NEW ENGLAND HIGH SCHOOL CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS

Ridgefield CT Boys, Champlain Valley VT Girls Win New Englands Titles At Wickham Park

By Mary Albl of DyeStat

Newtown’s Soheib Dissa has established himself as one of best distance runners in Connecticut state history and Saturday’s performance at the 89th New England Cross Country Championship cemented that legacy.

The senior, and Duke commit, won the race against New England's best in a time of 15 minutes 13 seconds. His time on the challenging and hilly Wickham Park 5,000-meter course, is the third fastest ever, behind only Alex Ostberg, who holds the top two times.

Junior Marshall Vernon of La Salle Academy RI  was right behind in second place (15:14) to claim the fourth-fastest time on the course. Junior Sean Gray of Portsmouth RI was third in 15:24. 

Ridgefield made it in an in-state sweep, dominating the field with 63 points to win the New England title for the second consecutive year. The Tigers placed four runners in the top 25 overall as senior Magnus Manley was fifth overall (15:35). Second place went to East Lyme of CT (160 points), while Bishop Hendricken RI was third (196 points). 

Glastonbury senior Brooke Strauss made it a Connecticut individual sweep, winning the girls title in a personal best time of 17:46.

Strauss, who is undefeated on the season and a UConn commit, ran the fifth-fastest time on the Wickham course. Second place went to junior Chase Gilbert of Lyme-Old Lyme CT in 17:53, a personal best on the course and the sixth-fastest time.

Third place went to Mikita Barry of Bedford NH, who is in her first cross country season in 18:16. 

Champlain Valley Union of Vermont won the team title with 100 points, the program’s second straight New England crown. CVU placed three runners in the top 30 overall. Cumberland RI was second (124 points) and Hanover NH was third with 154 points. 

TEAM CHAMPIONS

Ridgefield boys 63 points; Champlain Valley Union girls 100 points - RESULTS