Hamden Runners Turn In Strong Performances at Wickham Invitational

MANCHESTER, CT — They came by the thousands - in fact, 4,071 of them finished the course at one of the largest, most grueling and most prestigious cross country invitational meets in New England.

They came from four states to compete in 15 different races, ranging from middle school to varsity championship divisions, testing each athlete's endurance and stamina as they tackled the steep hill dubbed "The Green Monster."

For the 35th straight year, scholastic runners converged on Wickham Park Saturday for the annual Wickham Invitational, a great preview of the course that will again host the state class meets on Oct. 29, and the State Open on Nov. 4.

Hamden took second place in the boys' unseeded team competition, paced by a 10th-place finish by Shawn Odei-Nitri. Cameron Chambers was 19th in the day's largest race, which featured 446 runners and 62 teams.

For the girls, Molly Marrandino was 15th and Jacqueline Theroux was 29th out of 342 finishers to lead the Green Dragons to sixth place out of 44 teams.

For complete results of all 15 races, including varsity, JV, freshman and middle school, click here.

Photo credits: Tim Jensen