By Senior Correspondent Marty Ogden, Editing and Graphics by Ron Knapp

Fall represents the start of a new school year, high hopes and a clean slate. After a summer of training, cross country athletes come into the season with eternal optimism with goals of setting big personal records, making varsity or even achieving honors in one of the championship meets at the conference or state level. For the 26th year, MySportsResults will be offering free coverage with interviews, race videos and pictures of the meets throughout the year. But first let’s take a look at who the top girls this cross country season might be as we head down the course towards solving the puzzle of October’s championship meets. 

Chase Gilbert - Lyme-Old Lyme, (SR) (Class S)

Gilbert burst onto the scene as a freshman, winning the Shoreline Conference and Class S titles along with taking third at the State Open. After winning her first State Open title in the 3200m in spring track, her sophomore year, she repeated as Class S champion. But an injury prevented her from running the XC Open and indoor track that year but she bounced back to run a 4:50 1600m to finish both at the Open and New Englands during outdoor track. 

Last year as a junior she was once again at the front of the pack, taking 3rd at the Open and 2nd at New Englands. She also earned her first trip to Foot Locker Nationals in San Diego. Her track performances were even more impressive: she defeated future NBNI National mile champion Brooke Strauss at the State Open, breaking the state record in the 1600m, and followed that with a New England championship in the event. During the outdoor season we saw more of the same as the junior went under 4:50 for the mile/1600m three times and won New Englands in the event and the State Open 3200m race. Gilbert has undeniably earned the title of favorite.

Lauren Parrett - Glastonbury, (SO) (Class LL)   

Almost every year a freshman girl bursts onto the scene and makes an immediate impact. Last year there were two girls who surprised everyone and finished in the top ten at the State Open. The first one, Lauren Parrett helped her team to win the State Open with a 5th place finish and a top ten finish at New Englands. During indoor track, her teammate, Brooke Strauss, paced her to the Class LL title in the 3200m and then she came back the following week to win the Open on her own and followed that up with a third place finish at New Englands. She continued on her successful first year by breaking five minutes in the 1600m at the State Open and ran a 10:46 to take 3rd at New Englands.

Sophie Passalacqua - Greenwich, (SO) (Class LL)

The other rising sophomore who chased Parrett through the trails last fall, finishing one place behind the Guardian was Passalacqua who led her team to the FCIAC and Class LL title. As an individual she was FCIAC runner-up, 5th at Class LL and 6th at the Open plus earned a medal at New Englands when she was 18th. Indoors she was a member of the State Open championship 4x800m relay and returned to finish 5th in the 3200m. During her spring season she finished 5th at both the Open and New Englands in the 3200m with a best of 10:57.93.

Katie McMorrow - New Fairfield, (SR) (Class M)

As one of the most consistent performers the past three years, McMorrow is entering her senior year with plenty of credentials. She has been running since 4th grade and was Class runner-up her first two years before finally breaking through last year to claim the Class M title. At the Open she has finished top ten the past three years and finally earned her first All New England honor last year with 20th place finish. She's also an accomplished track athlete, sweeping the Class M 1600m titles indoors and outdoors last year, and winning the CIAC 2k Steeplechase for the past two years. 

Hazel Delucia - Lyman Memorial, (SR) (Class S)

Step by step, Delucia has risen through the ranks the past three years. After not even cracking the top 100 at the State Open as a freshman, she grabbed one of the last spots to qualify for New Englands as a sophomore and cracked the top 10 last year and then earned All New England with her 16th place finish. During track last year she ruled the ECC and was 3rd indoor in the 3200m at the Open and took the same place in the CIAC 2k steeplechase. 

Alexandra Morgan - Fairfield Warde, (SR)  (Class L)

While most of the top girls have been competing in cross country since middle school, Morgan only began running indoor track as a sophomore and came out for cross country for the first time as a junior. While she didn’t have much experience on the trails, she still came away with a 5th place finish at FCIACs, a top ten finish at the Open and led a 1-2 sweep for Fairfield Ward at the Class L championship. She continued her progress with a 3rd place finish in the 1000m at the Open and earned All New England in the event with a time of 2:56.71. She continued her progress during outdoor track and became one of only seven girls to break 5 minutes in the 1600m, running 4:58.93 to take 5th at the State Open. 

