GameTime CT

Connecticut's premier high school sports website

  • GIRLS SPORTS
    • Basketball
    • Cross Country
    • Field Hockey
    • Golf
    • Gymnastics
    • Hockey
    • Indoor Track
    • Lacrosse
    • Soccer
    • Softball
    • Swimming
    • Tennis
    • Volleyball
    • Track & Field
  • BOYS SPORTS
    • Baseball
    • Basketball
    • Cross Country
    • Football
    • Golf
    • Hockey
    • Indoor Track
    • Lacrosse
    • Soccer
    • Swimming
    • Tennis
    • Track & Field
    • Volleyball
    • Wrestling
  • Schools
  • Newspapers
    • CT Post
    • The Danbury News-Times
    • Greenwich Time
    • The Middletown Press
    • New Haven Register
    • The Norwalk Hour
    • The Register Citizen
    • The Stamford Advocate
  • Polls
    • Baseball Top 10
    • Boys Basketball Top 10
    • Girls Basketball Top 10
    • Football Top 10
    • Hockey Top 10
    • Boys Lacrosse Top 10
    • Softball Top 10
    • Other Polls
  • Scores & Stats
Girls Sports

Girls Cross Country: Tolland wins 3rd straight Open title, Staples' DeBalsi top finisher

Mary Albl | November 6, 2015

(Peter Hvizdak - New Haven Register) Girls Connecticut High School State Open Cross Country Championship race Friday November 6, 2015 at Wickham Park in Manchester.

(Peter Hvizdak – New Haven Register)
Girls Connecticut High School State Open Cross Country Championship race Friday November 6, 2015 at Wickham Park in Manchester.

MANCHESTER >> It would be an understatement to say the Tolland girls were a bit nervous coming into the State Open on Friday.

The night before, one of the Eagles’ top 3 runners, Caitlin Swanson, passed a kidney stone.

“I was freaking out last night,” head coach Judi Lafontaine said. “But we came up with a game plan if Caitlin could not compete. But everybody had a job to do today and they executed it. Caitlin came through.”

Swanson more than came through as the senior battled through and finished the race in the top 25 and led her team to a third straight Open crown at Wickham Park.

RESULTS: STATE OPEN CROSS COUNTRY

The Eagles scored 97 points as four runners placed in the top 30. Glastonbury was second, Ridgefield was third and Staples was fourth.

PHOTOS: State Open Cross Country

“She is an amazing kid,” Lafontaine said of Swanson. “She is very tough.”

Tolland was paced by junior Katherine DeLoreto’s second place finish (19:01).

“Today we  wanted to run for the team and get the points to go for the Open,” DeLoreto said.

Staples' Hannah DeBalsi won her third straight State Open title on Friday.

Staples’ Hannah DeBalsi won her third straight State Open title on Friday.

Individually, Staples’ Hannah DeBalsi won her third straight Open title in 18:08. She became only the fourth female runner in state history to win her straight divisional and Open titles.

“It’s definitely very special,” DeBalsi said.

DeBalsi hasn’t lost a cross country race in the state of Connecticut since finishing her freshman year.

“She’s really collected and mature,” Staples girls head coach Amanda Morgan said of DeBalsi, and the pressure of what she accomplished in her career.

Locally, Coginchaug senior Sam Drop continued her tremendous championship season as she followed up her Class S title with a third place finish (19:13).

“My goal was to get top 10, but I kind of just stuck with the pack,” Drop said. “Up the hill I tried to pass as many people as I could. I just pushed it at the end and gave it all I got.”

(Peter Hvizdak - New Haven Register) Coginchaug's Sam Drop placed third.

(Peter Hvizdak – New Haven Register)
Coginchaug’s Sam Drop placed third.

Drop, who didn’t even make the Open her freshman year, said she’s been motivated the last few races by her runner-up finish at the Shoreline Championships in October.

“Shorelines were a disappointment that I didn’t win, but it kind of gave me something to work for,” she said.

Mercy’s Mackenzie Pias placed sixth overall in 19:21. Pias, who won the Class L and SCC titles, said the warmer conditions today were a bit of a challenge on the course.

“It was a really tough race,” Pias said. “I’m a little disappointed because I wasn’t under 19 minutes in my last race here, but it’s OK; we’ll move forward from here. It was obviously really hot and humid, and it just didn’t go my way.”

Despite the finish, Pias said she’s happy with the way her racing career in Connecticut has gone.

“It’s really crazy, last night I was looking at pictures from when I first started racing here in sixth grade, and I’ve come a long way. I never thought I’d be in the position I am now.”

Haddam-Killingworth’s Maddie Brandon captured eighth place and Mercy’s Bridgid Selfors was 11th. Cheshire’s Lauren Daddi was 19th.

About Mary Albl

Slam Dunk 2

Newsletter Signup

Don't strike out on CT high school sports news. Sign up for The Whistle newsletter from GametimeCT

You agree to our Terms of Use. Your information will be used as described in our Privacy Policy.

TeamPlayer Scores and Stats search

Scores and Stats

Video

Podcasts

Winter 2021 Preview Links

Winter Sports 2021 Links

BOYS BASKETBALL
PRESEASON TOP 10
25 CIAC PLAYERS TO WATCH
5 STORY LINES TO WATCH
CONFERENCE OUTLOOKS
GIRLS BASKETBALL
PRESEASON TOP 10
25 PLAYERS TO WATCH
5 STORY LINES TO WATCH
CONFERENCE OUTLOOKS
BOYS HOCKEY
PRESEASON TOP 10
25 PLAYERS TO WATCH
STORY LINES TO WATCH
CONFERENCE OUTLOOKS
GIRLS HOCKEY
15 PLAYERS TO WATCH
STORY LINES TO WATCH
CONFERENCE OUTLOOKS
BOYS SWIMMING
25 SWIMMERS TO WATCH
GYMNASTICS
15 GYMNASTS TO WATCH

Fall Sports Quick Links

Fall Sports Quick Links

2021 FOOTBALL COLLEGE RECRUITING LIST
2020 GAMETIMECT ALL-STATE TEAMS
BOYS SOCCER
GIRLS SOCCER
FIELD HOCKEY
GIRLS VOLLEYBALL
BOYS CROSS COUNTRY
GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY
2020 LEAGUE PLAYOFFS:
Central Connecticut
Fairfield County
Shoreline Conference
Southern Connecticut
South-West Conference

Twitter

Tweets

Polls

Who has the best jerseys?

Loading ... Loading ...
Follow Us
© Copyright 2017 Hearst Media Services Connecticut, LLC