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MANCHESTER – The Xavier boys cross country team won its first CIAC State Open championship since 2018 on Thursday morning at Wickham Park, but it wasn't without some stress.
The depth of the Falcons was tested in an unexpected way when Thursday's top team runner, junior Quentin Koch, was disqualified after finishing second overall behind Open champion Tycen LaBelle of Griswold, who won in 15:37.6. Xavier coach Chris Stonier appealed Koch's disqualification, and a jury of appeals met under a pavilion on a hill overlooking the finish line.
"One athlete was wearing an electronic device that transmits data to an app that is only accessible at the conclusion of a race. Likewise, nearly half the field was doing the same," Stonier said. "The rule, the disqualification process at the CIAC level says you are guilty until proven innocent. "
Stonier said there are "no checks and balances in place, that the process is designed to protect an athlete in this situation, is adhered to."
Xavier wound up winning the team State Open championship, 83-88, over Greenwich. Koch ran for the Cardinals in his freshman and sophomore years before transferring to Xavier. With Koch disqualified, junior Holden Hines became Xavier's top finisher, taking fourth overall in 16:11.6.
"We know who really got second. That's all I'll say," Hines said. "At the end of the day, Xavier, we got it done. Whether we had our No. 1 guy or not, we got it done."
Xavier junior James Perrault was eighth overall (fifth for his team, 16:22.2), followed by junior Nolan O'Connor (15th overall, eighth team, 16:33.3) junior Alex Brown (37th overall, 24th team, 17:00.9), and Jackson Gould (68th overall, 44th team, 17:23.8).
LaBelle earns CIAC State Open championship
The Griswold senior came out firing on all cylinders and ran his first mile in 4:48.7. LaBelle was well ahead of his nearest competitors when he ran downhill going the other way on the starting hill. LaBelle ran his second mile in 5:12.4 and was sitting at 10:01.1 overall through two miles. After finishing as a runner-up at the very end against East Lyme senior Sam Leone last year, LaBelle earned his Open championship moment.
Stratford senior Zackary O'Toole finished second overall in 16:02.2, and he wound up just edging out East Lyme junior Nico Cardello, who was third in 16:02.8. Hines was fourth, followed by E.O. Smith senior Gabriel White in 16:18.2.
This article originally published at Xavier overcomes runner DQ to win first State Open title since 2018; LaBelle takes individual crown.
https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/xavier-overcomes-runner-dq-win-202530560.html
