Aquarion employees
build new cross country course for Mystic Middle School.
Stonington — For years the cross country course at Mystic Middle School required team members to run on sidewalks and through the parking lot.
But now, thanks to a halfdozen employees from the nearby Aquarion Water Co., team members have trails to run on and no longer have to race through the parking lot.
The employees have built trails and bridges through the woods that surround the school so the team now has a 1.68-mile course on grass and dirt. A group of students is now creating a third trail to add in the future.
On Tuesday afternoon, team members, school officials and Aquarion employees were on hand to cut the ribbon on the course and take a tour of it. A time trial for team members was postponed a day because of wet conditions on the adjacent field that is part of the course. The team’s first home meet is slated for Oct. 6.
“It’s a perfect cross country course and, most importantly, it’s a lot safer for the kids because they don’t have to run through the parking lot,” coach Duffy Grace said.
Assistant Principal Allison Hine said that last spring the school applied for and received an Earth Day grant from Aquarion. In addition to helping create the trails and bridges, the grant helped fund the school’s hiking club relationship with the Denision Pequotsepos Nature Center.
“You did a fantastic job. The trail is great,” she told the Aquarion employees who attended Tuesday’s ribbon cutting.
Cross country team member Jeff Danko also thanked them.
“We really like your trail. It’s a lot better than the old trail, where we had to run on the road,” he said. “I have two more years to run on this cool trail.”
Hine said the trail also will be used by science teachers who want students to identify various types of plants and trees as well as physical education classes.