crowd was really loud and it was really intense.”
Thompson, a sophomore, who did not run cross country last season, battled the entire race with Amity’s Kyle Beaudette and Cheshire’s Brendan Murray. Thompson didn’t take the lead for good until down the straightaway as he surged ahead for the victory.
“I knew Beaudette and Murray were going to be out front, so it was really sit behind them and see what they were going to do,” Thompson said. “As we came down the stretch I had just a little extra.”
With Prep having a dominant showing up front, Amity responded with a third-place finish from Beaudette (15:48) and senior captain Harrison Block captured fifth (16:01).
Amity senior Matt Arovas, normally the Spartans third/fourth runner, collapsed toward the end of the race and did not finish. Amity was able to rely on its other runners to step up and help the team.
“As usual with us, we need our fourth, fifth, guys, and especially today, our five,” Orgovan said. “(Matt’s) OK, that’s the most important thing.”
Prep, ranked No. 4 in the state coaches poll, was pleased with the way everyone ran.
“It was a lot of fun today,” Prep head coach Bob Ford Jr. said. “Seeing them run well was great.”
Guilford placed third as a team as senior Ben Siciliano finished in fourth (15:50).
Amity’s Block said while today wasn’t the ideal race, it did show the resiliency of the team.
“We know that every single person on varsity makes a difference, whether it’s our one man, our fifth man or our seventh man, each one is just as important,” Block said. “And no matter what, no one in the race gives up, no one holds back and everyone keeps pushing to the end.”
Final Girls Team Results: 1. Amity Regional, 82; 2. Cheshire, 104; 3. Mercy, 108; 4. Guilford, 121; 5. Daniel Hand, 122; 6. Branford, 131; 7. Wilbur Cross, 217; 8.Shelton, 233; 9. North Haven, 234; 10. Lyman Hall, 254; 11. Hamden, 261; 12. Foran, 265; 13. Lauralton Hall, 285; 14. Sacred Heart Academy, 373; 15. Sheehan, 448; 16. East Haven, 464; 17. Jonathan Law, 475; 18. West Haven, 577
Final Boys Team Results: 1. Amity Regional, 46; 2. Fairfield Prep, 57; 3. Guilford 105; 4. Cheshire, 115; 5. Shelton, 140; 6. Xavier, 145; 7. Hamden, 181; 8. Daniel Hand, 201; 9. Foran, 248; 10. Notre Dame, 296; 11. Lyman Hall, 297; 12. Branford, 345; 13. North Haven, 350; 14. Sheehan, 377; 15. Hillhouse, 431; 16. Jonathan Law, 432; 17. Wilbur Cross, 450; 18. East Haven, 497; 19. West Haven, 573
