Westhill sophomore Nicole Ambrosecchio ran with the lead pack from the outset of Saturday's race at the Wickham Invitational. She took control with about a half mile to go and won, presenting herself as one of the top female runners in the state and surprising even herself.
"It's definitely the biggest win I've had,'' said Nicole, who blazed through the 5-kilometer (3.1-mile) course in 19:58. She beat Allie Thoms of New Fairfield by 4 seconds. "I didn't expect to win. It was a big surprise. I was proud of myself."
The victory bodes well for Nicole as the cross-country season heads for its championship meets. The Fairfield County Interscholastic Athletic Conference championships will be run Oct. 21 at Waveny Park in New Canaan. Nicole will also run in the Class LL championships and will likely qualify for the State Open. She has lost just once in dual meet competition this season, to teammate Maddie Elkins, who did not run Saturday because of an injury.
In Saturday's race, Ambrosecchio said she pulled ahead with about 400 meters to go on one of the course's inclines. "I'm usually pretty good at running hills, and I wanted to take advantage of that,'' she said. Nicole held off Thoms as the pair charged down the homestretch. "On that course, there are so many people screaming you can't tell if there's any one behind you so I just kept going and going,'' Nicole said.
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