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Two Wilton Running Club Girls Qualify For Junior Olympic Nationals

WILTON, Conn. -- Two Wilton Running Club girls qualified for the U.S. Junior Olympic National Championships at last Saturday’s New England Regional meet in Augusta, Maine.

Tess Pisanelli, left, and Angela Saidman.

Tess Pisanelli, left, and Angela Saidman.

Angela Saidman finished fourth in the 13-14-year-old division and Tess Pisanelli finished 16th in the 11-12 division. Both girls will compete in the Junior Olympic national championship race on Dec. 13 in Myrtle Beach, S.C.

Saidman covered the 4-kilometer course in 15:17.89 and earned her third straight appearance at nationals. Saidman was second in the nation last year in the 11-12-year-old division, and seventh in the nation in 2012.

Pisanelli ran 12:01.63 for 3-kilometers. She qualified for nationals for the second straight year. Pisanelli, who was 26th in the regional race last year, made a late push and zoomed up to 16th in the final half of the race.

Wilton also qualified a team of runners for the first time in the regionals. The 13-14-year-old boys made a strong showing at the state meet, and earned an invitation to Maine. Only four of the boys could make the trip, however. Harrison Houser (74th), Flynn Crowther (80), Scottie Candee (100) and Andrew Bucciero (105) ran in the regional race. The other boys who helped get the regional bid were Ben Grass, Tyler Zengo and Alex Killian.

Other Wilton runners who qualified for regionals and raced Saturday were Ashley Nicoletti, Sean McHale, Elena Tan and Lauren Klym. Emily Welch also qualified for the regional race.

The nationals will be held at Whispering Pines Golf Course in Myrtle Beach.

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