CONNECTICUT STATE MEET

Hall Runs To First Boys State Championship At CIAC State Open

By Mary Albl of DyeStaNo

Friday afternoon was a long time coming for the William Hall boys cross country program. Ranked No. 1 all season long in the state's coaches poll, the Titans put the finishing touch on an historic season as they won the program’s first-ever CIAC State Open Cross Country championship.

Hall scored 86 points to claim first place as junior Isaac Mahler led the team with a third-place finish in 15:53. Teammate Collin Goldschmidt was sixth in 16:17. Hall had four runners in the top 31 overall. 

Individually, Ridgefield junior Steve Hergenrother was the top finisher on Wickman Park’s 5,000-meter hilly course, clocking 15:42, helping Ridgefield to a runner-up team finish with 113 points. Second place went to Suffield’s Griffin Mandirola (15:48). 

In the girls race, after missing a majority of the season due to an injury, Glastonbury sophomore Brooke Strauss came back strong to win her first Open title in 19:05. Strauss was out since mid-September, but came back to the Class LL state divisional meet last weekend. With her win on Friday, she guided Glastonbury to a team title with 65 points, beating 2021 Open winner New Milford (131 points). Junior Kathryn Marchand of Trumbull  was second in the race, clocking 19:11.

Next up for Connecticut runners and teams that qualified will be the New England Interscholastic Cross Country Championships on Saturday, Nov. 12 at Ponaganset High in Rhode Island. 

Team Champions

Hall boys 86 points; Glastonbury girls 65 points - RESULTS

CIAC Divisional Champions - October 29

Class LL: Hall boys 59 points; Glastonbury girls 44 points

Class L: Xavier boys 36 points; New Milford girls 50 points

Class MM: East Lyme boys 78 points; Guilford girls 89 points

Class M: Barlow boys 95 points; New Fairfield girls 47 points

Class SS: Girswold boys 56 points; Haddam-Killingworth girls 17 points

Class S: Immaculate boys 46 points; Somers girls 45 points