Laemel leads way at Class LL meet

Written by Bill Bloxsom, Sports Editor
Tuesday, 03 November 2009 14:54

Ryan Laemel finished fourth overall and coach Bob Orgovan’s Amity High boys country team placed sixth at the Class LL boys cross country championships at Wickham Park in East Hartford on Oct. 31.

Laemel’s time of 16:47 was bettered only by Connor Rog (16:19) from Fairfield Prep, Sean Mueller (16:25) from Cheshire High and Chris FitzSimons (16:45) from Hamden, as the Southern Connecticut Conference produced eight of the top 10 runners in the class.

Xavier (64) took team honors, followed by Hamden (126), Danbury (138), Cheshire (139), Staples (148) and Amity (150).

John Cocco (18th-17:31), Dean Bhatt (22nd-17:36), Sam Spencer (52nd-18:17) and Clark Shurtleff (54th-18:20) concluded the scoring for the Spartans.

Fran Sweeney and Matt Beland ran 88th and 100th, respectively, in the field of 143 runners.

Amity will next compete in the State Open at Wickham Park beginning at 3:45 on Friday.

Lady Spartan harriers

Sarah Beland ran a 21:30, as the freshman placed 32nd overall to lead coach Chris Dickerson’s Amity High girls cross country team to an 11th-place finish at the Class LL championships held at Wickham Park in East Hartford on Oct. 31.

Norwich Free Academy won the team title.

Freshman Katie Beland, placed 37th with a time of 21:37, followed by junior Jane Depgen (48th-22:05), sophomore Leanne Beedle (57th-22:29) and junior Hannah Block (77th-23:11).

Senior Rachel Celotto was 78th and sophomore Adena Coste 80th in the field of 127 runners.