Christopher Lebeau and Terrell Patterson were standout cross country runners in the area in high school, and now they’re helping a state university excel in their sophomore seasons.
Lebeau and Patterson run for Southern Connecticut State University, which is fifth in the latest U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association East Region rankings.
The Owls finished fifth in the Kutztown DII Challenge this past Saturday in Kutztown, Penn. Lebeau and Patterson were the top finishers for SCSU at the meet.
Lebeau finished seventh overall in a time of 26:49.9 and Patterson placed 17th in 27:19.3.
Lebeau is majoring in accounting and Patterson is majoring in athletic training. Lebeau was a standout runner at Bristol Eastern while Patterson was one of the top runners at Kaynor Tech.
Kaylee Hale
Sacred Heart University women’s rugby has been getting better every time out in the early going, despite an 0-3 record.
Hale, a junior from Wolcott, has been an important piece of the Pioneer puzzle. Hale plays fullback and flyhalf for SHU.
The Pioneers have lost 26-19 and 24-17 in their last two contests after being blown out by Mount St. Mary’s. The 26-19 loss came at Brown on Sept. 8, and Hale connected on two of her three conversion tries for SHU. Each conversion kick was worth two points.
The Pioneers had another close loss when they were defeated 24-17 by the Army West Point Bs in Fairfield this past Saturday. Hale had a conversion kick for two points in the loss.
Hale played four years of rugby for the Cheshire Rugby Club and led the program to state championships in 2015 and 2016, according to a story on the SHU website announcing the rugby program’s first recruiting class. She earned four varsity letters playing rugby for Cheshire, and she also earned four varsity letters playing soccer and competing in indoor track and field while at Wolcott High School. Hale played four years with the CT High School Rugby Selects in both the 15’s and 7’s seasons. She was team captain of the Selects in 2016.
Nedrion Payne
The freshman from Waterbury Career Academy has done his part to help out the Anna Maria College defense.
Payne, a linebacker, had seven tackles (five solo, two assisted), in a 41-7 AMCATS loss to Curry College this past Friday. Payne was second on the team in tackles for the game to Tyshawn Anderson, who had 10. Payne also had a kick return for five yards in the game. He also fair caught a short kickoff.
On one first quarter drive, Payne made a tackle on a Curry wide receiver that stopped a potential first down. The third down reception gained nine yards instead of the necessary 12 for a first down, and the Colonels had to punt, one of the few times their offense didn’t convert on a rough night for the AMCATS.
Payne started his career with five tackles, including one and a half for a loss, in a season-opening loss to WPI on Aug. 31.
Brianna Root
Root is in her final season with the Post University women’s volleyball team, and the Eagles are looking to her to set them up for success.
Root leads Post in assists with 369 over the first 14 matches played so far this season. The former Bristol Eastern standout setter also leads the Eagles in digs with 157. She has played in all 47 sets and started 12 of the 14 matches so far.
Root also has 18 aces to her credit, which is second on the team to Madison Hunziker’s 19. Root and Hunziker are the only Eagles to play in each set this season.
Post has a 5-9 record entering tonight’s match against Felician University inside the Drubner Center in Waterbury at 7 o’clock. The Eagles had won three straight before last Saturday’s loss to Wilmington University.
Root, a familiar face to those attending Bristol Blues games at Muzzy Field, is studying sports management, along with communications and media studies. Root worked as the Assistant Operations Manager for the Blues this past summer.
Statistics and information compiled from the team website of each athlete.