Alumni Comes out on Top in Danbury High race

DANBURY -- If the Danbury High varsity cross country team couldn't beat an alumni team last year that lacked Ramon Laboy, what chance did it have with Laboy making his return?

Laboy, perhaps the best cross country runner in the history of the Hatters program, finished the 2.86 mile course in first with a time of 15:20, and the alumni team defeated the varsity 17-38 in the annual 20th annual Alumni Race.

Willie Ahearn (2008 graduate) finished second with a time of 16:04, Paul LaRosa (1994) finished third with a 16:20, and his brother John LaRosa (1999) finished fourth with a 16:32.

The top varsity runner was senior Alex Levine, who finished with a time of 16:45.

"Ahearn, his training is double ours," said Levine. "And Laboy is an amazing runner. (The varsity) might get lucky one day if we have a few superstars."

The alumni team has now won the race every single year since its inception, and, aside from a 28-29 victory in 2006, has had little trouble doing so.

"When I was a senior, I came in looking to win," said Ahearn, who will run at Georgetown in the fall after transferring from the University of Texas. "But it's like fighting against your big brother. No matter how much stronger you get, he's always going to beat you up, because he's done it for years."

Laboy, who now lives in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania and works as a social worker, couldn't make the trip up last year but was in town on Friday for a friend's wedding.

"I always make a point to come back," said Laboy, 28.

"(The varsity team) is always consistent -- (Danbury High coach) Rob (Murray) does a phenomenal job -- but (the alumni) have years of college experience, and experience running races."

Laboy holds the record times in the event as both an alumni (14:45 in 2003) and a varsity runner (15:10). As an alumni he also holds the third, sixth, and eight-best times.

"He's as committed as a collegiate athlete," said Murray, who ran in the race and finished in 17:49. "He's running 95-100 miles a week this summer, training for some half marathons. ... He's just a horse.

"He's so strong"

Ahearn was a camp counselor at the varsity team's summer camp about a week ago, and Murray, knowing the Alumni Race was approaching, made a proposition to him.

"I said to Willie, `If you break the course record, I'll give you a hundred dollars.'," said Murray.

Ahearn and Laboy both shattered last year's top time (16:56, run by Ahearn), but they came up well short of the alumni record.

"Last year was more of a controlled effort," said Ahearn. "The alumni have never lost, so we just go for the win."

Added Laboy, "Rob said, `You know you had it back in the day,' and (Ahearn and I) were pushing for it in the first half. I thought we'd have it, but I wasn't even close.

"I must have been flying that day."