The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
BOYS CROSS COUNTRY: RUNNERS TO WATCH
High school cross country is back to normalcy. After the 2020 season saw teams compete in abbreviated schedules and without state and national championships, high school runners across Connecticut are ready to get back to full schedules of competition.
Ahead of meets starting statewide on Sept. 9, here’s a list of runners to watch this season:
Sean Barkasy, Sr., Manchester
The Second-Team AllState selection ran unattached last season and placed third at the CCC Region C Meet and 34th at the 12th Rock Northeast HS Cross Country Championships.
5,000M PR: 16:28.5
Walker Beverly, Sr., Hall
The Second-Team AllState selection placed third at the 2020 CCC A Region Championship to lead Hall to the team title.
5,000M PR: 15:48.0
Eamon Burke, Sr., Xavier
Burke, Xavier’s top runner and a First-Team AllState selection in 2020, won the SCC Championship and placed 14th at the 12th Rock Northeast HS Club Cross Country Championships while leading Xavier to an undefeated season and its fifth-straight SCC title.
5,000M PR: 16:03.1
Joseph Callanan, Sr., Fairfield Warde
Callanan shaved nearly two minutes and 40 seconds off his 2019 PR and led Fairfield Warde in the 5,000, including placing
third at the FCIAC East Region Championships.
5,000M PR: 16:38.9
Justin Cascio, Sr., Lewis Mills
The Second-Team AllState selection placed third at the CCC Region B Championship.
5,000M PR: 15:58.9
Nathan Cramer, Sr., Fairfield Ludlowe
Cramer won all of the meets he entered for Fairfield Ludlowe in 2020, including winning the FCIAC East Region Championship. He was named a SecondTeam All-State runner following the season.
5,000M PR: 15:55.1
Sean Kennedy-Wonneberger, Sr., Hale Ray
Kennedy-Wonneberger led Hale Ray in the 5,000
during 2020 and placed sixth at the Shoreline Cross Country Championships to be named a SLC Boys Cross Country All-Conference selection.
5,000M PR: 16:24.8
Matthew McDonough, Sr., Ridgefield
McDonough placed eighth at the FCIAC Central Region Championships and shaved 50 seconds of his 2019 PR last season.
5,000M PR: 16:31.0
Benjamin Mickool, Sr., Ridgefield
Mickool was Ridgefield’s No. 4 runner in the 5,000 and placed seven at the FCIAC Central Region Championships.
5,000M PR: 15:58.0
Evan O’Rourke, Sr., Darien
Darien’s No. 2 runner in the 5,000 meters placed fourth at the FCIAC West Region Championship with his personal best of 17:07.8 to help lead Darien to the team title.
5,000M PR: 17:07.8
Brody Santagata, Sr., Xavier
The Second-Team AllState selection was Xavier’s No. 2 runner in the 5,00 and place second at the SCC Division Cross Country Championships.
5,000M PR: 16:33.2
Callum Sherry, Sr., Conard
Sherry placed second at the CCC A Region Championship last season by bettering his junior year PR by 25 seconds. He was ranked as the No. 2 overall runner by Athletic.net and a FirstTeam All-State selection.
5,000M PR: 15:46.0
Gavin Sherry, Sr., Conard
One of the state’s all-time fastest runners, and GameTimeCT’s back-to-back Runner of the Year, Sherry was ranked as the No. 1 overall runner and top junior following the 2020 cross country season by Athletic.net. Sherry was named a First-Team AllState selection winning the CCC A Region Championship.
5,000-Meter PR: 15:06.0 seconds
Editor’s notes: PR times from athletic.net . ... Patrick Gibbons, expected to be one of the top CIAC runners for New Fairfield, has moved out of state.