Stratford's Colocho Achieves SWC All Conference Status Once Again

On Wednesday October 19th, the Southwest Conference presented the 2022 Cross Country Championships on the grounds of Bethel High School, at the historic Mark Goodwin cross country course.

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 started out with partly cloudy skies and as the race went on those clouds became heavier and darker. Temperatures were in the low 40’s, with a brisk northerly breeze at times.
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A boisterous crowd, several equipped with cow bells, lined the course to cheer on their favorite schools in this fourteen team event. Each team would put its seven best runners, the most allowed by rule, into the varsity race.

Going in, the New Milford Green Wave and the Immaculate Mustangs were the heavy favorites. Right up there with the top teams are the Joel Barlow Falcons and the host team the Bethel Wildcats.

Stratford was placed in the second box along the starting rail. A field of ninety-four stood inside their team numbered designated boxes.

As head race official Gene Waring sounded the opening blast, Stratford’s Amos Colocho sprinted out to the early lead followed closely by New Milford’s Ben Daniels and Collin Walsh. Newtown’s Soheib Dissa a few steps behind.

With the race nearing the three-quarter mile mark Walsh and Daniels slid ahead of Colocho. Also bearing down was Dissa.

Several changes took place as the race neared the one-mile and a quarter mark. A top ten saw Weston’s Cameron Miles gaining ground on New Milford’s Ben Schipul. In the seventh spot was Bethel’s Evan Bureau. In the eight and nine spots a pair of Joel Barlow teammates, Matthias Galban and Jackson Sobelman, traded galloping strides.

A pair of Immaculate runners, Trevor Fuller and Seamus Reidy, were next.

In team competition New Milford’s Caleb Cerra became the all important fifth runner for the Green Wave.

The leaders of the race headed up “ the Beast” with no changes.
Colocho kept pace.

The middle tier runners representing all fourteen schools battled along the way. Among them was Stratford’s Ryan Munoz.

This would be the final tour on the Bethel course for both Colocho and Munoz now in their senior year. Both have grown accustomed to the race and the elements involved over the last four years.

Colocho maintained a pace keeping him on track for an SWC All Conference Team medal.

With less than a mile to go, it was all New Milford (Collin, Daniels, and Taborsak) cruising in the first three spots. Dissa carried the fourth spot and Miles held fifth. In sixth, yet another New Milford runner (Schipul). With Cerra in full view of the finish line it was looking more and more like another SWC Championship for the Green Wave.

Walsh carried the top spot finishing in a time of 16:25, Daniels was second at 16:32, and Taborsak was third at 16:36.

Dissa finished fourth at 16:40. In fifth, Miles at 16:46. Schipul came in sixth at 16:47. Bethel’s Bureau in seventh at 16:51.

The eight and ninth place saw a photo finish. . Barlow’s Galban and Sobelman locked horns in the final one hundred meters. The decision went to Sobelman at 17:10.54. In ninth, Galban at 17:10.83.

Rounding out the top ten was Reidy at 17:12. Fuller in eleventh at 17:13.

Pomperaug’s Eoin Collete in the twelfth spot at 17:14. In thirteenth was Immaculate’s Lorenzo Lopes at 17:16.

In fourteenth spot and clinching an SWC Championship for New Milford was Cerra at 17:39.

In the fifteenth spot was Colocho at 17:40. With Colocho’s finish he was named to the 2022 SWC All Conference Second Team, certainly a great way to end a four year SWC career.

For Colocho, this is the second year in a row he has been named to the SWC All Conference Team. In 2021 he finished twentieth with a time of 18:24.

Colocho will take his SWC honors to Wickham Park on Saturday October 29th for the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference Division Championships.

Moving back over to Munoz, he again found second gear in a race. In the last one hundred meters he opened it up to catch Bunnell’s Alex Vaquerano, a Sophomore, sliding by him with only a few feet to go, finishing in a time of 19:00.53 to Vaquerano’s 19:00.76. The below video captures the chaotic finish between Munoz and Vaquerano.

Down at the finish line where all the finishers gather to congratulate each other and talk about aspects of the race, Colocho talked about this being his final SWC race, the friendships that have formed, being with Munoz, his teammate of four years, and the dedication both gave to the Stratford High cross country program.

Within minutes the rest of the Stratford seven came in, some in their first SWC Championship appearance at Bethel.

Max Lilya finished at 24:06, Kent Taylor finished at 24:32, Jace Taylor came in at 26:23, Matt Kleszczewski came in at 26:32, and Papa Insaidoo came in at 31:57. Raiyan Khursu remains on the road to recovery and did not make the trip.

Following the race an awards ceremony crowned the New Milford Green Wave as the 2022 SWC Champions. The first twelve finishers were named to the SWC All Conference First Team and finishers thirteen through twenty-four were named to the SWC All Conference Second Team, each All Conference team member receiving a medal for their accomplishment.

As Colocho walked up to the awards table to receive his medal, a rousing loud cheer of excited Stratford and Bunnell (Also from the Town of Stratford) athletes gave Colocho a standing ovation in appreciation of his efforts for this day.

Up next for Stratford, Saturday October 29th, at Wickham Park in Manchester, Ct, 9:30 am, the CIAC presents the Class L Division Championships.