The North Haven girls’ cross country team had one of the most exhilarating finishes to the regular season prior to sound showings in the postseason league and state meets. Yet it was the culmination of a plethora of diligence, dedication, and marvelous merit showcased by the Nighthawks starting back in the summer.

The Nighthawks captured the 2024 SCC Oronoque Division crown earlier this month. They then followed that up by placing ninth out of 14 clubs with a team tally of 226 points at the SCC Championship on Oct. 16 at East Shore Park. Mercy was the pacesetter in terms of the team title, with a score of 33 points.

The girls were led at SCCs by freshman Kendall Montabana, finishing 17th with a time of 20 minutes and 39.9 seconds for her run to also notch Second Team All-SCC honors. Senior Amalia Morizio came in next at 33rd place with a 21:51.80 time. Another senior in Grace DeNardis saw 51st place with a 23:23 showing, while sophomore Emma Pincince raced to 64th place in 24:13.40. Junior Sophia Vollono was 78th best with a mark of 25:34.70, and then sophomore Brenna Wilson was right behind in 79th (25:36.80).

When looking back to the top feat of the year in claiming the division crown, Head Coach Carl Jackson proclaimed it was a redemption tale of sorts for the Nighthawks. They had a thrilling conclusion to the championship race, and it was a storybook ending for the seniors.

“Winning the division was a goal for the team. Last year, we finished behind Wilbur Cross by 13 points and placed second,” said Jackson. “This year, it was a great accomplishment to finish first by the slimmest of margins in a point, but it was still a win. For the seniors, it was their last division meet running together. It had been a goal of the captains since freshman year, and it was a perfect ending. More importantly, everyone came together, and everyone’s contribution helped.”

Leading the chase to the division crown this season for North Haven were three terrific senior captains in Morizio, Daniella Rapuano, and DeNardis. Jackson proclaimed that each of them is a varsity veteran who has all the right intangibles to impart the preeminent prototypes for success to the younger runners.

“They bring experience, hard work, and the desire to succeed to the athletes,” said Jackson. “Both on and off the course, they are team builders.”

Jackson additionally sang the praises and contributions of Montabana, Pincince, juniors Lily MIneur, Grace O’Brien, Vollono, sophomore Elyana Najarian-Garb, and senior Isabel Sharma. They not only carry themselves strongly in competition but also in the classroom while additionally serving as conduits to the youth program in town.

“These athletes have all contributed to the success of the team this season with their performances. They all support and encourage one another,” said Jackson. “They also have a connection to the middle school program. Being members of the high school team, they have experience, and they share this experience with the middle school kids in the hopes of encouraging the younger athletes to continue their cross country experience when they enter high school. Additionally, all of our members are exceptional student-athletes and many have earned SCC All-Academic honors.”

In the regular season leadup to the postseason, the Nighthawks’ dual-meet record was 4-2. Outside of SCC meets, North Haven won the Neubauer Invitational and finished runner-up in the Lauralton Hall Invitational. The Nighthawks also placed eighth out of 18 complete teams at the Wickham Invitational.

At the Class MM State Championships on Oct. 26 at Wickham Park, the girls finished ninth with 231 points. Competing for the Nighthawks were Montabana (10th, 20:53), Morizio (34th, 22:26), Pincince (51st, 23:40), DeNardis (61st, 24:05), Mineur (80th, 25:09), Vollono (87th, 25:43), and Wilson (95th, 26:40). Montabana made All-State by virtue of her top 12 placement.

All in all, from the top down, it was such a sensational and successful 2024 campaign for North Haven, with everyone giving their all on a daily basis.

“All of the hard work in practices paid off with each and every athlete making an impact. the effort showed, and everyone stepped up,” said Jackson. “Their hard work, both in practice and competition; the impact they are making really shows what it means to be a team. The team gets together on its own and practices during the summer. This year, we added a freshman and two juniors. This solidified the returning team members to form a strong nucleus going into the season.”

Jackson has now been at the helm for North Haven for a tenure of 27 years. His assistant coaches are Jerry Munk and Nancy Schreiber.

The Nighthawks’ 2024 roster is comprised of seniors DeNardis, Morizio, Rapuano, Sharma; juniors Mineur, O’Brien, Vollono; sophomores Najarian-Garb, Pincince, Wilson; plus freshman Montabana.