On Tuesday September 29th the Bunnell High School Boys Cross Country team traveled to Bethel High School to go up against the Wildcats, Notre Dame Prep Lancers, and the Stratford Red Devils.
Anyone who knows the course in Bethel knows that it serves as the South West Conference Championship cross country course and is billed as the toughest course in the conference. It receives that distinction based on the famed hill named "The "Beast".
It is also named the Mark Goodwin Cross Country Course based on the many years of dedicated service Mark Goodwin provided to Bethel High School.
To most, the course appears to be a vision of brilliance, as the backdrop view from the bleachers of all the surrounding fall colored trees and hilltops, provides stunning pictures.
To the runners, a different opinion comes into play as the course is multi-surfaced with its brand new stadium turf at the start, areas of asphalt, and its trail terrain of changing ground angles. All of which lead up to a one-half mile long steep hill known by many as " The Beast" at nearly the mile and three quarter mark. Even the most elite runners struggle with their times.
This afternoon saw dark building clouds to start, temperatures in the low 60's, no wind, and wet but manageable ground conditions.
Legendary race starter Gene Waring gave the lady runners some final instructions, sounded the opening blast, and the race was on.
Bethel's Amina Macchiarilo bolted out of the box and never looked back.
Bunnells' Peyton Biggs, Bethel's Allyssa Wardlow, and Notre Dame's Clare Quinn stayed within each other in the early moments followed by Bethel's Alaiyna Kenyon, Notre Dame's Kimberly Cabello and Jasmine Cabello.
A few seconds behind was Bethel's Karina Tren and Anjalise Veras.
Bunnell's Haneeya Gbadamassi, a surprise in the field of twenty-three, rounded out the top ten.
Macchiarilo continued her dominance in the top spot going into mile two with a 1:30 second lead then it was Wardlow, Biggs, Quinn, and Kenyon in the next few spots followed by the Cabello's two seconds behind.
Veras in eighth and Tran in ninth. Gbadamassi all alone anchoring the tenth spot.
The runner's next quest was " The Beast ". Clearing it with no problem at all was Maccharilo.
Biggs established second place during the back trails of the course holding a ten second lead over Wardlow. Wardlow was third by a wide margin over Quinn.
Then it was Kenyon and the Cabello's who seemed to be running together.
Veras in eighth, Tran ninth with Gbadamassi closing the gap with under a half mile to go.
Macchiarilo easily cruised in finishing first with a time of 21:47.
Biggs was next at 24:11. She continues to enjoy her Sophomore season.
Wardlow in third at 24:39, in fourth was Quinn at 26:08, Fifth place saw Kenyon at 26:14.
Now here came the Cabello's, both decided it was time to sprint it out.
J.Cabello advanced to a three second final time of 26:33. K. Cabello at 26:39.
Veras was eighth at 27:31.
Tran survived a hard charging Gbadamassi (28:09) to finish ninth at 28:06.
The remaining Bunnell finisher was Isabella Benegas at 38:45.
Team scores on the afternoon saw Bethel over Bunnell 15-50, Bethel over Stratford 15-50, Notre Dame Prep over Bunnell 15-50, Bethel over Notre Dame Prep 22-35, Notre Dame Prep over Stratford 15-50.
Stratford and Bunnell did not record a score due to lack of finishers.
Next up, the boys, a field of fifty boys took to the course.
Starter Gene Waring got the race started with the blast of the starter's pistol and it was off to the races.
The first pack of runners set the pace as several from Stratford, Bethel, and Bunnell's Andrew Rehm, who is off the fantastic start to his Senior year season, ran in a formation through mile one.
Bethel's Christian Dubois, a Senior, took the point position in the formation closely followed by Rehm to his right slightly behind, Stratford's Zackary O'Toole, a Senior, behind Dubois, and Stratford's Dyllan Asuncion, also a Senior behind and to the right of Rehm. Bringing up the rear of the formation was Bethel's Christopher (Senior).
It was obvious to the experienced spectator in cross country racing there was a give and take in drafting along with jockeying for positions.
The second pack of runners, not as organized but still close together, were Bunnell's Blake Staffey (Junior), Bethel's Riley Lambert (Senior) and Jonah Funk (Senior), Stratford's Peter Carmody (Senior) and Paul Ramirez (Sophomore) rounding out the top ten.
The first pack maintained their spots through the first half of the race. As they faced "The Beast" the race would start to go into a single file with Dubois falling into second and O'Toole would go in front and start to take control of the top spot.
Asuncion and Rehm battling it out, as cross town "rivals" would, for third and fourth, Kim in fifth, with Carmody in chase sixth.
Both Asuncion and Rehm would pass Dubois, sending Dubois into fourth with less than a mile to go.
Kim settled into fifth.
Funk and Carmody were too close to call at this point for sixth.
Ramirez alone in eighth, Lambert in ninth, and Staffey in tenth.
O'Toole extended his lead to nine seconds over Asuncion and Rehm, both still spinning their wheels for second, finished in a time of 16:56.
With less than a hundred fifty meters to go Rehm and Asuncion racing home for second with Rehm ahead by a second plus.
Down the stretch they ran and Rehm would get in with a second place finish at 17:09 and Asuncion in third at 17:11.
Dubois in fourth place with a time of 17:20.
Kim in fifth at 18:09, Funk in sixth at 18:56, Carmody in seventh at 18:58, Ramirez in eighth with a 19:09 finish, and taking tenth was Staffey at 19:22.
The remaining Bunnell runners were Alden Clarke at an impressive 19:42 time, Miles Montrasio in at 21:59, Holden Adams crossed the line at 22:56, and Santiago Pineda in at 32:41.
In team scoring it was Stratford's Kevin Hughes (20:46) clinching a meet sweep for the Red Devils as the fifth team member to cross the finish line.
Final scores saw Stratford over Bethel 28-29, Stratford over Bunnell 21-36, Stratford over Notre Dame Prep 15-49, Bethel over Bunnell 21-38, Bethel over Notre Dame Prep 15-50, and Bunnell over Notre Dame Prep 19-36.
Up next for the Bulldogs, Tuesday October 6th, at Beardsley Park, 4:30pm Girls, 5:00pm Boys going against the host Bassick Lions, the Immaculate Mustangs, and the New Milford Green Wave.
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