The Southern Connecticut Conference was well represented at the State Open and New England cross country championship races during the first week of November.
After winning four class state titles, the SCC had three teams (Xavier and Amity Regional boys, Mercy girls) qualify for the New Englands after fine performances at the State Open race on November 3 at Wickham Park.
In the boys State Open race, eight SCC runners finished in the top 50, led by Amity Regional senior Luke Cushing (3rd, 15:58). Hamden senior Alex Medina finished sixth (16:11), followed by Xavier’s Nolan O’Connor (13th, 16:22) and Holden Hines (14th, 16:22). Xavier’s Peter Torello placed 31st (16:41), while Amity’s Evan Griffiths was 42nd (16:51). Xavier’s Xavier Laudati was 50th (16:59) and Landon Rubano (52nd, 17:03) also placed well.
2025 SCC and Class MM state champion Xavier finished second, its first runner-up performance since 2021, and Class L champion Amity Regional placed fifth which qualified them for the New England race on Saturday, Nov. 8 at Thetford Academy in Thetford, Vt.
At the Council of New England Secondary School Principals’ Association 90th annual New England Championships, Amity finished ninth and Xavier placed 13th in the 30-team field. 253 runners competed in the race, held on Thetford Academy’s challenging course.
Cushing had the SCC’s best individual finish, placing 15th (third among Connecticut runners) with a time of 16:50.58. Hines was next in 60th place (17:33), while Medina was 65th (17:35). Griffiths finished 80th (17:47).
Bishop Hendricken (RI) finished first (58) just ahead of Pinkerton Academy (87).
During the girls State Open race, three SCC runners finished in the top eight, led by Daniel Hand’s Annecy Vlieks (6th, 18:45) and the Mercy duo of Cora Wasiolek (7th, 18:52) and Sarah Roberts (8th, 18:55). Sheehan’s Harper Vanacore finished 31st (20:03) and North Haven’s Kendall Montabana was 40th (20:18). Amity Regional’s Claire Theiss was 46th (20:28).
Mercy, the 2025 SCC and Class MM state champion, finished third in the final team standings, while Class M champion Daniel Hand was eighth and Class L runner-up Cheshire 11th.
At the New England Championship race on Nov. 8, the Tigers placed eighth (327) out of 30 teams – their best finish since 1993 – and placed two runners among the top 14. Roberts led the way with a 12th place finish (19:22), just ahead of Wasiolek’s 14th place (19:24). Vlieks made it three SCC All-New England honorees with her 25th place finish (19:49).
Champlain Valley Union (VT) won the girls title (89), followed by Cumberland (RI), who had 121.
