By Christopher DeMuth
New Canaan Rams went head-to-head with the Ridgefield Tigers in a decisive track meet. Like New Canaan, the Ridgefield program boasts several college committed runners, marking the program as a real competition for the Rams.
In the 100-meter dash, Ridgefield took the top three spots: Boyle (10.99), Gallaway (11.15 PR), and Reyes (11.23). New Canaan’s Henry Stein finished fourth in 11.73. Teammates Tristan Bardales (11.83) and Willem Wrede (11.87) also ran strong times, with Willem earning a personal record. Freshmen and sophomores added to the team’s strength, with Robert Seelert running a 12.21 second PR, Ethan Kremer with a 12.27 second PR, and Anthony Westhead completing a 12.39 PR. In total, over 12 Rams ran under 13 seconds.
The 200-meter dash followed a similar trend. Boyle won in 22.10, but New Canaan had seven runners finish under 25.6 seconds. Stein led the team again in third with a 24.31 second PR, followed by Wrede (24.46 PR), Koch (24.71 PR), and Westhead (25.10 PR). Nearly every New Canaan runner set a personal best in this event, including Ryan Jordan, Max Volanakis, and Faizal Zakir Hussain.
New Canaan excelled in the middle- and long-distance races, led by senior Ryan Boulanger. He won the 800 meters in 2:00.38, just ahead of teammate Quinn Kilkenny (2:00.58 PR). The two pulled away early and finished well ahead of the rest. Sophomore Charles Cavanagh placed third (2:15.46), completing a sweep for New Canaan. Compared to the Ridgefield program, New Canaan’s strongest runners are concentrated in the distance events, with notables including Ryan Boulanger, Spencer Paine, Quinn Kilkenny, and Ryan Monohan. Though they didn’t run their main event, the relay, in the Ridgefield meet as they are still recovering from a prior competition, it should be noted how much more focus New Canaan has placed on distance. Quinn Kilkenny alone personally holds 5 school records.
Boulanger also ran a personal best in the 1600 meters, placing second in 4:29.40. Cavanagh finished fifth (4:50.62), and Hussain ran 4:58.88.
In the 3200 meters, New Canaan had its best showing, taking the top four spots. Boulanger completed a triple win with a time of 10:28.40. He was followed by John Disturco (10:31.82), Boyd Cousley (10:47.80), and freshman Oscar Humphreys, who ran a personal best of 12:33.89.
Senior Spencer Paine won the 400 meters for New Canaan in 52.54. Freshman Leo Baroni was second with a breakout 55.66 PR, and junior Ryan Monohan was third (56.26 PR), giving New Canaan a clean sweep.
In the 110-meter hurdles, freshman Peter Tsapralis won with a personal-best 17.61. Teammates Cruz Formoso (22.51 PR) and Nathan Dinning (23.70 PR) finished second and third.
Tsapralis also placed third in the 300-meter hurdles (47.14), just behind two Ridgefield runners. Freshman Brandon Barua was fourth (47.35 PR), and Dane Mitchell was fifth (52.74), adding more team points.
Even though Ridgefield won several events, New Canaan’s day was about improvement, with most runners achieving personal records in their events. More than 50 Rams set personal records across all events.
Whether it was Wrede and Westhead in the sprints or Disturco and Cousley in the distance races, the Rams showcased a strong performance across the field, representing the broad reach of talent that can be pulled due to the large team size.
With big meets coming up, including the FCIAC Championships and State Trials, New Canaan looks ready. Athletes like Boulanger, Stein, Paine, and Tsapralis are leading the way, while younger teammates continue to step up as they prepare for a team without its strongest runners next year.
