By Michael Letendre
The Connecticut High School Coaches Association released its 2020 Cross Country All-State teams on Wednesday as 170 athletes were honored around the state.
And that grouping included several runners from the Bristol area.
Bristol Central seniors Nate DeAngelo and Natalia Popielarz, along with sophomore Frankie Porrini, earned All-State nods after a tremendous season for the Rams program.
“Congrats to Bristol Central Cross Country runners Nate DeAngelo, Frankie Porrini and Natalia Popielarz,” said Central cross country coach Tamara Stafford-Kirk on Twitter. “We are so proud of you.”
And on the Bristol Eastern side, junior Fiona Gallagher also tallied All-State honors.
It certainly was a strange cross country season with a shortened campaign and only one postseason event though runners from Central had another meet at the 12th Rock Northeast HS Club Cross Country Championships last Saturday from Montgomery, New York.
DeAngelo had a tremendous final campaign for Central – taking first place during regular season meets – and made a fantastic showing in New York with a 27th place finish with a time of 16:15.
He was easily the best runner in all of Region B, winning the championship race on November 10 in 15:42 while capturing his personal record of 15:31 on October 21 in a Central victory over New Britain – also from Stanley Quarter Park.
DeAngelo established a course record at Rockwell Park on October 1 as his time of 16:33.7 was an amazing way to open the campaign.
And then came another personal record of 16:22.2 in a meet against Southington on October 14 before establishing a new course standard – this time at Farmington.
In the meet at Winding Trails, Central turned away Farmington behind the senior’s new standard of 16:33.7.
Just about every week, DeAngelo seemed to be breaking a record or challenging an existing standard.
And then Porrini, the ever-improving sophomore, made his finish at the CCC Region B meet in New Britain a personal showcase.
Porrini took fourth at the championship meet, crossing the line in 16:28 as he improved his time by forty seconds from the last time he ran at Stanley Quarter Park.
He finished under 17:10 three times this season and then had an amazing showing in New York last Saturday.
Porrini’s time of 16:43.4 was the fourth best time in the No. 1 seeded tilt to end the year.
In regular season meets for Central this year, Porrini usually finished in second or third place. The best is yet to come for this outstanding runner.
Popielarz finished her final season strongly, cashing in a third place finish at the Region B race in 19:30.
She was a polished runner in the regular season as well, posting a 19:39 against New Britain on October 21 – with no other runner in sight – while opening the season against Avon with a first place finish of 21:42.
And in her final regular season meet, Popielarz won the Farmington challenge in 20:13.
She finished in 21:05.8 for second place on October 14 versus Southington and had a strong appearance in New York to end her scholastic cross country career.
And then Gallagher, another talented harrier from the Bristol Eastern program, had an excellent season as well.
After coming in fourth against Farmington, Gallagher took either first and second places finishes the rest of the way.
She clocked in at 21:09 against Lewis Mills on October 21 but after that meet, Gallagher’s times never reached twenty-one minutes again.
Her personal best came against New Britain on October 28 (20:10), earning second place against Avon (20:12.6), and then became only the second girl from the Bristol Eastern cross country team to earn All-State honors.
Gallagher ended her junior campaign taking sixth place in 20:52 at the Region B Championship.
