CT Boys Outlook by Class
Class LL
Last year Hall won the Class LL race by a comfortable 53-77 margin over Ridgefield while posting a 17:07 average time. The Warriors knocked that mark down to 16:41 five days later under much nicer conditions at the Open, but that huge improvement only earned them a 3rd place, 2 points behind Class L champ Xavier in 2nd. The Open champs were a Ridgefileld team that lowered their average time by an incredible 52 seconds to 16:31 and a 170 speed rating. The Tigers' leader at the Open Steven Hergenrother lowered his time by more than a minute.
Entering 2022, Hall appears to have more breathing room, for while top guy Walker Beverly graduated, the rest of the top 6 are back. The Warriors should have one of the strongest teams in the New England / New York region, led by junior Isaac Mahler. For Ridgefield the situation is the opposite of Hall's, as frontrunner Steven Hergenrother is back but the rest of the top 5 graduated and rebuilding work is required. Because of the huge graduation losses all around, it is hard to find another top contender from last year that looks ready to give a strong challenge to Hall. Staples lost four of its top 5 and needs to do a lot of work to fill out the squad behind junior Ben Lorenz, but the Wreckers appear to sit in the second spot.
Top Teams by Average Speed Rating for Returning Runners: Hall (162.2), Staples (148.4), Danbury (138.4), Southington (137.8), Fairfield Warde (136.2), Ridgefield (131.8)
Top Returning Runners by Speed Ratings: Steven Hergenrother (Ridgefield) 176, Isaac Mahler (Hall) 170, Avery Allen (Hall) 167, Nathaniel Aronson (Hall) 161, Benjamin Lorenz (Staples) 160, Colin Goldschmidt (Hall) 157, Jake Nafis (Southington) 157, Ethan Striff-Cave (Hall) 156, Devon Rosemark (Danbury) 154, Lucas Pyrro (Hall) 154
Class L
Xavier ran far ahead of New Milford and Simsbury by a 54-121-124 score last year in Class L, but this year the standings are likely governed by one stark point: New Milford has six of its top 7 back, while only one guy returns from the top 6 for the Falcons and the Trojans. With junior Collin Walsh and senior Andrew Taborsak leading the Green Wave's big returning contingent, New Milford enters the season as the second best team in the state. Although only Alexander Ushchak is back from the X-men's 2nd-place States squad, the team had almost perfect scores in the SCC league's JV and Frosh races, so it wouldn't be a big surprise if a deep Xavier squad is again on top by the end of the season. Simsbury has top guy Luke Davis back, but a huge rebuilding job is on tap for the Trojans, and Pomperaug behind sophomore Owen Martin could move into the third spot in L. Conard graduated Gavin and Callum Sherry after historic careers, so the Chieftans will begin a new rebuilding era. Note that 2021's 4th-place L team Guilford drops down to MM this year.
Top Teams by Average Speed Rating for Returning Runners: New Milford (151.6), Xavier (140.6), Pomperaug (140.2), Shelton (134.4), Cheshire (130.6), Conard (130.6), Bristol Central (130.0), Wilton 130.0
Top Returning Runners by Speed Ratings: Luke Davis (Simsbury) 175, Ryan Gagne (Wethersfield) 170, Collin Walsh (New Milford) 168, Tyler Caron (Cheshire) 160, Michael Byrnes (Wilton) 158, Francis Porrini (156), Luke Taborsak (New Milford) 156, Owen Martin (Pomperaug) 154, Carson Riley (Fitch) 151, Luke Pacheo (Shelton) 151
Class MM
Again, in Class MM for 2022, the key element is who is coming back, and also who's dropping down a class. Avon took a 38-70-79 decision last year over Daniel Hand and East Lyme at Divisionals. But the Falcons lost Carver Morgan, Jack Martin, and a total of six guys from the varsity 7, so new frontrunner Thomas Armistead is going to need a lot of development work done behind him. On the other hand, Guilford finished a strong 4th in Class L in 2021 and returns five of the top 6 including frontrunner Michael Massotti, so the Grizzlies look well set for this season. East Lyme should also be in contention despite the loss of MM champ Luke Anthony, as the Vikings have senior Brendan Fant and sophomore Sean McCauley at the front. Daniel Hand has a strong top two of Harrison Grenier and Nicholas Montana on top, but much work is needed behind them.
