by Steve Bigham

MANCHESTER - The Newtown High School girls’ cross country team finished tied for ninth place (283 points) out of 21 teams at last Saturday’s CIAC Class L state championship at Wickham Park in Manchester. Masuk also finished ninth with 283 points.

Erin Kostecki shaved 45 seconds off her last Wickham Park (October 9) run to finish 13th out of some 150 runners. The junior covered the 2.5-mile course in 17 minutes. Her time put her up there with many of the other top South-West Conference (SWC) runners who competed in the various races. It also qualified her for Friday’s State Open meet.

Fitch of Groton was the overall class `L’ champ, running away from the field with 41 points. Guilford was second with 131 points and New Milford was third with 137. The race’s top three runners (and four of the top five) were all from Fitch. Jessica Schenk was the first to cross the tape in 15:24, blowing away her closest competition by 42 seconds.

Shawna King was Newtown’s next best finisher, 40th place, completing the course in 17:57. Laura Howard (19:08), Jessica Snow (19:10), Jayme Crane (19:39) and Monica Zigman (19:57) rounded out the Newtown field, finishing 74th, 77th, 85th and 90th, respectively.

With Kostecki being the only runner still competing, Coach Marsha Caine looked back on the performance of 1999 squad.

“I think we learned how to get tough,” she said. We got tougher and ran through a lot more. Our new runners have a lot to learn. There’s a lot of talent there, though.”

Next season promises to be a good one as the core of the team returns. Those lost will be captains Katherine Moberg and Emily Sheehan, Shawna King and Julia Jane McNulty.

A healthy Tracy Ravetto, who missed most of the season due to an injury, is also expected to return.