New Haven Register (New Haven, CT)
Cheshire’s Ciccone wins title, Guilford repeats
NEW HAVEN — Alexa Ciccone from Cheshire didn’t finish among eight of the top 10 places that returned from the 2020 meet for the SCC Girls Cross Country championship meet held at East Shore Park Wednesday.
Ciccone, whose time of 18:59.30 earned her the title on the 3.1-mile course, had an easy explanation of why she wasn’t included in the list of 17 from the top 25 runners back for the league meet.
“This is my first year running cross country,” Ciccone said. “Last spring, I ran track and did the distance events. I thought I’d give cross country a try. I followed my coaches training plan in the summer. I wanted to be consis
tent with my daily running. I think that helped.”
Ciccone was among a group at the start of the 5K. It was Ciccone, Omelchenko and Guilford’s Julia Antony at the two-mile marker.
“Anna Omelchenko from Wilbur Cross had beat my time by two seconds at the divisional meet two weeks ago,” Ciccone said. “She was right next to me. Julia, who is very fast, was right behind us. I had to break away and keep going.”
Omelchenko placed
second individually in 19:19.90. Her sophomore season was going well. Then she tweaked a hip in a workout and had to sit out a week. The SCC meet was her first race back.
“Five of us started in the front. It was amazing to feel that energy,” said Omelchenko, who was 31st at SCCs in 23:02 as a freshman. “Alexa from Cheshire and Julia from Guilford are very fast. I just did my best.”
Guilford won the team title for the fifth consecutive season. Coach Jim Ford’s squad of Julia Antony, Olivia Skapczynski, Alexa Suchy, Carly King
(21:35.00) and Clara Laughlin (21:40.50) posted a score of 56. Cheshire was second at 77, followed by Sacred Heart Academy (109), Amity (115), and Wilbur Cross (172).
ALL-SCC HONORS
Joining Ciccone and Omelchenko in the top 12 to earn All-SCC honors were: Guilford’s Julia Antony (19:35.30), Lauralton’s Kelly Jones (19:39.30), Sacred Heart Academy’s Kristina Ponzio (19:41.80), Amity’s Nell Grant (20:00.80), Guilford’s Olivia Skapczynski (20:37.20), SHA’s Emma Kirck (20:49.60), Guilford’s Alexa
Suchy (20:45.20), Cheshire’s Mia Ventos (20:55.60), Lyman Hall’s Emily Chase (20:57.60) and Meghan Georgescu (21:02.20).
STRETCHING THEIR LEGS
Alexa Ciccone and Anna Omelchenko each competed in the 3200-meter run last spring at the SCC meet. Ciccone was sixth in 11:53.88 and Omelchenko eight in 12:15.42 for the two-mile run.
RECORD BOOK
Anna Steffen from Daniel Hand set the East Shore Park course record of 18:46 in 2020 at the divisional.
When the four divisions were completed all the times were merged to come up with an overall individual winner and overall team winner…The SCC record of 18:29 was set by Mercy’s Mackenzie Pias in 2015 at Hammonasset State Park…Guilford set the lowest team score of 29 in 2008.
SCC CHAMPIONSHIP
Team scores: 1. Guilford 56, 2. Cheshire 77,
3. Sacred Heart Academy 109, 4. Amity 115,
5. Wilbur Cross 172, 6. Foran 219, 7. Lauralton 227, 8. Hamden 232, 9. Mercy 238, 10. Shelton 243, 11. Law 251, 12. Lyman Hall 260, 13. North Haven 266, 14. Hillhouse 299.
Top 25 Individuals: 1. Alexa Ciccone, Cheshire, 18:59.30; 2. Anna Omelchenko, Wilbur Cross, 19:19.90; 3. Julia Antony, Guilford 19:35.30; 4. Kelly Jones, Lauralton, 19:39.30; 5. Kristina Ponzio, Sacred Heart Academy, 19:41.80; 6. Nell Grant, Amity, 20:00.80; 7. Olivia Skapczynski, Guilford, 20:37.20; 8. Emma Kirck, Sacred Heart Academy, 20:49.60; 9. Alexa Suchy, Guilford, 20:45.20; 10. Mia Ventos, Cheshire, 20:55.60; 11. Emily Chase, Lyman Hall, 20:57.60; 12. Meghan Georgescu, Cheshire, 21:02.20; 13. Aviva Wyner, Amity, 21:26.50; 14. Claire Moulton, Law, 21:29.90; 15. Olivia Weire, Lyman Hall, 21:31.40; 16. Hannah Andrejczyk, Shelton, 21:32.00; 17. Carys Cook, Lauralton, 21:32.50; 18. Lorelei King, Guilford, 21:35.00; 19. Bernadette Karpel, Hillhouse, 21:37.50; 20. Clara Laughlin, Guilford, 21:40.50; 21. Eva Curren, Cheshire, 21:48.20; 22. Olivia Kaisin, Guilgord, 21:50.20; 23. Angelika Kotula, Sheehan, 21:56.50; 24. Ursula Adams, Guilford, 22:04.50; 25. Payton Orosco, North Haven, 22:05.50.