Stratford and Bunnell Capture SWC All Conference Team Honors in XC

On Wednesday, October 16th, the Southwest Conference presented the 2024 Cross Country Championships on the grounds of Bethel High School, at the historic Mark Goodwin cross country course.

All 14 schools would put its seven best runners, the most allowed by rule, into the varsity race. A boisterous crowd, several equipped with cow bells, lined the course to cheer on their favorite schools.

The weather conditions provided another ideal afternoon with mostly sunny skies, temperatures in the brisk 50’s and a light northwest wind.

The course conditions were supreme with its multi-surfaced stadium turf at the start, turning into natural grass leading to a gravel trail, followed by pathways of asphalt, along with a 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.

The course is known as the toughest in the league.

Stratford was positioned in box number one.

Head race official Gene Waring sounded the opening blast and the 2024 SWC Championship race was underway.

The key to the race is to get out in front of the field of ninety-two as it funnels its way into a narrow opening in the first one-quarter mile. Those that get caught in the merging slow down at the opening will have a hard time getting back with the leaders.

Getting out to that good start were Newtown’s Soheib Dissa and Bethel’s Evan Bureau, followed closely by Weston’s Asher Leuzzi, Brookfield’s Evan Belles and Landon Wall.

Immaculate’s Lorenzo Lopes and Weston’s Markus Soennichsen, New Milford’s Aiden Padros kept pace with each other in the early going.

Pomperaug’s Robert Piccirillo and Bethel’s Calum Binder rounded out the top 10.

Knocking on the door of the top 10 was Stratford’s Dyllan Asuncion, Newtown’s Orion Lowery, and Bethel’s Mateo Romero.

Just over a mile in and it was Dissa with a 3-second lead over Bureau.

Belles and Leuzzi shoulder to shoulder with the rest of the top ten still vying to stay within range of each other.

Next it was time for the top runners to challenge themselves on “The Beast.” It was all Soheib coming up and over the hill extending his lead to more than 10 seconds.

Bureau was pulling ahead of Belles and Leuzzi.

Wall and lopes ahead of Soennichsen.

Out of nowhere making a strong run for it was Bunnell’s Alex Vaquerano as he climbed ahead Romero, Piccirillo, and Binder.

Asuncion slid back a bit with under a mile to go. But teammate Zackary O’Toole was on the move.
O’Toole found his stride and came from the 20th spot and was now in the 17th place. Ahead of him was Weston’s Jack Lorenz.

At this point in the race two items of interest start entering the picture, the awards portion of the championship race where the SWC All Conference First Team consisting of the top 12 finishers and spots 13 to 24 designate the SWC All Conference Second Team.

In team scoring, the team with the first five to cross the finish line is declared the champion. The sixth and seventh runner for each could also affect the scoring should there be a tie.

Looking into the distance it was Bethel with the first decisive five showing within the top 35.

With just under a half mile to go it was all Dissa enjoying a 15-second lead and continuing to extend his lead.

Bureau all alone in second. Belles and Leuzzi battling it out for third.

Wall had a stronghold on fifth. Lopes and Soennichsen even for sixth place.

Padros holding down eighth.

Vaquerano powered his way to number nine. Piccirillo in 10th.

Up in front at the finish line it was all Dissa in first place at 16:00.

Bureau in second at 16:21.

In third, Belles at 16:41.2 outlasting Leuzzi by a fraction of a second 16:41.7. In fifth, Wall at 17:04. In sixth, Lopes at 17:09. In seventh, Sonnichsen at 17:10. Padros eighth at 17:11.

Vaquerano in ninth at 17:21. That time was Vaquerano’s, now a Senior, personal best earning him a spot on the 2024 SWC First Team All conference.

Rounding out the top 10 it was Piccirillo at 17:24. Binder took 11th at 17:40. In 12th, Romero at 17:41.

The race was on for 13th pitting Lowery, Asuncion, and now O’Toole. All three even with 10 meters to go.

Lowery with just enough would finish 13th at 17:45.0.

Asuncion 14th at 17:45.80. O’Toole 15th at 17:45.86. Both of those finishes award spots on the 2024 SWC Second Team All Conference.

It was the first time for Stratford to have anyone on the Second Team All Conference since 2021 when Amos Colocho accomplished the feat.

Also in the top 24 was Bunnell’s Andrew Rehm with his 18:18 finish. That finish gave him a spot on the 2024 SWC Second Team All Conference.

In total both Stratford and Bunnell had four runners in the top 24 earning four spots on the All Conference Teams.

The 2024 SWC Boys Championship team was the Bethel Wildcats.

Bethel was greatly aided by the finishes of Bureau (2nd), Binder (11th), Romero (12th), Christopher Kim (18:43)(33rd), and clinching it was Gianni Casadei (18:54)(35th).

Bethel won it with a total of 93 points. The runner up was Weston with 96 points.

The remaining Stratford finishers were Ryan DeVeaux at 22:56, Jose Mora at 23:00, Keeson Alonso at 23:07, Kevin Hughes at 26:28, Brayden Acevedo at 27:57, and Papa Insaidoo at 36:06.

Up next for Stratford, the CIAC Class L Championships, at Wickham Park, Manchester, on Saturday, October 26th at 11:20.

Final results of the field of 92 in the 2024 SWC Cross Country 5K Championships

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