Lauren Parrett is showing up to the 43rd Wickham Park XC Invitational with a state-leading time of 17:29.5, a full 45 seconds faster than anyone else in Connecticut. That’s not just fast, that’s a statement, and everyone watching Saturday’s varsity races in Manchester knows it. She ripped that time at the Maine XC Festival of Champions just last Saturday, and now she’s bringing that unstoppable momentum to Wickham.
Parrett’s Pace and Who’s Chasing
Okay, so Parrett is unreal, right? But the field at Wickham is still stacked. Madison McGarry, a freshman from Avon, has been lighting it up in her first season. She’s rocking the state’s second-fastest time, 18:15.1, set back on September 15. Then you’ve got Harper Shirley, a senior from Manchester, running on her home turf. You really think she’d miss her final hometown meet? No way. She clocked an 18:16, making her the state’s third-fastest. And don’t sleep on Molly Chien, a junior from Hall, who hit 18:29.7 just this Tuesday. These runners are pushing the pace, but Parrett is just on another level right now.
Freshman Fire and Dark Horse Contenders
We’re seeing some serious talent from the freshmen class too. Ashley Brining from Hale Ray dropped an 18:41.6 on September 19, the fifth-fastest in the state. She’s another first-year runner making waves. Not far behind is Briana Belanger, a senior from Thomaston, who ran 18:44.1 at the 14th Connecticut River Valley Invitational, grabbing the sixth spot statewide. Edith “Edie” Ranta, a sophomore from RHAM, also crushed it at that same invite with an 18:57.7, putting her eighth. Rebecca Langlais, a Tolland senior, hit 19:05.6 on September 25, good for tenth. And keep an eye on Carolyn Kamp from Glastonbury, a junior who ran 19:07.7, and Callie DeLuise from Oxford, a junior who posted 19:13.9 on October 2. There are definitely other runners like Maya Donzella, Sophie Passalacqua, Cora Wasiolek, Charlotte Kenney, and Dahlia Livingston who could make some noise too.
So, what’s going down this Saturday? The varsity races kick off at 2:15 p.m. with the Boys Small Division, followed by the Girls Small Division at 2:45 p.m. Everyone’s going to be watching to see if Parrett can extend her insane lead, or if anyone in this deep field can close that 45-second gap. It’s going to be wild out there.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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