Stratford and Bunnell High School Place
Wednesday the Southwest Conference presented the 2024 Cross-Country Championships on the grounds of Bethel High School, at the historic Mark Goodwin cross-country course.
All 14 schools would put its seven best runners, the most allowed by rule, into the varsity race. The course is known as the toughest in the league. The 2024 SWC Boys Championship team was the Bethel Wildcats.
Knocking on the door of the top 10 was Stratford’s Dyllan Asuncion, Newtown’s Orion Lowery, and Bethel’s Mateo Romero. Out of nowhere making a strong run for it was Bunnell’s Alex Vaquerano.
The awards portion of the championship race where the SWC All Conference First Team consisting of the top 12 finishers and spots 13 to 24 designate the SWC All Conference Second Team.
In team scoring, the team with the first five to cross the finish line is declared the champion. The sixth and seventh runner for each could also affect the scoring should there be a tie.
Vaquerano powered his way to number nine. Vaquerano in ninth at 17:21. That time was Vaquerano’s, now a Senior, personal best earning him a spot on the 2024 SWC First Team All-conference.
Asuncion 14th at 17:45.80. finishes in the award spots on the 2024 SWC Second Team All-Conference. It was the first time for Stratford to have anyone on the Second Team All Conference since 2021 when Amos Colocho accomplished the feat.
Also in the top 24 was Bunnell’s Andrew Rehm with his 18:18 finish. That finish gave him a spot on the 2024 SWC Second Team All Conference.
In total both Stratford and Bunnell had four runners in the top 24 earning four spots on the All Conference Teams.
The remaining Stratford finishers were Ryan DeVeaux at 22:56, Jose Mora at 23:00, Keeson Alonso at 23:07, Kevin Hughes at 26:28, Brayden Acevedo at 27:57, and Papa Insaidoo at 36:06.
Up next for Stratford, the CIAC Class L Championships, at Wickham Park, Manchester, on Saturday, October 26th at 11:20.
