After 20:40 minutes, Willis Ballard ‘14 crossed the finish line in the last regular season meet of his high school cross country career.

The Bethel High School Boys Cross Country team ended their regular season Tuesday afternoon at the Sub-Varsity Invitational. They raced against New Milford, Staples, and Newton on the Mark Goodwin Cross Country Course in Bethel.

Overall, out of the top six runners to complete the race, five were from New Milford and one was from Staples.

Ballard, who placed first for Bethel, came in twenty-third overall. Three other seniors ran within the top ten for Bethel. They were: Greg Zanchelli, who completed the 3.1 mile course in 21:10, Joe Esposito who ran the course in 21:10 as well, and Mike SanGiacomo who crossed the finish line in 22:27 minutes.

Dan Islam ‘17, Joey Heinemeyer ‘16, Jack Fritch ‘15, Chris Mello ‘15, Patrick Hannagan ‘15, and Thomas Carraturo ‘16 rounded out Bethel’s top ten.

Mr. Gene Waring, Boy’s Cross Country Coach, was incredibly proud of all of the Bethel runners. “As a whole, the team did exceptionally well.”

Coach Waring explained that most of the runners set their personal records during the race. He said, “If you run your personal best by the end of the season, that is a great accomplishment.”

One of the runners, Thomas Carraturo ‘16, felt this sense of accomplishment. He described, “When I crossed the finish line of my last race, the feeling of how much I improved from day one to the last was unforgettable.”

At the meet, some of the boys that did not run were selling Scotty Fund bracelets to support Thomas Fritch ‘17, who is battling cancer. The bracelet fundraiser alone raised over $2000, which is equivalent to over 700 bracelets. Mr. Waring commented, “We’re doing whatever we can to help.”

All in all, the BHS Boys Cross Country Team ended their regular season on a high note, especially in the eyes of Coach Waring. He said, “It’s been a real pleasure coaching them this year.”