Sherry, Noble Pull Off Big Wins At Connecticut Open

By Mary Albl of DyeStat

MANCHESTER, Ct. -- It doesn’t take much to motivate Conard’s Gavin Sherry for a race, especially when he knows he’s going up against a national track champion.

Billed as a showdown of some of the best prep runners in the country, the standout sophomore showed why he’s one of the top young guns and proved to be the best runner Friday afternoon.

In a gritty finish through the 5,000-meter course at Wickham Park, Sherry dug deep to find an extra gear to pull away from Xavier’s Robbie Cozean and win the Connecticut Cross Country State Open title in a time of 15 minutes, 38 seconds. 

“I’m always really motivated when it comes to racing,” Sherry said. “I really like just trying to be the gutsiest one on the course every time, and it’s what I love to do.”

Coming off a phenomenal divisional Class LL race last weekend where he ran the second-fastest 5K time ever at Wickham (15:24), Sherry led from the start, challenging Cozean to keep pace.

“I think he made the race,” Cozean said of Sherry. “He definitely controlled it from the start. He made a pure guts race, I just didn’t have enough guts.”

Sherry, who is the first winner from Conard since 2002, before he was born, almost lost his lead at the end to Cozean, who appeared to have saved his signature kick for a photo-finish victory.

“Robbie is an amazing runner. He’s so fun to watch and to run with,” Sherry said. “You know he’s going to have an amazing kick. I was hurting coming in the final stretch, but seeing him come past me, really clicked that final switch.” 

Added Cozean: “That was kind of my plan at the end (to) just try and close the gap and then use my finishing kick in the last 100 meters, but it just didn’t happen today.” 

Cozean, who is committed to the University of Notre Dame, said he wasn’t as mentally in the race as he could have been.

“It was a really impressive race by Gavin,” Cozean said.

The two will battle again next Saturday at Wickham Park at the New England Championships. Manchester sophomore Aidan Puffer, who finished in second at the Class LL meet, did not race due to an apparent injury. 

The boys team title was won by Tolland with 71 points. Conard was second (87 points). It is the Eagles’ first crown since 2010. Senior Alec Sauter led the team with a third-place finish (16:11).

“We knew we had the potential to do it but we would really have to put our best race together, which I felt that they did,” Tolland coach Brandon Elliott said. “They want to come back next week (New Englands) and sort of defend their turf, and see what we can do.”

In the girls race, defending Open champion and All-American Kate Wiser of Pomperaug was taken down by Greenwich junior Mari Noble. After establishing a new Wickham course record last weekend of 17:39, many thought it wouldn’t be a matter of if Wiser won, but by how much. But Noble, who came into the race with the second-fastest seed time, had other plans. Noble was able to pull away from Wiser on the course to win in 18:13. Wiser was second in 18:23. 

“My game plan was to stay right up with Kate for the first two miles or so, basically as long as I could,” Noble said. “(But) I was feeling really good at 2 miles, so I kind of just kept going. I knew it was a possibility (of winning) but I really didn’t think it would happen, so I just really kicked it at the end.” 

Noble, who won the Class LL title last Saturday, said this is the first full year of intense training she’d had coming into the Open. She and Wiser went back and forth a bit on the course, but Noble was able to find a fast and comfortable pace late in the race and hold the lead. 

“It means everything, I really didn’t think this was completely possible, so I’m just over the moon,” Noble said. “She’s phenomenal (Wiser), I look up to her so much as an athlete, as a racer. I was just really excited to get to race her today.”

Wiser’s coach, Mark Goodwin, said second in the state for Wiser is still an accomplishment, and big picture, will be good heading into a competitive New England field. 

“Mari just ran hard from the start, and it just might not have been Kate’s day, but it was Mari’s day,” Goodwin said. "She’ll bounce back.” 

In the team race, Hall won its first team title with 110 points. Senior Jenna Zydanowicz was the top finisher in 11th place. Hall placed three runners in the top 20. Simsbury was second  with 136 points.

State Open Team Champions

Tolland boys 71 points; Hall girls 110 points - RESULTS

State Divisional Champions

Class LL:  Conard boys 63 points, Hall girls 77 points - RESULTS

Class L: Xavier boys 62 points; New Canaan girls 56 points - RESULTS

Class MM East Lyme boys 67 points; E.O. Smith girls 63 points - RESULTS

Class M: Tolland boys 30 points; Tolland girls 57 points - RESULTS

Class SS: East Hampton boys 54 points; Haddam-Killingworth girls 61 points - RESULTS

Class S: Bolton boys 47 points; Thomaston girls 59 points - RESULTS