Tolland Runners Turn In Strong Performances at Wickham Invitational

MANCHESTER, CT — They came by the thousands - in fact, 4,071 of them finished the course at one of the largest, most grueling and most prestigious cross country invitational meets in New England.

They came from four states to compete in 15 different races, ranging from middle school to varsity championship divisions, testing each athlete's endurance and stamina as they tackled the steep hill dubbed "The Green Monster."

For the 35th straight year, scholastic runners converged on Wickham Park Saturday for the annual Wickham Invitational, a great preview of the course that will again host the state class meets on Oct. 29, and the State Open on Nov. 4.

Tolland competed in the day's final two events - the girls' and boys' championship races - and came away with a considerable amount of hardware.

Kat Deloreto outkicked teammate Hayley Collins over the final 350 meters to give the Eagles a 1-2 finish in the girls' race. Michaela Caron was 11th and Sidney Perryman was 28th as the three-time defending State Open and five-time defending Class M champions wound up second to Pomperaug in the team competition.

Josh Bedard finished 12th and Stephen Sutton was 17th to lead the boys' team to a fifth-place showing.

For complete results of all 15 races, including varsity, JV, freshman and middle school, click here.

Photo credits: Tim Jensen