Bunnell XC Teams Travel to Beardsley Park for SWC Matchup

On Tuesday October 6th the Bunnell Bulldog Cross Country Boys and Girls teams traveled to the historic Beardsley Park in Bridgeport Ct. to take on the host Bassick Lions, the New Milford Green Wave, and the Mustangs of Immaculate High School.

According to city officials at the meet the park hasn’t hosted a high school meet in over 40 years.

As far as the grounds in the park they remain historic and became part of the city back in 1878 when James W. Beardsley donated the land for the park to the city of Bridgeport under the strict condition that it remain a public park forever.

The rest of the story of the park can be found in this link https://www.nps.gov/places/beardsley-park.htm

Today would add to the illustrious history as the teams gathered prior to the race and took in all the peaceful grounds as they did their customary walk through the course.

Weather wise it could not have been a more perfect day as the skies were crystal clear sunny, temperatures at 60 degrees, a light breeze out of the northwest, a touch of fall colors surrounding the park.

The course featured many tree lined areas of pine trees and oak trees most, if not all, from an earlier American era along the now paved access roads along the route.

Runners dealt with those trees, as evidenced by the downed pine cones and acorns, along with areas of freshly cut grass (albeit soft footing in parts) lined with pin flags directing runners towards mile one.

Heading towards mile two, runners ran alongside the Pequonnock River towards, ironically Bunnell Pond, on concrete sidewalks which turned into asphalt sidewalks with the faint noise of traffic coming from Route 25 in the background.

Mile three sent the runners back onto the turf and ended along the first base line of the softball field.

During the coaches meeting it was agreed this race would be run as a coed meet with the results separating boys from the girls.

Bassick’s Coach Jeremy Susi gave the runners some final instructions and the race was under way.

Bunnell’s Andrew Rehm and New Milford’s Hunter Aubin got out of the gate a step or two ahead of the field of 52 with a few other New Milford and Immaculate runners.

In the mix was Bunnell’s Blake Staffey. Staffey has enjoyed quite the start to the season displaying some veteran craftiness in his rookie year in 5K cross country running.

On the girls side, New Milford’s Ashlyn Frinder and Immaculate’s Clare Barnes were leading the charge followed by a few from New Milford, Immaculate, and a pair from Bunnell.

With the race starting to thin out the runners became more identifiable.

Barnes and Frinder in the lead with Immaculate’s Emily Palmer and Zoe Fehring, Bunnell’s Peyton Biggs, and New Milford’s Luna Slattery a few seconds off the pace.

Bunnell’s Abbi Forcier made a move into seventh place.

Rounding out the top ten in girls action are Adriana Wright from Immaculate, Bunnell’s Haneeya Gbadamassi, and Emerson Wertman - Immaculate.

Flipping back to the boys at nearing the mile and half mark after trailing by a few seconds Rehm had advanced to basically even with Aubin.

In third was New Milford’s Bradyn Cerra, followed by Staffey and Immaculate’s Alexander Gardner, Staffey, and host of Immaculate runners Julian Krotmeier, Sean Martin, and Christian Fappiano.

Rounding out the top ten for the boys were New Milford’s

Tyler Mckenzie and Immaculate’s Liam Kirkman.

Making a bid to crack the top ten was Bunnell’s Alden Clark hovering in the eleventh and twelfth spots.

The race now well into the second mile would see the Senior Rehm take the lead and coast in at 18:04 for his second first place finish this season.

Sophomore Aubin in at 18:07 in second.

In third, Cerra at 18:25, fourth Gardner at 18:26, and with his best finish and personal best time Staffey took fifth at 18:28.

Sixth place went to Martin at 18:24, in seventh Fappiano at 18:53, in eighth Krotmeier at 18:54.

Mckenzie took ninth at 19:02 and tenth Kirkman at 19:09.

The remaining finishers from Bunnell were Clarke in at 19:19, Holden Adams at 22:04, and Santiago Pineda in at 32:02.

With Immaculate’s five runners already in they swept the meet by the scores of Immaculate 26 New Milford 30, Immaculate 24 Bunnell 35, and Immaculate 15 Bassick 49.

New Milford was next with victories over Bunnell 24-35, and over Bassick 15-50.

It was Bunnell over Bassick 21-34.

While that was being compiled the girls race was finalizing and saw Frinder enjoying a first place finish at 21:31.

Second, Barnes at 21:39.

Slattery was third at 22:07.

Another Sophomore enjoying quite a season, Biggs was fourth at 22:17.

In fifth, Palmer at 25:31. Fehring was sixth at 25:47.

In seventh with her personal best finish and time Forcier at 26:23.

The race’s best close finish, and it occurred directly at the finish line saw Wertman a thin slice ahead of Gbadamassi. Both were given 27:44 times.

Wright was tenth at 29:21.

The remaining Bunnell finisher was Isabella Benegas at 33:09.

Due to the lack of finishers from Bassick, Bunnell, and New Milford the only score would see Immaculate over all three schools 15-50.

Up next for Bunnell, Saturday October 10th at Wickham Park 3:30 pm for the 46th annual Wickham Park Invitational. The Bulldogs will be racing in the Class M Division.

The race serves as a tune-up for the CIAC Championships held at the famed park later this month.

Following Saturday’s invitational the Bulldogs will travel north to New Fairfield on October 13th, against the Rebels, Kolbe Cathedral Cougars, and the Newtown Nighthawks in the regular season finale.