The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Noble outlasts Wiser for title
MANCHESTER — The plan for Mari Noble in Friday’s State Open was to keep up with defending champion Kate Wiser as long as possible before mentally settling in a rhythm running alone.
Except that didn’t happen. Noble had a narrow lead after both a mile and two miles, and suddenly the elusive title was in her grasp.
The impossible dream came true for the Greenwich junior, as a 18:13 finish meant her first State Open title. Noble bested Wiser by 10 seconds at Wickham Park.
“I wasn’t thinking about it too much, but I knew the time was going to come where I figured I’d lose her,” Noble said. “So I was mentally preparing for how I would handle being (by) myself . ... I can’t describe this feeling, I didn’t think this was completely possible.”
Noble dropped another 17 seconds from her winning time at the Class LL meet last Saturday. Wiser was coming off a courserecord performance in winning in 17:39 in the Class L race.
“I’m so proud of her,” Greenwich coach Evan Dubin said. “There aren’t enough words to describe how happy I am for her; she’s worked so hard. The competition at a meet of this magnitude is the best of the best. My money is on Mari every race; I’m not surprised that she won but I know the world is.”
It’s the first runnerup finish for Wiser instate since her freshman season, a second to Morgan McCormick at the State Open.
“Mari ran hard from the start,” Pomperaug coach Mark Goodwin said. “This might not have been Kate’s day, but it was Mari’s day. Second in Connecticut is good. She will bounce back. … there is probably going to be 10 or 15 Mari Noble’s next week (at New Englands).”
Manchester’s Kate Hedlund finished third (18:48) while Bethel’s Ava Graham finished fourth. Danbury’s Daniella GrullonPena was fifth in 19:07, just edging New Milford’s Claire Daniels with the same time.
Hall girls capped an almost perfect season with the team title, led by Jenna Zydanowicz’s 11thplace finish. The Warriors scored 110 points, ahead of runnerup Simsbury’s 136. Trumbull (155), New Canaan (173) and Danbury (191) made it an FCIAC 345.
“We’ve worked so hard for this all season,” Zydanowicz said. “Every single one of us worked so well together. This was really a team race and we gave it everything we had. This has been an unbelievable season; this is such a great group of girls.”
Kathryn Rodrigues of Wolcott (19:11, seventh), Amanda Derway of Simsbury was eighth (19:18), Alessandra Trumbull took ninth (19:18) and Mairead Clas (Darien) rounded out the top 10.