After an encouraging 12-6 season last year, head coach Art Brown is hoping to see even greater strides in the New Canaan girls cross country team in 2015.
With 48 girls on the projected roster, Coach Brown, who is entering his sixth year with the program, feels like the mix of girls who make up that number are poised to come together and compete with the FCIAC elite.
Scenes from last year’s FCIAC Championship meet at Waveny. Credit: Michael Dinan
“We have a young team with only two seniors, right now,” Coach Brown told NewCanaanite.com. “We have quite a few girls who ran last year – a lot of sophomores and juniors. We were kind of a middle-of-the-pack team [last year]. But I have seen some improvement from the younger kids and I’m going into the season with quite a bit of optimism.”
With youth, typically, comes inexperience. However, there are several girls returning from last year’s Rams squad that Coach Brown sees as strong candidates to make the team’s top-seven (the amount of runners that each meet allows to qualify for placement).
The team will be captained by its two seniors, Amanda Dobbin and Lindsay Miller, both of whom will help provide the leadership and stability that a young team wanting to be great needs.
And joining them in trying to lead the pack is 2014 All-FCIAC, 2nd-team member, Cali Brannan.
“I’m really looking forward to seeing how everyone does this year,” the sophomore Brannan told NewCanaanite.com. “Also seeing where the new people come in — and where I’ll be in the running. And I’m also looking forward to the big meets such as FCIAC’s and States.”
Brannan’s teammate, junior Drew Davis, a top runner on last year’s team, is also eager to get this season underway.
“I’m looking forward to running all the different types of courses, because they’re all very unique,” Davis said to NewCanaanite.com. “And I’m also looking forward to becoming a closer team with all the seniors that left no longer here – developing unity.”
And they will be supported in their efforts by sophomore, Chloe McAuliffe, who though entering her first year with the Rams has already made a great first impression on Coach Brown.
“She’s been looking real good in practice,” said Brown.
And McAuliffe and Brannan’s classmates, Leigh Charlton and Megan Waldron are also looking good during preseason preparation. As are Davis’ classmates, Anne Greer and Annalee Greenspon.
As any beginning of the season goes, it will take time to see who exactly will crack Coach Brown’s top seven. And he’s hoping that others vie for that crown as well.
However it works out, the Rams know what they have to compete against in the FCIAC as girls cross country stalwarts Staples, Ridgefield, Wilton, and Darien are all likely to put out impressive squads once again in 2015.
Cali Brannan heads up Mosley Hill on her way to a 16th place finish. Credit: Michael Dinan
“We have a very tough league with the top four teams in our league being really, really good,” said Brown. Staples, Ridgefield, Wilton, and Darien are usually the top four – I expect those teams to be really good [again]. I know Wilton’s going to be really strong again. And there are some other teams that are getting better. I know Danbury’s getting better, as is Warde. But I think we’ll be competitive with the top teams in our league, hopefully.”
What bodes well for this year’s Rams is that the new season has brought a new energy, and a team that is as enthusiastic to compete as any of Brown’s prior ones.
“Overall, we’re off to a good start,” said Brown. “We have a lot of enthusiasm. The kids really seem prepared. They worked really hard during the summer. We’re coming off a decent year, and by the time the FCIAC’s come up on October 21, if we stay healthy, I think we’ll have a really decent team.”
NCHS Girls Cross Country Schedule:
Tue., 9/15 vs. Trinity Catholic, Stamford, Trumbull, Brien McMahon – Waveny Park, 4pm
Sat., 9/19 Wilton Invitational – Wilton High School, 9:30am
Tue., 9/22 @ St. Joe’s, Wilton, Ridgefield, Trinity Catholic – St. Joseph High School, 4pm
Tue., 9/29 vs. Trinity Catholic, Staples, Fairfield Warde, Fairfield Ludlowe – Waveny Park, 4pm
Sat., 10/3 Brewster Invitational – Brewster High School (NY), 8:30am
Tue., 10/6 @ Greenwich, Danbury, Darien, Trinity Catholic – Greenwich Point, 4pm
Tue., 10/13 vs. Trinity Catholic, Westhill, Norwalk, Bridgeport Central – Waveny Park , 4pm
Wed., 10/21 FCIAC Championship – Waveny Park, 2pm
Sat., 10/31 CIAC Class L Championship – Wickham Park, East Hartford, 9:15am
Fri., 11/6 CIAC Open Championship – Wickham Park, East Hartford, 2pm
Sat., 11/14 New England Championship – Thetford Academy (VT), TBA