Boys Cross Country Brings Less Depth, More Experience

As the fall season shifts into gear, the Blue Wave boys cross country team is looking to keep up its winning ways, even as it switches divisions and loses some of its top runners.

Tyson Kaczmarek has been enormously successful in his first seven seasons as the team's coach, posting a career mark of 104-14 (including a 16-1 record in 2009). The Wave won the CIAC Class M meet last season, then finished ninth in the state open race.

But the squad also graduated two first team FCIAC and all-state runners in Jake McCauley and Alex Reynoso and a FCIAC second team pick in Willem Sanberg.

Darien returns three seniors—John Conley, who was an FCIAC first team selection last season, along with David Watson and Matt Gentile—and four juniors: Charlie Baird, Michael Johnston, Michael Coe and Eli Converse.

"We have experience in big races and pressure situations,"Kaczmarek said. "We are not as deep as last year, but we are more experienced. We go seven deep this year, where last year it was 10 deep."

Still, Kaczmarek is expecting the Blue Wave to finish in the top five in the FCIAC and Class L this fall. (Darien moves up a division this season.)

"We are a very dedicated group," he said. "This usually translates to success."

Darien opens its season Sept. 14 in a tri-meet at Staples that also includes FCIAC rivals Stamford and Ridgefield.