Madison McGarry of Avon led the Girls Medium Division at the 43rd Wickham Park XC Invitational on October 10 by outpacing Mercy’s junior standout Cora Wasiolek, securing a win that solidified her status among Connecticut’s top freshmen cross country runners this fall. McGarry moved into the lead before the course’s challenging ‘Green Monster’ section and maintained her pace to finish first, clocking a time that reflects her growing confidence.
“I feel like I train very hard and that training gives me the confidence to know that I could win this,” McGarry said after the race. She added that she anticipated the race’s flat segment, where she believed she could make up ground. McGarry’s time of 18:15.1 at a home meet on September 15 remains the fifth-fastest in the state this season, according to Athletic.net, an indicator of her ability to contend as the postseason approaches.
Her performance places her just behind seniors Lauren Parrett of Glastonbury, who holds the state’s top time at 17:29.5, and Harper Shirley of Manchester, who recorded 17:58 at the same Wickham Park meet. McGarry’s focus now turns to the Central Connecticut Conference meet, starting at 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, and the Class MM state championship on October 31, both held at Wickham Park.
Ashley Brining, a freshman from Hale Ray, has also made waves in the cross country scene this season. Although she did not win the Small Division race at Wickham Park, finishing behind Tolland senior Rebecca Langlais with a time of 19:15.4, Brining’s presence caught the attention of Langlais herself. “She’s incredible,” Langlais said. “I can’t even imagine how amazing it must feel for her to be able to run so fast so early.”
Brining’s fastest time this season came at the 14th Connecticut River Valley Invitational on September 19, where she ran 18:41.6, ranking her eighth fastest in the state. Within the Shoreline Conference, only senior Charlotte Behnke of Haddam-Killingworth has a better time, having run 18:11.4 at the Saratoga (N.Y.) Cross Country Invitational on October 10. Brining will compete at the Shoreline Conference championship on Thursday at 2 p.m. at Hammonasset Beach State Park in Madison, followed by the Class S state championship at Wickham Park on October 31.
Other freshmen runners have also shown promise during the season. Glastonbury’s Madeline Lamb recorded a time of 19:19.1 at the Maine XC Festival of Champions on October 3, ranking 26th in the state. Ledyard’s Lacey D’Amato ran 19:36 at an ECC meet on September 15, putting her 38th statewide.
With the Central Connecticut Conference and Class MM state meets on the horizon, McGarry and Brining stand out as freshmen who could influence the postseason landscape. McGarry’s recent victory at Wickham Park and Brining’s strong finishes against top competition suggest they will be among the runners to watch as the season progresses.
According to Yahoo Sports.