Manchester’s Mix
Indians Boast Blend Of Youth, Experience
Coming into the fall, Manchester boys cross country coach Steve O'Reilly knew it was going to be an interesting season.
He lost his No. 1 runner, Joe Pearl, to graduation. He had two experienced runners coming in who were freshmen — Aidan Puffer and Sean Barkasy. Yankarlos Diaz, who finished seventh in the CCC championships and 16th in the Class LL meet last year, was ready to step up his senior year.
“It's interesting to have young guys with big race experience,” O'Reilly said. “They've been doing a great job.
“For me, it's like, `How do I make sure they're part of the team? How do we help them along in terms of developing leadership abilities?' Yankarlos and Aidan are working together in workouts. It's nice for him to have teammates.”
Puffer has set 5K world records for 11-, 12and13-year-olds. He ran15:47 this spring at the BAA 5K, breaking his own 13-year-old age record.
O'Reilly decided to put Puffer in the freshman race at the Haddad Windham Invitational, the first invitational of the year. He finished second in the 2.1-mile race to Conard freshman Gavin Sherry in 11:17. Puffer won his first dual meet against Southington, with Diaz finishing second, on Sept. 11, then Diaz — despite losing a shoe about a mile into the race — beat Puffer in a tri-meet with Enfield and E.O. Smith Monday.
O'Reilly said the Indians' varsity team, including Puffer, will race at the Manchester (N.H.) Invitational Saturday on the course where the New England championships will take place in November.
Monarca Excelling At Middletown
Last year, Middletown girls coach Jennifer Price thought she may have had Ariana Monarca peak a little too early because she didn't really know how far Monarca could go.
Monarca, now a junior, was10th at the CCC championship (winning the CCC South title) in 19:57, and finished fifth at the Class L meet and 20th at the State Open. She was undefeated in dual meets last year.
“Now the expectation is there,” Price said. “Now we're going to have to plan things a little differently, to peak at the State Open and New Englands instead of the conference and class meets.”
Monarca won a dual meet — and so did Middletown, 27-28 — against Wethersfield Monday but with the crazy weather, Price said it's been hard to get a handle on how much Monarca has improved since last year.
“So far this has been a very odd beginning — we had days we couldn't run outside because of excessive heat and lot of rain,” Price said. “We've had a couple dual meets but they've been at different places. We had our invitational but we had a shorter course because we had a wasp nest on the course.”
Middletown is running at the Winding Trails Invitational Saturday in Farmington and the weather is supposed to be cooler so Price is hoping to have a chance to gauge the progress of Monarca and the rest of her team then.
Monarca and No. 2 junior Nicole Nenninger both worked hard over the summer.
“She's very motivated,” Price said of Monarca. “It's been great watching her and seeing her mature.”
Around The Area
Two of the state's top girls teams — Hall and Glastonbury — met in the first meet of the regular season Sept. 11 with Hall edging Glastonbury 26-29 at home. Hall junior Jenna Zydanowicz won, Glastonbury's Grace Sparrow and Angela Braga came in together, second and third, and Hall's Frankie Lynch and Rose Kitz were fourth and fifth. “It was fun,” Hall coach Betty Remigino-Knapp said. “With about 500 meters to go, we were losing the race, then it changed on the track. Sparrow and Braga were battling with Frankie, and Rose had a big kick and passed one or two of the Glastonbury kids. That was a huge difference.” Both teams will see each other again Saturday at the Manchester (N.H.) Invitational. … With the exception of top runner Rhiannon Richmond, Avon, which won the Class MM title last year, lost a lot of seniors and is rebuilding. “Let's put it this way — it's not like last year,” coach Al Daddario said. But Richmond, a junior, has stood out. She won her second invitational title — a week after winning the Varsity 2 race at the Haddad Windham Invitational — at the Connecticut River Valley Invitational last Saturday in 19:23. “She's improved tremendously,” Daddario said. “She's a Type A personality. She doesn't want to lose.” Avon will compete at the Winding Trails Invitational Saturday.