Derby, Shelton Scholastic 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.

Ken Little of Derby had the top individual performance among the locals, utilizing a strong finishing kick to take second place in the massive 446-runner boys' unseeded field.

Derby took second place in the girls' seeded event with 172 points, led by Sabrina Hanock's seventh-place finish. Nicole Rizzo (22nd) and Kiley Rodriguez (36th) also received individual medals for the Panthers, while Devin Spisto (27th) earned a medal in the same race for Shelton.

Shelton was sixth of 30 teams in the boys' seeded race, with Robert Dillon leading the way by finishing fifth out of 199 runners. Josh Wilson (39th) and Matt Richard (40th) were also medalists for the Gaels.

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

Photo credits: Tim Jensen