On Monday October 7th, at Wooster Middle School, Stratford High School Boys Cross Country team hosted Weston, Brookfield, and Bunnell in the South West Conference regular season finale.
It was mostly cloudy conditions surrounding the area, temperatures in the low 70’s, with south west winds up to 22 mile per at times to start this race off.
The 5K course features terrains ranging from dirt and grass to asphalt and concrete. In addition to the trail of acorns on top of crushed stone along the pond. It is one of the flattest and fastest courses in the conference. Times are expected to be quick especially when powerhouses Weston and Brookfield enter the scene.
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And anytime Bunnell and Stratford get together you can expect above average “energy” in the atmosphere. Once again before the race both these teams had their ceremonial gathering in a show of community spirit and sportsmanship. Then it was off to the starting line.
With all four teams ready to go at the starting line, and old cross country adage was brought out to describe the wide starting area to the narrow path circling the course’s “ Big Field”. A “dash to the cow path” is how one can describe Wooster’s high school cross country starting line.
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For Paul Duncanson, of Stratford, this would be his final home race of his four year stellar career. The senior has been a dedicated team member and served as Captain to this year’s team. On hand to commemorate Duncanson and his years on the team were graduates Tanner Mitchell and Julian Pilla. Both Mitchell and Pilla were also four year members and teammates with Duncanson his first three years.
As the whistle blew to start the race each team had representatives in the front of the pack. A powerful Jadon Parris, of Brookfield, wasted no time in taking command as the race was a half mile old.
Weston’s Kevin Crowley followed, he was maintaining a lead over Bunnell’s Dennis Johnson.
Crowley’s teammates Antonio Maya-Lefort and Cooper Capola followed as the brisk pace continued into mile one.
Stratford’s Elijah Brown dashed his way into the sixth spot with Mario Oliva of Bunnell right behind.
Weston’s Ryan Rupprecht was eighth and Stratford’s hard charging Joshua Kydes close behind.
Brookfield’s Trem Ampeloquio anchored the tenth spot.
The race stayed that way with less than a mile to go.
With its tri-meet and quad meet formats, the South West Conference has seen an uptick in parity this season within the top ten overall finishers and the same held true today with at least two runners from each school in the top ten.
Parris opened up a fifteen second lead and easily cruised in at 16:57.
Crowley in second at 17:12.
Johnson was in third at 17:46.
Maya-LeFort stayed in fourth at 18:01.
Capola was fifth at 18:13.
Brown out raced Olivia (18:18) in sixth at 18:17
The eighth spot went to Rupperecht at 18:25.
Kydes took ninth at 18:27
Rounding the top ten was Ampeloquio at 18:46.
Stratford saw the return of Tyler Ciufo to the lineup with a finish of 20:09.
Duncanson in at 20:42.
Freshmen Amos Colocho and Ryan Munoz bettered their time from Friday with respective finishes of 23:03 and 24:09. Teammate Drilon Nasufi had his best time of the season with a 27:14 finish.
In team play, Weston, with four runners in the top eight, captured three wins.
Brookfield, with five runners, in the top thirteen took two wins on the day.
Final scores, Weston 26 Brookfield 31, Weston 22 Bunnell 36, Weston 18 Stratford 40, Brookfield 23 Bunnell 36, Brookfield 23 Stratford 38, and Bunnell over Stratford 25-32.
Up next for Stratford, the South West Conference Championships from Bethel High School on Wednesday October 16th at 3:30.