Stratford Boys XC Involved in an Instant Classic at Eisenhower Park

On Friday October 14th at one of Milford’s crown jewels, Eisenhower Park, the Stratford High Boys Cross Country team hooked up with the Jonathan Law Eagles, West Haven Blue Devils, and the Platt Tech Panthers in one of the closest quad meets in Milford history.

For Stratford it was their third meet in six days.

The legendary Eisenhower Park 5K course is defined as a naturally natured country cross country course of trails with racers facing rocky terrains, nooks and crannies with several ground covered acorn areas, the occasional horse from the nearby stables, and a scenic view of the entire park. The leaves on the trees are starting to turn to their multiple autumn colors.

The race took place on an impeccable day for racing, this after a night of heavy rain, sunny skies, temperature at 64 degrees, no wind, and clearly it was another great fall day this season for a 5K race. For a short time this day the quiet wildness of nature in the park would be filled with excitement of the many fans gathered to take in the action.

Coming into this race each team's top runners were equally matched on paper.

With a field of forty-two lining up at the start line, race director Steve Celmer, an icon throughout the state in running sports, gave his final instructions and sounded the opening blast. The race was on.

It was Law’s Liam Fedigan and Stratford’s Amos Colocho with the quick starts getting out in front heading into mile one. Looking at the first ten runners it was a collection of all four team uniforms setting up for an interesting early team head to head competition.

Nearing the end of mile one the race started to look like the winners in team play would have to rely on their third, fourth, and fifth runners to decide the outcomes.

Back to the front it was measuring up to be all Fedigan with a sizable lead over Colocho with Platt Tech’s Kelvyn Valazquez sneaking up followed by West Haven teammates Bank Tighe and Matt Pagan.

Stratford’s Ryan Munoz stayed at a steady sixth place with Platt’s Brenna Ruane within striking distance. Rounding out the top ten was Law’s Jake Ackley, West Haven’s David Potter, and Law’s Dallas Faganella.

The last stages for the race’s leaders saw Fedigan lead from start to finish in first place with a time of 16:43. Colocho took second with a time of 18:13. Velazquez finished third at 18:27. In fourth was Tighe at 18:51. In fifth was Pagan at 18:52.

Meanwhile the next group of finishers started to trickle in, Munoz finished in sixth at 19:38. In seventh Ruane 19:55. In eighth Ackley at 19:58. Potter finished ninth at 20:14. In tenth, Fasanella at 20:34.

With the race heading into the last mile for the team scoring three, four, and five runners, the battles started to intensify. West Haven and Law would see their first three in the top ten and Ryan Sheehen, of Platt, and Law’s Dalton Evans in a too early to call race battling for eleventh overall. Finding his second gear and now entering the picture for the eleventh spot, also within that last mile, was Platt’s Damaco Cesear.

It was a fasten your seat belt finish taking place between these three with one-hundred meters to go. All three just about even with no one giving in. At the line it was Sheehan (21:59) a stride ahead of Evans (22:00) and Evans a stride ahead of Cesear (22:01).

That brought the race to the fourteenth spot and it was West Haven’s Angel Mondez with a time of 22:15 occupying that spot.

Platt’s Luciano Gardino in the fifteenth spot at 22:29 and Law’s Aldan Hope in sixteenth at 22:34.

The crowd was in a frenzy as to who won against who.There were five runners in from Law, five in from Platt, and five in West Haven. By rule the first five runners do the scoring for each team, finishers six and seven for each team can displace finishers from opposing teams if they come in ahead of another team's number four and five finishers.

The team scores between these three appeared to be decided by the closest of margins, one point. When race director Celmer sorted it all out by numerical place in the head to head competition in the low point wins scoring system, it was Law 27 Platt Tech 28, Law 27 West Haven 28 and Platt Tech 27 West Haven 28.

Celmer made mention that in his fifty plus years of being involved in the sport he has never seen this close of a meet. Jonathan Law’s coach Charlie Philipps weighed in that it was the first time in the history of the meet that the scores were this close.

The rest of the Stratford finishers were Max Lilya with a time of 23:44, Kent Taylor at 25:05, Matt Kleszczewski at 27:16, Jace Taylor at 27:36, and Papa Isaidoo at 34:56. Raiyan Khursu was unable to make the trip and he is recovering from an unexpected medical procedure.

Final Stratford scores were Law 23 Stratford 37, Platt 24 Stratford 34, and West Haven 23 Stratford 35.

Up next for Stratford, at Bethel High School where the South West Conference hosts the 2022 SWC Championships, on Wednesday October 19th, starting at 3:00 pm.