Cross Country

MANCHESTER — It was a soggy, muddy day, the kind of day that made one girl cry before the race even started and every...

MANCHESTER — Just six days after the class meets, at which no girl could break the 19-minute mark, six went sub-19 Friday afternoon in a blazing State Open at Wickham Park. Naugatuck’s Rosa Moriello was among the speedy sextet, finishing fifth in 18 minutes, 54 seconds. She was bested by Nonnewaug’s Jackie Nicholas (18:22), Fairfield Warde’s Meg Ryan (18:23), Glastonbury’s Reid Watson (18:28) and Bunnell’s Lauren Sara (18:29).

WATERTOWN — It was a day of repeats at the Naugatuck Valley League cross country championships: The Woodland girls won their second straight team title, Naugatuck’s Rosa Moriello captured her third consecutive individual crown, and the Naugy boys claimed their fourth team championship in a row. The Hawks trio of Brittany Albright, Crystal Steinfeld and Melissa Kiley, who finished third, fourth and seventh, respectively, in 2008, were almost as impressive this year, taking fourth, fifth and eighth, in the same order. They, along with Sarah Melville (18th) and Kelly Smith (28th), made up the Black and Gold’s scoring five, who totaled 63 points. That was 14 lower than second-place Holy Cross, which Woodland had beaten by a single point only a week and a half before to secure back-to-back undefeated regular seasons.

TORRINGTON — As members of the Naugatuck boys’ cross country team cantered along the Torrington High School course during Tuesday’s six-team meet, their...