Middle School: 2017 Southeastern League Championships

Girls Overall  GirlsTeam

Boys Overall  BoysTeam

By Jim MacKenzie

The 2017 Southeast League Cross Country Championships hosted by Coe-Brown Northwood Academy featured two perennial team powers pitting 5 time NH State Champion Deerfield against 2016 State Champion Northwood.  Individually the meet would see the 2016 USATF National Individual Champion Aidan Cox of Northwood seeking his second straight Southeast League Title and who keeps on rewriting the record books and the new crowning of the girl’s 2017 race winner after 3-time winner Addison Cox of Northwood now has graduated.

In the girls race 2016 State runner-up Deerfield looking to become the first ever team to win 7 straight Southeast League titles led by Sophie Hopkins went right to the front of the pack. She was flanked by a pair of Northwood runners Mary Joy and Libby White along with Mallory Taylor of Strafford and an army of Deerfield Dragons.

At the mile, 7^th grader Hopkins opened up a 50 meter lead and held onto it all the way to the finish winning in 12:38.  Taylor distanced herself from the other contenders placing 2^nd in 12:50.  Joy placed 3^rd in 13:05 finishing just ahead of the hard kicking Ava Woodman of Deerfield (4^th 13:08) and White (5^th 13:14) who just made it in before the rest of the Deerfield scoring seven. Quincy Bolduc (6^th 13:18), Bella Lemay (7^th 13:26), Christina Mallette (8^th 13:30), Rose Layton (9^th 13:35) and Seven Doperalski (10th 13:35)rounded out the top 10 to ensure Deerfield the team title.  Barrington’s Brianna Malone (11^th 13:39) and Leah Parks (12^th 13:42) finished just ahead of Northwood’s Alyviah Blad (13^th 13:50) and Barrington’s third girl Cadence Howard (14^th 13:50).  Nottingham’s Natalie Sicard captured 15^th in 13:52.

Deerfield easily won the team championship with 26 points.  Barrington was 2^nd with 74 points, Strafford was 3^rd with 98 points, Northwood 4^th with 101 points, Three Rivers 5^th with 142 points, Nottingham 6^th with 153 points, Epsom 7^th with 190 points and Chichester was 8^th with 193 points.

2016 State and Defending Southeast League Champion Aidan Cox left no doubt in everyone’s mind when the race began his only competition was the course and the race clock.  Running all by himself and over a minute in front of his nearest competitor, Cox reached down deep and put on another record setting performance.  As he charged to the finish the clock read 10:12 lowering his 2 week winning mark of 10:16 at the 2017 Black Bear Invitational.

Cox’s teammate Tyler Tkaczyk did not disappoint either running a fantastic 11:20 placing 2nd to complete the one, two punch.  Strafford’s Lars Hogne took 3^rd place in 11:25 just in front of the Deerfield version of the Fantastic Four,  John Murphy (4^th 11:36), Sam Hopkins (5^th 11:51), Shaun Fifield (6^th 11:51) and Trent Kinsvater (7^th 11:56).  Strafford’s Jamie Lano slipped under 12 minutes running 11:57 to place 8^th. Northwood’s Max Heigis (9^th 12:19) finished up tough just ahead of Deerfield’s Jacob Comrie (12:25).  Colby Despres of Chichester placed 11^th in 12:33 edging out Barrington’s Sam Guilimette (12^th 12:33) and fellow Chichester teammate Mason Pillsbury (13^th 12:35).  Deerfield’s Will Pegnam made a strong showing placing 14^th in 12:50 outdistancing Northwood’s Daymien Bonet (15^th 13:01).

Deerfield won the 2017 Southeast League Championship with 32 points upending 2016 Champion Northwood 2^nd with 48 points.  Much improved Chichester placed 3^rd with 82 points to surprise Strafford 4^th 84 points.  Barrington place 5^th 141 points, Three Rivers 6^th 157 points, Nottingham 7^th 163 points, and Epsom placed 8^th with 238 points.

CBNA will once again be hosting the Division III NH State Championships. The Southeast League should be well represented both team wise and individually next Saturday.