Bunnell's Rehm Opens Up Season with a Gem

On Tuesday September 15th the Bunnell Bulldogs hosted the Pomperaug Panthers, the Masuk Panthers, and the Weston Trojans in South West Conference 5K cross country action on the grounds of the Bunnell High School campus.

The entire campus was transformed into a race course featuring many changing surfaces as the race starts on the rubberized track heads around and over to the asphalt driveway going up hill on Bulldog Blvd continuing onto the slightly angled grassy knolls of the former Pirhala Farm, out and around the Weaver St entrance, over to the far edge of the east side parking lot, looping around and down Bulldog Blvd to the end of the driveway. Back onto the track and up the grassy hill side of Bulldog Blvd and repeat of the grassy knoll loop, parking lot, down Bulldog Blvd again turning around at the end of the driveway and down the final stretch on the track to the finish line.

The weather for the race was a picture perfect sunshine filled day, temperatures at 72 degrees, low dew points and humidity, and no wind. Quite a crowd on hand as the faithful from all four schools built up around the hill and finish line.

This year the girls go first in the alternating boys and girls race start times.

The field of 43 took to the starting line and right from the starting sound it was Weston’s Maisie Rosengarten out in front taking the early lead with Pomperaug’s Alexandra Mariani behind trailing, Masuk’s Abigail Cappola in third, then it was three Pomperaug runners Everly Vaught, Sadie Ferraiola, and Emilia Cembrynski switching spots taking fourth, fifth, and six.

Bunnell’s Payten Biggs all alone in seventh, Weston’s Surraya Chaudry in eighth, followed by Pomperaug’s Kallie Carroll and Liza Murphy rounding out the top ten.

Back at the top Rosengarten opened up a 30 second lead over Mariani at the one mile mark. Cappola a stride behind in third, Ferraiola, Cappola, and Cembrynski continued their juggling of the spots with Biggs holding down seventh, followed by Chaudry, Carroll, and Murphy the later three group tightening up the distances in between.

Rosengarten, now in total control, opened up and over a minute lead over Mariani in the final stages, easily cruising in at 20:22.

The race for second and third (Mariani and Cappola) was on Mariani with a push and Cappola matching strides with the crowd getting into it.

It would be Mariani (21:37) in second holding off Ferraiola (21:38), third, by less than a second.

Ferraiola opened up a bit of distance over teammate Cembrynski took fourth at 21:47, Cembrynzski fifth at 21:52, Vaught at 22:00 in sixth, Biggs landed in seventh at 22:15, in eighth it was Chaundry at 22:24.

The ninth and tenth spots saw Carroll and Murphy battling it out with Carroll in the last fifty meters holding off Murphy finishing with a time of 22:31 Murphy at 22:32.

The remaining Bunnell finishers saw, in her high school cross country debut, Abbi Forcier in at 27:33, and Junior Haneeya Gbadamassi in at 28:54.

Senior Isa Benegas ran the Junior Varsity portion of the course, just under two miles, finishing with a time of 19:10.

Team scores were Pomperaug over Bunnell 16-50, Pomperaug over Masuk 19-44, Pomperaug over Weston 21-34. Weston over Masuk 19-42, Weston over Bunnell 19-50, and Masuk over Bunnell 15-50.

Pomperaug starts the season at 3-0, Weston starts at 2-1, Masuk at 1-2, Bunnell at 0-3.

On the boys side, it was the Andrew Rehm show and quite a show it was. This was his final regular season home course race. He jumped out to a quick start and expanded his lead as the race marched on. He led from wire to wire and never looked back. He came in with a 16:57 finish sending the Bunnell fans into an ovation of cheers and congratulations.

The rest of the field of 57 runners had quite the battle especially in the top ten with Pomperaug dominating. They took seven of those ten spots.

The next five runners were from Pomperaug all bidding for second place. Nalu Daniels, Milo Howley, Robert Piccirillo, and Mason Blinstrubas all duked it throughout the course and down to the final quarter mile.

Howley and Piccirillo eventually bumped themselves up into the spots of second and third. A close call at the line with Piccirillo getting the decision by race Official Jim Stein. Both were given 17:40 times.

Now fourth place was the next close call. Once again Stein was called to the task with a tough decision. Blinstrubas got the call over Daniels. Both with a time of 17:46.

Ryan Quinn (Pomperaug) in sixth place at 17:39.

Weston’s Zain Chaudry took seventh at 18:10.

In eighth was Pomperaug’s Benjamin Salvucci at 18:22.

In ninth, making his high school cross country debut as a Junior was Bunnell’s Blake Staffey at 18:28.

In tenth was Pomperaug’s Zayden Woodhouse at 18:34.

As Woodhouse crossed the line all eyes turned to the eleventh spot and another photo finish this time with Bunnell’s Alden Clarke and Brayden Hershberger and down the stretch they came and with it the roar of fans positioned along the fence line. Stein once again with a shoulder to shoulder call. It would be Hershberger getting the nod. Both coming in at 18:37.

For Clarke it was his personal best time now in his third year of high school cross country.

The rest of the Bunnell finishers saw Senior Miles Montrassio gut it out with a 22:18 time. Right behind him was fellow Senior Holden Adams in a time of 22:29.

Daniel Caraballo with a time of 24:23.

Making thier high cross country debuts were Freshman Mateo Delarosa finishing with a time of 25:09 and Santiago Pineda with a 28:28 finish.

Team scores saw Pomperaug with a sweep over Masuk 15-50, over Weston 15-48, and over Bunnell 20-42. Weston over Bunnell 28-31 and over Masuk 22-33. Masuk over Bunnell 29-30.

Up next for the Bulldogs, at Joel Barlow on Tuesday September 22nd at 5:00 against the Falcons, the Brookfield Bobcats, and the Harding Presidents.