Sports
Stratford Harriers Open Season on the Down Side
Four Stratford runners start their high school careers. Kolbe Cathedral stuns the crowd and the New Milford Greenwave roll on.
On Wednesday September 14th the Stratford High Boys Cross Country team took to the road on the long trip to New Fairfield to face the Rebels, the New Milford Greenwave, and the Kolbe Cathedral Cougars in the season opener for all four teams in Southwest Conference action.
The meet was originally scheduled for Tuesday but unsafe course conditions moved it up a day.
The runners enjoyed a sun-splashed day with temperatures in the mid 70’s, a slight northwest breeze, low dew point, and low humidity. It was certainly ideal conditions for a season opener.
Find out what's happening in Stratfordfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
The course is described as a true 5K cross country course with a little bit of everything. A wide open field is where the race starts. Runners take a tour of the New Fairfield athletic fields including the track before they head into the New Fairfield wilderness where an established trail is lined with waist high summer growth before they re-enter the campus perimeter through a narrow rugged gulley of a pathway and repeat the same route a second time and finish on the track.
Stratford sent eight to the starting line, four for their first high school race. Matt Kleszczewski, Max Liyla, Kent and Jace Taylor looking to fight off some pre-race jitters joined returning runners Papa Insaidoo, Raiyan Khusru, Senior Ryan Munoz, and Amos Colocho.
Find out what's happening in Stratfordfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
With the field of forty-four on the line, the stage was set, and with the sound of the starting blast the 2022 season was underway.
The early moments saw New Fairfield’s Cooper Piesco, Carrington Flynn, Kolbe Cathedral’s Will Vargas, and Colocho enjoying the front part. Not too far behind and waiting to make a move was a pack of New Milford runners.
With the race nearing the one mile and three quarter mark the always powerful Greenwave made their move as Aj Taborsak, Caleb Cerra, Ben Daniels, Ben Shipul, and Colin Walsh overtook Piesco, Flynn, Vargas, and Colocho with an all out sprint to the finish line.
Walsh and Daniels, in an unselfish, I don’t want it-you take it moment, finished one and two respectively. Walsh in at 17:36.4 and Daniels 17:36.6.
In third, Shipul at 17:41. Fourth was Taborsak at 17:46. Fifth was Cerra at 18:02.
In sixth was Kolbe’s Vargas at 18:06. Vargas and the Cougars were the surprise team of the day as they went on to defeat the Rebels 28-29. They also took Stratford 21-40.
Standing out in both victories alongside Vargas was Ginesis Rodriguez (19:32), Najami George (19:53), Exauce Mpoyi (19:57), and Leonardo Birk (23:12).
Stratford’s Colocho was seventh overall in a time of 18:16. Munoz was fifteenth at 19:54. Other Stratford finishers were Lilya at 26:58, gutting out shin issues the entire race and finishing in a time of 29:52 was Kent Taylor. Jace Taylor in at 31:44. Kleszczewski in at 34:30. Khrusu in at 35:10 and rounding out the Stratford eight was Insaidoo at 38:23.
Final scores from the afternoon saw New Milford over Stratford 15-48, New Milford over New Fairfield 15-48, New Milford over Kolbe 15-48, New Fairfield over Stratford 23-48, as earlier mentioned Kolbe over New Fairfield 28-29, and Kolbe over Stratford 21-40.
New Milford starts the season at 3-0, Kolbe Cathedral 2-1, New Fairfield at 1-2 and Stratford starts the season at 0-3.
Up next for Stratford, Tuesday September 20th, 4:30pm, at Brookfield against the Bobcats, the Masuk Panthers, and the Pomperaug Panthers