Top Teams by Average Speed Rating for Returning Runners: Guilford (146.8), East Lyme (134.8), Avon (127.0), Daniel Hand (126.8), Berlin (126.0), EO Smith (122.0)
Top Returning Runners by Speed Ratings: Harrison Grenier (Daniel Hand) 164, Nick Montana (Daniel Hand) 162, Michael Massotti (Guilford) 158, Brendan Fant (East Lyme) 157, Thomas Armistead (Avon) 155, Alex Hansen (Guilford) 153, Evan Bureau (Bethel) 146, Sean McCauley (East Lyme) 146, John Paul Glidden (Rockville) 145
Class M
Last year Joel Barlow won comfortably over the trio of Weston, Tolland, and Suffield by a 96-139-141-148 score. This year the landscape has changed a lot after JB and Weston lost five guys off the 2021 varsity squad and Suffield dropped down to Class SS. That leaves Tolland even with the loss of Luke Stoeffler holding maybe the strongest hand for this season with five guys back including last year's #2 runner junior Colby Bornstein. Joel Barlow with seniors Ryan Schmid and Matthias Galban on the lead and Ellington with seniors Damian Smith and Adrian Ladr at the fore both have development work needed at the back. Lewis Mills could be in the hunt, and a young Plainville team might also be a challenger.
Top Teams by Average Speed Rating for Returning Runners: Tolland 132.6, Ellington 127.6, Lewis Mills 126.4, Joel Barlow 125.6
Top Returning Runners by Speed Ratings: Brayden Bayek (Rocky Hill) 163, Damian Smith (Ellington) 158, Liam Fedigan (Jonathan Law) 152, Ryan Schmid (Joel Barlow) 150, Matthias Galban (Joel Barlow) 147, Chase McNamara (Plainville) 146
Class SS
Haddam-Killingworth took another SS crown last year by a 52-87-91 score over East Hampton and Griswold. This year the Cougars have a lot of heavy lifting to do after losing SS champ Caleb Freeman and #3 guy Andrew Hedges to graduation. The biggest threat to HK comes from Suffield, which drops down with an intact varsity that includes 2021 Class M champ Griffin Mandirola. The Strain brothers -- Michael, Lucas, Jacob -- are all back in their senior year for Griswold and looking for some more support from behind. Granby, Woodland (dropping down), and East Hampton are also likely to be in on the fun.
Top Teams by Average Speed Rating for Returning Runners: Suffield (139.2), Griswold (131.4), Haddam-Killingworth (127.8), Granby (122.2), Woodland (119.0), East Hampton (118.6)
Top Returning Runners by Speed Ratings: Griffin Mandirola (Suffield) 172, Jack Dendinger (Canton) 156, Michael Strain (Griswold) 155, Lucas Strain (Griswold) 148, Alex Lara (Haddam-Killingworth) 147, Nicholas LaChapelle (Woodland) 146, Jacob Strain (Griswold) 145, Jack Cozean (Haddam-Killingworth) 139, Aiden Palen (East Hampton) 139
Class S
Last year Class S had the closest competition as Hale-Ray edged Portland by 63-65. This year the competition could be just as close as four teams enter the season with almost identical speed ratings. Hale-Ray lost Class S champ Sean Kennedy-Wonneburger to graduation, but the Kraszewski brothers (senior Michael and sophomore Matthew) and Mamush (Talo) Ciccarello should give the Noise a good foundation to build around. Three other teams that appear to be around the same level are a Bolton team that brings everyone back and is led by senior Silas Gourley, a Somers team that drops down from SS and has its top 4 back led by senior Ben Campion, and an Immaculate squad that returns five of its top 6 from last year's 3rd place team and is led by Class S 3rd place finisher senior Seamus Reidy. Portland graduated its top 6 from 2021.
Top Teams by Average Speed Rating for Returning Runners: Hale-Ray (123.8), Bolton (123.4), Somers (123.2), Immaculate (122.4), Old Saybrook (110.6)
Top Returning Runners by Speed Ratings: Parker Cook (Old Saybrook) 149, Michael Kraszewski (Hale-Ray) 149, Seamus Reidy (mmaculate) 145, William Vargas (Kolbe Catholic) 144, Colin Reilly (St. Paul Catholic) 144, Ben Campion (Somers) 143, Silas Gourley (Bolton) 140