Cora Wasiolek, Sophie Passalacqua, and Dahlia Livingston didn’t just win individual conference championships this week, they went back-to-back. These juniors, all defending their titles from last year, are already setting the cross country scene on fire, and the entire league is noticing what these athletes are doing.
FCIAC: Passalacqua Leads New Canaan’s Charge
Over in the FCIAC, Greenwich junior Sophie Passalacqua absolutely flew at New Canaan’s Waveny Park, snatching her second straight individual championship with a blazing time of 18:05.3. Seriously, that’s just pure speed right there. New Canaan senior Sienna de Kanter put up a strong fight for second at 18:18.8, with Ridgefield junior Angelina Ruggeri right behind in third at 18:28.2.
But while Passalacqua took the individual crown, it was New Canaan who ran away with the team championship, racking up a dominant 53 points. Ridgefield was second with 68, Trumbull third with 101, and Staples fourth with 108. New Canaan’s depth was unreal, with de Kanter leading three Rams into the overall top 10. Junior Gabrielle Savelli crushed it for seventh in 19:32.5, and sophomore Georgina Harrington secured ninth at 19:38.5. Junior Abigail Johnsen was 17th (20:13.5), and senior Mairead Greiner 18th (20:17.7). When you get five runners that locked in, that’s how you grab that team title.
NCCC’s New Rulers: Livingston Dominates Home Course
Meanwhile, over in the NCCC, Bolton’s Dahlia Livingston showed everyone how it’s done on her home course, winning the individual championship for the second straight year in 20:54.9. Talk about knowing your terrain! Somers freshman Emma Duda snagged second place in 21:20.1, and Coventry freshman Bristol Ireton rounded out the top three at 21:58.1. These young runners are already making their mark, which is always exciting to see.
For the team championship, Ellington absolutely crushed it, finishing first with 44 points. Canton was second with 62, followed by Stafford in third with 76, and Coventry in fourth with 94. Ellington’s senior Jenna Luoma led the charge for the Knights, finishing sixth overall in 22:44. Freshman Natalie Sullivan wasn’t far behind in seventh (22:59.8), and junior Yana Karpenko took eighth (23:05.5). When your top runners are performing like that, it’s tough for anyone to catch you.
These conference meets were an absolute showcase of talent. To see three juniors already locking in back-to-back titles,Wasiolek in the SCC, Passalacqua in the FCIAC, and Livingston in the NCCC,it just highlights the incredible dedication and skill these athletes bring to the course. What a day for Connecticut cross country, these performances are why we watch!
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.
Leave a Reply