Cross Country—

Girls Run After Another Title; Boys Young But Talented

By Andy Hutchison

The Newtown High School girls’ cross country team has established itself as the team to beat in the South-West Conference. Actually that happened years ago, as the Nighthawks have run away with seven consecutive conference crowns. Considering the talent the Hawks return in 2009, chances of another championship look good.

The Hawks had lost five of their top seven runners to graduation before winning their seventh straight crown and considering only one of last year’s top seven (Natalie Villa) leaves shoes to fill, this year’s squad has great reason to believe they can keep the stake intact.

Coach Doug Russell said the girls have more experience which should result in improved performances this fall.

Top returning runners are juniors Anne Martino, Mara Scallon, and Dani Villa; sophomores Katie Burns and Erin Begg; and senior captain Scarlett O’Sullivan. Newcomer Lilly Rodriquez, a junior who started the regular season in the fifth spot, brings experience from the track program.

Not far off the frontrunners are Lila Kohrman-Glaser and Kaitlyn Kakadeles, both juniors, Russell said. The other senior captain is Jill Kressin, whom the coach said has shown improvement.

Russell said the goals include going for an eighth straight championship and contending for a top-six placement at the State Open which would mean a spot in the New England Championships. This would require an improvement on last year’s finish to the season as the Hawks placed ninth at the Open after placing fourth in the Class LL meet.

Russell foresees the toughest competition coming from New Milford and New Fairfield, the same two teams that were Newtown’s nearest competitors last fall.

In the girls’ first meet of the season, Tuesday at home, the Hawks won three races as follows: Newtown 26, New Fairfield  29; Newtown 21, Notre Dame 40; Newtown 15, Stratford  50.

Among the top 20 overall finishers, Newtown results (placement, name and time) are as follows: 3. Erin Begg, 21:07; 4. Anne Martino, 21:07; 6. Mara Scallon, 21:39; 7. Katie Burns, 21:49; 12. Lilly Rodriquez, 23:06; 13. Dani Villa, 23:28; 15. Katy Howell, 24:43; 17. Scarlett O’Sullivan, 24:49; 18. Leigh Gerity, 25:10; 19. Faith Maniafico, 25:15.

The Newtown boys are coming off a 7-6 campaign in which they placed seventh in the SWC Championships and 12th in the Class LL meet. Graduates David Meyer (the team’s top runner), Alex DiNoto, Adam Schankman, and Tucker Gross (all top seven runners) along with Brendan O’Connell will mean young team members will have to step into more significant roles this season.

Senior Captains Erik Hoffman, Andrew LaMarche, and Matt Bobkowski will lead a group that includes juniors Austin Baldour, Vinnie Brophy, and Ryan Powers, in addition to sophomores Palmer Lintz, Patrick Sullivan, Dieter Gutbrod, and David Lucia.

Coach Dave Foss says the team is loaded with youth and inexperience but possesses talent that can carry it to strong results come postseason.

“They seemed to have had a great summer of training. If the guys can put it all together, the team can go a long way and compete for an SWC championship and qualify for State Opens,” Foss said.

Tough teams in the way of that success include perennial powerhouse New Milford, along with New Fairfield and Weston.