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10/30/2016 12:00 AMIf there were any doubts about how good the Haddam-Killingworth boys’ cross country team has been the past two seasons, those doubts were put to rest on Oct. 29. On that day, the Cougars scored 39 points at the Class SS State Championship to easily surpass runner-up Coventry’s total of 99 and claim their second-straight state title at Wickham Park. The victory resulted in the ninth state crown in program history and was the Cougars’ sixth in the last decade. Through the past two seasons, HK has compiled consecutive 15-0 records and won the Shoreline Conference title each year to go with the back-to-back Class SS state championships.
“I am extremely excited to win states as a team. The whole season was about coming together as a team and I think we accomplished that today,” said junior Dan Schumann. “We have grown to be best friends and our synergy is the key to our success. Personally, I wanted to run well for my team. [Andrew Meredith] and I knew we would be up there and wanted to defend the individual title. I’m really proud of our team.”
Schumann won the race with a finish of 16 minutes and 33 seconds, beating out runner-up Maximillian Sparks from Canton by five seconds. Cougars’ junior Andrew Meredith was right behind the pair in third place with a time of 16:50.
“I’ve been running with these guys since the 6th grade. They’re my best friends. To be able to go out and train every day, I makes the hard days and races worth it,” said Meredith. “Dan ran great to win it and I was really happy with my race. I really tried to kick it up and finish strong.”
Rounding out the day for HK, junior Jonah Spector also cracked the top 10 by taking seventh with his time of 17:16. Following him in the pack were junior Conor McCabe in 12th at 17:36, plus senior Noah Miller in 16th place behind a mark of 17:47. Also crossing the finish line for the Cougars were senior Doug Brown (28th, 18:23) and junior Michael Callis (64th, 19:32). As a team, HK recorded a total time of one hour, 26 minutes, and two seconds.
“We take each year as a new year and the kids know the tradition of the team and our success at the conference and state levels,” said Head Coach Matt Diglio. “Winning states is a goal of ours every year and the boys deserve all of the credit. We had some bumps and obstacles this season, but they put it all together and ran a great race. The team effort really came through and we’re really excited to win states again.”
Diglio recalled how he wasn’t too pleased with his team’s strategy at Shorelines and how the Cougars were unable to finish in a tight pack. At the state meet, however, HK turned that one minor weakness into a major strength.
“At Shorelines, we didn’t run the smartest race and paid the price. Our focus here was about racing smarter and having control in that first mile,” said Dilgio. “[Runner-up Sparks from Canton] came way out in front early, but Dan and Andrew didn’t panic. They all raced smart and with confidence. To do that on a big stage like states, it’s a huge confidence boost.”
The next course for the Cougars will be the State Open. Although HK narrowly missed out on a team berth for the New England Championship with its performance at last year’s Open, Coach Diglio feels confident that the Cougars can break through at a meet where nothing is set in stone.
“State Open is always interesting because it’s held on the same course as states, but it was tougher conditions at states as we ran when it was colder earlier on in the day,” said Diglio. “We want to put ourselves in a position for the top six and New Englands. You have teams like Amity and Staples, but we want to be right in the mix after finishing seventh last year. Anything can happen in that race and we just want to build off of what we did here.”
From the Sidelines
Dan Schumann, Andrew Meredith, and Jonah Spector each made the All-State Team by virtue of their finishes in the top eight.
The Cougars’ previous state titles came in Class S in 1980, 1981, and 1982, along with their Class SS crowns in 2007, 2011, 2012, 2014, and 2015.
The State Open Championship will take place on Friday, Nov. 4 at 2 p.m. at Wickham Park.