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Connecticut State Open 2014 Recap - Erik Boal - DyeStat

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DyeStat.com   Nov 2nd 2014, 3:00am
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Ostberg, DeBalsi put stamp on CT Open

 

By Erik Boal, DyeStatCAL Editor

 
Alex Ostberg said it was probably the deepest Connecticut open state meet ever, which was instrumental in the Darien High senior producing one of the most impressive performances in the event's history.


Ostberg set a Wickham Park course record Friday by covering the 5-kilometer layout in 14 minutes, 58 seconds to break his own mark of 15:21 set the week before at the Class L state final.


"I initially wanted to save my sub-15 attempt for New Englands (on Nov. 8), but when my coach told me I was on pace to break 15, I figured I could not waste the chance," Ostberg said. "The conditions were also nearly perfect. You never know how the conditions will be in the future, so I seized the opportunity and went for it."


The previous Wickham Park record was 15:31 set last year by Christian Alvarado of Fairfield Prep, with Ostberg's best effort entering the season a 15:34.


"Going into the season I knew I would run three consecutive weeks at Wickham Park ... For me, I know that in order to peak at the right time and perform when it matters, it's crucial to pick and choose which races I will try to push and others to relax," Ostberg said. "The first week, I just ran to get a feel for the course once more. I pushed the first mile but then settled into a comfortable pace. I had also done a tough 5 x mile workout the day before. I wanted to sacrifice a hard race that week for better ones the following week."


Staples junior Hannah DeBalsi won the girls race in 17:59, giving her the four fastest times at Wickham Park, highlighted by her record 17:41 last year.


DeBalsi, racing for only the third time this season following a long break, improved from her 18:14 last week at Wickham Park when she captured the Class LL state title.


"I was pretty happy with my race. I was mainly running for place because I trained through this meet like my past couple of meets. My goal was to run a bit faster than last week, but I wanted to stay comfortable and relaxed rather than pushing too hard this race," DeBalsi said. "I'm waiting to really light the match next week at New Englands and then at Foot Locker. Since New Englands is in Connecticut this year, I was trying to stay relaxed at the state meets, so I'll be ready to go hard at New Englands."


DeBalsi helped Staples place third with 177 points, trailing Tolland (48) and Glastonbury (121). Tolland had four scorers in the top 13, led by Hayley Collins (18:55) in fifth.


Coventry's Ellie Jean (18:43), New Milford's Mia Nahom (18:44) and Rockville's Haley Hasty (18:48) were involved in a competitive battle for second, but well behind DeBalsi, who defeated Nahom by more than a minute the week before.


"I'm still in a building phase right now, so I feel like my strength and fitness are still improving every week and hopefully will be at the highest for Foot Locker," DeBalsi said. "We won't really know if staying out of early meets was useful until we see what happens at Foot Locker. Training has been going really well, so I'm happy with how my season is going and am anxious to finally go all out next week."


Although Ostberg and teammate Michael Noonan (15:55) were both in the top six, Darien finished ninth overall.


Danbury edged Ridgefield by an 83-94 margin for the title, with Staples (109) placing third.


Ari Klau (15:34) took runner-up to Ostberg, helping Hall finish fourth in the team battle. Six runners broke 16 minutes, including Wilton's Spencer Brown (15:38), Glastonbury's Randy Neish (15:51) and Ridgefield's Austin Gilbert (15:52).


"Considering Wickham is a challenging course, that is actually slightly longer than a 5K, it was great to see six guys run sub-16," Ostberg said. "Breaking a record of that stature by a large margin definitely boosts my confidence for the upcoming month. Now that I already achieved my goal of running sub-15, my coaches and I will have to decide what the best strategy will be for New Englands. Ultimately, next week I want to run a race that will put me in the best mindset and fitness level for the regional and national meets, so whether that means another hard effort, or a bit more of a conservative approach, we'll see."



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