MVP
    WESLEY HALSTEAD
    Amity-Woodbridge
    This two-time All-Area performer helped lead Amity back to the New England Championship meet after the Spartans won it in 2005. He tied the course record of 16:12 at Fitzgerald Trail to win the meet over Cheshire and Shelton and help the Spartans clinch the SCC Housatonic Division crown. Halstead also finished second in the SCC race (16:23.37) to earn all-league laurels. This senior then led Amity to the State Open with a time of 16:52 at the Class LL meet, good enough for 11th place. He took ninth at the Open (16:31) and 22nd at the New England Championships (16:17). Halstead is considering Cornell, Boston College and UConn.

Coach of the Year
    BOB ORGOVAN
    Amity-Woodbridge
    Earns the honor for the second straight year. Orgovan led the Spartans to the Southern Connecticut Conference Housatonic Division championship, followed by a runner-up performance at the league championship meet behind Xavier-Middletown. Amity qualified for the State Open as a wildcard entry, then got a chance to defend its New England Championship crown by finishing tied for fifth at the Open, held at Wickham Park. The Spartans, who lost three of their top five runners from last year’s New England title, finished ninth this season in the meet held in North Scituate, R.I. Orgovan just completed his 30th year as Amity’s head coach.

    FORREST MISENTI
    XAVIER-MIDDLETOWN
    Junior won a tri-meet against Notre Dame-West Haven and Fairfield Prep to help the Falcons clinch the Southern Connecticut Conference Quinnipiac Division. Misenti took third at the league championship meet to help Xavier won the team title at Hammonasset State Park. This Haddam resident finished eighth in the Class LL meet (16:45), then 24th at the State Open (16:48), both at Wickham Park. Misenti also finished 51st at the New England Championships as Xavier placed seventh as a team.

    KEVIN TIERNAN
    Law-Milford
    Made a nice showing at this year’s Wickham Invitational, placing 9th in the boys’ unseeded race (17:54). Tiernan earned All-Southern Connecticut Conference honors when he finished 10th in the league championship meet at Hammonasset State Park (17:00.37) and qualified for the State Open when he took fourth in the Class MM state championship meet at Wickham Park (17:23). Tiernan, a junior, finished 38th at the State Open (17:08).

    DAN LE
    Cheshire
    His 30th-place finish at the Class LL championship meet (17:35) helped this senior qualify for his first State Open, where he placed 63rd (17:30) in the event held at Wickham Park. Le took 20th at the SCC meet (17:29.35) and 25th at the Wickham Invitational’s boys seeded race (17:43). Le is considering UConn.

    DAVE BIRDSALL
    HAND-MADISON
    The runner-up at this year’s Sheehan Invitational, Birdsall finished ninth in the Class MM championship meet (17:47) to qualify for the State Open, where he placed 93rd (17:47) at Wickham Park. Birdsall just missed out on earning All-Southern Connecticut Conference honors by finishing 16th at the league championship meet (17:10.65). The junior did win a dual meet this season against Fairfield Prep.

MAX WALDEN
Hopkins
Senior won every Fairchester Athletic Association (FAA) meet he participated in this year. Walden won his division of the 5K Greater Hartford Invitational (16:42), finished third at the 2.5-mile Collegiate Invitational at Van Cortlandt Park in New York City (13:05) and fourth at the 5K Cantebury Invitational (17:03). Walden also won the Fairchester

    MATT CASEY
    Branford
    Helped team win the Southern Connecticut Conference Oronoque Division championship. Junior finished 10th at the Windham Invitational Varsity I race. Earned All-SCC honors by placing 11th in the league championship meet (17:00.91) at Hammonasset State Park. Casey placed 11th in the Class M championship meet (17:42) at Wickham Park, then placed 65th at the State Open (17:32), also at Wickham.

    PAUL KICHAR
    Amity-Woodbridge
    Took a runner-up finish in a meet featuring Guilford (17:04) and 15th at the Wickham Invitational’s boys’ championship race (17:09). In the postseason, Kichar earned All-SCC honors by finishing fifth in the league championship meet at Hammonasset State Park (16:42.71) and 20th in Class LL (17:13) at Wickham to help the Spartans qualify for the State Open. Kichar placed 37th at the Open (17:07), then 57th at the New England Championship meet (16:51). Kichar is considering Quinnipiac and Southern Connecticut State.

    JOE POULSEN
    Seymour
    The Naugatuck Valley League’s Most Outstanding Senior finished seventh at the boys seeded race of the Wickham Invitational (17:00) and 10th at the Windham Invitational Varsity II race (16:43.57). Poulsen also finished fourth at the Class M state championship meet at Wickham Park (17:08) followed by a 26th-place finish in the State Open at the same course (16:49). Poulsen is considering the University of Connecticut and Southern Connecticut State.

    ALEX DUNN
    Guilford
    By finishing third at the Class MM meet at Wickham Park (17:22), Dunn helped the Indians qualify for the State Open championship. He finished 71st at the Open (17:35), also at Wickham. Dunn won the tri-meet against both Hand-Madison and Foran-Milford to help Guilford claim the Southern Connecticut Conference Hammonasset Division title. Then he placed sixth at the league championship meet at Hammonasset State Park (16:48.35) to earn All-SCC honors.