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10/07/2024 01:46 AMBoys’ Cross Country
On Sept. 28, Hand boys’ cross country competed in the Wickham Invitational at Wickham Park in Manchester. It was the first major invitational the team competed in this season and an important primer because the state meet will be held on the same course. The team raced well, despite running the challenging course on tired legs.
The Tigers just finished a particularly intense training period, including five workouts in the previous 10 days. Hand ran short-handed without junior Ted Giuliano, which hurt the team score, but that did not mask some impressive performances and times. Senior captain Jack Rickleman continued to lead the way for the Tigers with an 18th place finish in the class M division race in a time of 17:24. Rickleman did well to get out fast and establish his position early. In spite of the fast pace, he gutted out the last mile for a great finish.
Junior Max Milliard was close behind, finishing 33rd in 17:49 in what was likely his strongest finish of the year. Freshman Josh Glazer continued his steady improvement in each race, placing fourth on the team and in 128th place.
“I am impressed with Josh's ability not to get intimidated under any circumstances,” said Head Coach Christopher Pagliuco.
Overall, the boys’ team placed 13th in the 24 team field.
“We are a hungry but inexperienced team, and it sort of showed in this race,” Pagliuco said. “That is okay; that is why we did it. Our best races are still ahead of us, and the important thing is we gained experience and continued to show a lot of grit. With the training we have put in over the last month, we can look forward to better results.”
The Tigers also had some impressive results in the Junior Varsity (JV) race. Freshman Eric Raksnis ran the fifth fastest time on the team in 20:28, good for a ninth place finish, with senior Chris Glaser likewise earning a varsity spot in 20:55.
“He has been our strongest racer of the season thus far. It is impressive to see his confidence grow and grow. With that in mind, it is tough to put a ceiling on how much he can improve by season's end,” Pagliuco said.
Zach DeSantis tied Glaser for 31st place in his best race of the season.
“Zach ran the most aggressive race so far this year, and it really paid off for him. It is not too late for Zach to see some major gains at the most important time of the year,” said Pagliuco.
In all, the JV Tigers placed fifth and only nine points out of third. That is a really promising sign for the future.
On Oct. 2, the Tigers went to the Guilford Fairgrounds for the SCC Divisional Meet. The conditions were perfect on the flat course with low humidity, firm footing, and no wind. The Tigers were competing in the Hammonasset Division on rested legs. The Tigers could only compete with eight runners and were welcoming some new faces on the varsity squad, including Eric Raksnis, Chris Glaser, and Zach DeSantis. The Tigers ran their best races of the year thus far from top to bottom. Rickleman finished first in the race in a personal record (PR) of 16:25. Milliard nipped a PR by a second in 17:03. Junior JJ Funk took a massive step forward with a 30+ second personal best in 17:37.
“It was great to see JJ return to form after a tough Wickham Race. Running in the 17s for the first time is a big deal,” Pagliuco said. “He still has even more improvement in him if he stays determined and the conditions are right.”
Giuliano ran through some health concerns and still managed a personal best of 18:01.
“Once we get Ted fully healthy again, it will be amazing to see what he can do,” Pagliuco said. “He is a very talented runner with a great work ethic.”
Freshman Josh Glazer took a whopping minute and a half off his personal best by running an 18:02, with Raksnis joining him for much of the race in a time of 18:09.
“Although just joining the team as freshmen, Josh and Eric just may be developing into two of our most important runners this year and certainly in the future,” said Pagliuco.
Glaser, running in his first varsity race ever, seized the opportunity and ran a 19:02.
“It is so rewarding to see Chris believing in himself and realizing his goals at the perfect time this season,” explained Pagliuco. “He isn't done yet.”
DeSantis continued to impress by running a PR of 19:32.
“I think we are only now beginning to see what I knew Zach always had in him. He is realizing it too,” said Pagliuco. “If he keeps his foot on the gas, he will make major gains before this season is over. There may be no runner on the team who can make the gains that Zach has available to him right now. The ideal conditions of the race will make these times tough to beat in the near future, but it was nice to see the team rewarded for its incredible work ethic in practice, and it is a nice confidence boost. The Tigers were able to place second in the division and give eventual winner, Guilford, a scare in the process. We are laying the foundation for our team next year with our improvement this season. We have tough competition, but we are making gains. This has really been a fun journey to go on with the team.”
Football
On Oct. 4, Hand football traveled to Shelton and won 52-29. Paul Calandrelli, Kenny Carter, Conor Casagrande, and Diego Portly each had a rushing touchdown. Quinton O’Dea had two receiving touchdowns, and Sam Markovitz had one. Calandrelli passed for 142 yards and rushed for 47.