The Hand boys’ cross country team has a new mentor leading the Tigers on the trails for the first time in over two decades. Yet even with the fresh face, Hand is looking to establish its familiar identity as a championship-contending club ready to give all it takes to ascend to its apex.

The Tigers, off of a pair of elite eight finishes for the Southern Connecticut Conference (SCC) and state championship meets, have a new face at the helm in the form of Chris Pagliuco, former coach of the Hand girls’ cross country and track teams for nine years and the middle school coach for the last five years. When his longtime friend, Coach Tim Geary, retired, he happily took the baton and was ready to build upon the 25+ year foundation Geary had left with the boys’ program.

Moving back to the 2024 team and the overall sentiment heading into the campaign trail, Pagliuco expressed that the coaching change has not slowed down the Tigers’ pace one bit. The young men are jumping in full steam ahead and putting in all the necessary time and effort towards lifting postseason hardware.

“We have a special group of runners here. We have a lot of fun, as we push each other to levels we didn't think possible. The team is buying in,” said Pagliuco. “We are doing the training to achieve. If we stick together as teammates, do the little things on our own time to put us over the top, and race with heart, we could put ourselves in the conversation with the established top programs. That is when it really gets fun.”

Seniors Jack Rickelman and Justin Li are serving as the Tigers’ captains this fall. Pagliuco noted that Rickelman is someone who immerses himself in the entire lifestyle of a competitive runner. Meanwhile, Li is an individual who dedicated his entire offseason to pounding the pavement.

“Jack Rickelman brings an incredible passion for all aspects of running. He researches other teams, proper nutrition, and running gear. He comes in with an impressive mileage base from summer running, and he is hungry to show substantial improvement, both as an individual and as a team,” said Pagliuco. “Justin Li came in with his best mileage base from summer running. Justin is very poised and focused. He has a quiet confidence. He brings an attitude of accountability to our team. He is a very smart runner, which will serve him well in race execution. Justin is looking to establish himself as a key varsity scorer and is eager to make his senior year special.”

Additionally, Pagliuco pointed out that a key piece in the equation of the team’s season lies in the junior class with Max Milliard. He is an athlete that has the natural form to be able to be competitive in the sport and to make his mark among the top runners the SCC has to offer.

“Max Milliard has quickly established himself as a top competitor on our team,” said Pagliuco. “He has nice leg turnover, arrived in great shape, and is ready to make a name for himself in the conference, and I believe in his competitive spirit.”

Pagliuco and Hand additionally have a deep crop of rookie runners in the program this year that are looking to season their legs via race-day experience. With holes to fill from last year’s graduating class, there is ample opportunity for them to make their mark.

“Overall, we have a very deep and talented returning roster, including an impressive freshman group that shouldn't be overlooked, but we are very inexperienced,” said Pagliuco. “We need to see which athletes separate themselves as the best racers in our early competitions. Having graduated our top four scorers from last year's team, every varsity spot is wide open this year. We are looking for a new generation of runners to fill those spots at an even higher level.”

With the structure of a cross country campaign, there are scarce opportunities for a club to establish itself among the best. While the boys will look to battle through the grind of multi-team SCC meets, they additionally look to find success early on the even bigger stages.

“Cross country is unique because the entire season ultimately comes down to only a few competitions. We are, of course, looking to substantially improve upon our eighth and seventh-place finishes in the conference and state, respectively, “ said Pagliuco. “Other teams don't just let that happen, it needs to be earned daily and through gritty racing. We will use our quad meets, as well as the CT River Valley Invitational and Wickham Invitationals as practice to learn about racing. We are trying to establish an elite running culture. That does not happen overnight, but our guys have shown a willingness to embrace that, and it has been fun going through the process with each other so far.”

The Hand 2024 roster is comprised of seniors in Rickelman, Li, William Butler, Ken Freeman, Chris Glaser, Noah Izzo, Mason Johnson; junior Milliard, Grant Campbell, Theodore Giuliano; sophomore Eli Suprenant; plus freshmen Everett Anderson, Zachary DeSantis, Matheus Ferreira Franca, Joshua Glazer, Chris Papacoda, and Eric Raksnis.

2024 Hand Boys’ Cross Country Regular Season Schedule

Tuesday, Sept. 17: at Cheshire w/ West Haven, East Haven at 4 p.m.

Wednesday, Oct. 2: at Guilford at 3:45 p.m.

Monday, Oct. 7: at Xavier w/ North Haven, Sheehan at 3:45 p.m.