By Sherri Smith

If anyone believes cross country is not a team sport, just talk to the Newtown High School boy’s team. After competing in the South West Conference championships on October 21st, Newtown runners have learned anything can happen.

The team started with seven varsity runners on the line, Joe Blanchard, Chris Carolan, Jeff Heller, Stu Ratcliff, Ryan Ignatius, David Rod and Ryan Walker and six crossed the finish line. The surprising results were Newtown placed third out of sixteen teams in the conference. The results say a lot for a team to finish third while losing its number one runner during the race.

Blanchard’s injury was speculated as a muscle tear, but further evaluation will be done. One thing definite, Blanchard is out for the rest of the season.

“It is really disappointing for him,” said head coach Rich Pesce. “He has been working hard for four years and been aiming for this time of the season, trying to make all conference as a senior and continuing on to run in the state meets. To have such a spectacular season, with the number of first place finishes and have it end this way, is very difficult.”

Though Blanchard’s injury is season ending, the season does go on. Newtown ran a very respectable third place, New Milford winning with 61 points, Bunnell in second with 117 and Newtown with 123 points.

The Bethel course was changed once again, due to an injury of a construction worker earlier in the week at the elementary school. As spectators watched the runners through the first loop of the course, Carolan, Blanchard and Heller were running up front with the conference pack, their teammates not far behind. The runners disappeared to attack the “beast” and as Newtown spectators waited and watched for the runners to appear, it seemed quite a while until a Nighthawk ran by. It wasn’t until all Newtown runners passed by Coach Pesce, that Blanchard came limping up the hill, Pesce pulling him off the course.

Running first for Newtown, seventh overall, was Carolan with a time of 17:20 and teammate Heller ran eighth overall in 17:23. Both runners accomplished all conference status, placing top 12 in the race. Ignatius ran third for the Nighthawks, 34th overall in 18:31 with teammates Stu Ratcliff running 36th in 18:46, David Rod running 38th in 18:48 and Ryan Walker placed 71st in 20:04. Walker was running with an injured hip. He too was limping through the race to the finish line.

Due to an injury on the field to a Stratford runner, the junior varsity races were cancelled for the day. Newtown did run in a sub-varsity meet on October 26th in Bethel, but the race is not scored. Pesce felt the runners competed well.

Cross country runners will be competing in the CIAC Class Meet held at Wickham Park on Saturday, October 30th. The varsity line-up will be changed, as Walker and Blanchard will not be running. Carolan and Heller will lead their teammates, Ratcliff, Rod, Ignatius, AJ Palmer and Micah Uhrlass. The runners have competed in invitationals at Wickham and are familiar with the course. Newtown runs in the Class L Division, along with many competitive schools including New Milford. Newtown will try to qualify for the State Open as a team by qualifying by time.

Should that not happen, there is the chance the top runners will qualify as individuals. The race is slated to begin at 9:30 A.M. in East Manchester.

Directions to Wickham Park: I-84 West to exit 60, take a left. The park is ½ mile on the right.