By Dave Irving
With the dropping leaves and rolling acorns instilling the aroma of cross country championship season into the air, the harriers of central New Hampshire prepare for the 46th running of the Capital Area Cross Country Championships taking place this Thursday. Held on the trails of Merrimack Valley where runners are challenged by ravines, roots, and the aforementioned rolling acorns, the race will crown the champions of the Capital Region (loosely defined by the maximum distribution area of the Concord Monitor newspaper). A true regional championship, as all three divisions are represented, and invitations are extended to all local private schools.
In typical Capital Area fashion, the boys are slated to run first at 4:00. With no team ranked in the state’s top-10, the podium is a bit more open to speculation than it usually is. As the top local school at Manchester Invite, and with history on its side, the favorite once again looks to be Concord. Led by top returning runner Josiah Conley and Tyler Watt, the Crimson Tide is looking for its 7th straight win, one shy of the longest win streak of 8 years, also held by Concord at the dawn of the meet’s history. Bow, led by Alden Betterly, is the very slight favorite over Hopkinton, with Matt Clarner and Ben Daniels. Bow has slightly more depth, perhaps, while Hopkinton is a little quicker up front. Of course, St. Paul’s is the dark horse here. Led by Andrew Carroll of Montana and Jonathan Dase of Georgia, they seem to be in more of a rebuilding phase, although what that means in regards to area competition remains to be seen.
Individually, last year’s runner up was 9th-grader, now slightly seasoned 10th-grader Conley of Concord. The future is bright for local talent as a new 9th-grader has emerged as Conley’s biggest challenger, Bocelli Howland-Vlahak of Gilford. Looking to give the favorites a challenge is Eli Lemire of John Stark, Daniel Dalbek of Kearsarge, Clarner and Daniels of Hopkinton, Betterly of Bow, and Carroll of St. Paul’s.
The final race will belong to the girls. Concord, by virtue of an 8th-place spot in the latest State Rankings, is the favorite, but it is by no means a runaway. Concord is riding a 10-year win streak and will be looking to tie their own record of 11 wins, but a strong-and-getting-stronger Hopkinton team is likely tired of playing the bridesmaid role, placing 2nd to Concord four of the last five years. Concord is led by Shelly Smith, with added speed up front provided by Chloe Gudas and Morgan Doherty. Hopkinton has 9th-grade superstar Madeleine Lane, recently 2nd at the Thetford Trail Run and winner of the Pelham Invitational, as well as Reese Bove. The secret to their late season rise however is the return to form of Shaylee Murdough, last year’s 4th place finisher. The St. Paul’s girls team makes a return to Capital Area this year after a decade of absence and likely will compete for a podium spot. While they don’t boast speed up front, they are rich in depth which could carry them to a top-three finish. They are led by Aedyn Kourakos of Florida, and local girl Olivia Blanchard of Concord. One team to be on the lookout for is the young Newfound team, led by a trio of 10th-graders. Emerald Briggs is a rising star on the team, and is supported by a consistent Ceili Irving and last year’s top runner Addie Alpers, who is returning to form after injury. Newfound has never made the podium on the girls side, could this be the year? Gilford also deserves a mention, as they sport a solid team led by Alana Sawyer, but their success will likely depend on whether Georgia Eckhardt, last year’s 8th finisher, is racing.
Individually, the crystal ball is very clear, as Hopkinton’s Lane is one of the top runners in the state, if not the region. No runner has ever won Capital Area four years in a row, this could be step one for Lane. The chase pack should include the top returner from last year, 3rd place finisher Molly Ellison of Kearsarge. Look for Hopkinton’s Murdough to continue to improve and be in the mix, as well as Concord’s Smith, Bow’s Julia Hou, Newfound’s Briggs, and John Stark’s Kayla Barriere.