Sarah Roberts - Mercy, (SR) (Class MM)

Under Roberts' leadership, the Mercy program has seen a resurgence, achieving a runner-up finish and two Class championships in the past three years. This year, the Tigers are strong contenders for a third consecutive championship. Individually she has been all state the past three years and will also be looking for her own three-peat as well and improve upon her 12th place finish at the Open. In track she has shown incredible range, scoring in the State Open in both the 600m and 3200m events, taking 2nd in the longer event at the meet and coming from behind to grab the last medal at New Englands. In the spring she continued to show off her range, going out hard and breaking 2:10 in the 800m to take 2nd at the State Open and coming back finished 6th in the 3200m with very little rest. At NBNO, she also broke 5 minutes for the mile.

Sofia Holovatska - South Windsor, (SR) (Class L)

Another runner who made great strides last year was South Windsor’s Sofia Holovatska. After finishing 40th and 34th her first two years of cross country in the Class L meet, in 2024 Holovatska finished 5th and went on to take 13th at the Open and just missed All New England with a 27th place finish. This past spring she scored at the Open in the 1600m and made New Englands where she set a PR of 5:03.69 to finish 10th. 

Annecy Vlieks - Daniel Hand, (SR) (Class M)

Vlieks, a longtime running veteran, was the SCC champion and Class M runner-up last fall. She went on to finish 15th at the Open and 31st at New Englands. An injury took her out of indoor track, but she repeated as Class 3200m champion outdoors and took 3rd at the Open and 4th at New Englands to earn All region honors for the first time with a 10:55.93 finish. 

Maya Donzella -  Windsor, (JR) (Class L)

Finishing seventh in Class L and 72nd at the State Open doesn’t usually make this list. But with such a strong season on the track and if she can hand handle the hills at Wickham, Donzella has a great chance to break into the top ten at the Open. During indoor track, she pulled off the tough 4x800m/1600m double, where she ran the opening leg to take 2nd at Class L and returned to win the 1600m. Outdoors, she pulled off the same double and won the Class L titles in the 4x800m, 1600m and 4x400m. At CCCs she also broke 5 minutes to run the 6th fastest time in the state.

Also keep an eye on: 

+ Hannah Greco - New Fairfield (SR) 

+ Cora Wasiolek - Mercy (SO)

+ Sarah Bogdan - Staples (SR) 

+ Abigail Mathew - Glastonbury (SR)

+ Alexa Nunez  - Wethersfield (JR)

+ Gabrielle Savelli - New Canaan (SO)

+ Bianca Parrotta - Stamford (SR)

+ Margaret McCooe - Greenwich (SR)

+ Madelyn Mariani - Pomperaug (SR)

+ Eleanor Chamberlain - Sheehan (SR)

+ Rebecca Langlais - Tolland (JR)

+ Briana Belanger - Thomaston (JR)

Prep School Runners from CT

+ Lily Lyons - Greenwich Academy (SR)

+ Lux Burgin - Greenwich Academy (SR)

Rising freshman to keep an eye on:

+ Farah Santiago De Leon of Hamden was 2nd at XC MS championship

+ Georgina Harrington of New Canaan was 2nd in the CT Middle School 1600m and won the 800m.

+ Sasha Capelle of Derby finished 2nd in the CT Middle School State Championship 800m.

Gear up for the 2025 XC Season with Marathon Sports Team Nights!

Attention: Coaches! Athletes! Families!

For your and your team’s convenience Marathon Sports is offering CT XC Team Weeks! That’s right, they are offering 20% off everything in store (excluding sale items and electronics) for athletes and coaches over the first few weeks of the 2025 CT XC season! So, anytime between Monday, August 18th through Friday September 5th, athletes, coaches and their families can come in and shop at the time which works best for them! 

Coaches, although you can organize one specific night for your team you can also simply spread the word to your team and families. As always, the discount excludes already marked down items. As a reminder, outside the CT XC Team Weeks’ time frame, Marathon Sports continues to support scholastic Connecticut Cross Country and TF by offering a 10% discount throughout the year.

Want a great way to ensure your team is in the proper shoes fit by a professional? Spread the word to your team and families about CT XC Team Weeks and take advantage of this offer of support to ensure your athletes are in the proper shoes for the season!  Details below!

    20% off everything in store (not including sale items and electronics) for athletes and parents.

    Professional fitting of shoes which can be exchangeable.

Any questions, please contact the store manager nearest you!

ashley.gurzler@marathonsports.com  - Glastonbury

dean.tresca@marathonsports.com  - Branford

dan.perusina@marathonsports.com  - Fairfield

nick.cunningham@marathonsports.com  - Old Saybrook