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Congratulations to all who competed at the New England Cross Country Championships down at Thetford Academy in Thetford, VT! Stated simply, what a day! Once again, this proved to be a unique event full of pure competition where the best of the best across 5 New England states! Kudos to the Thetford and Vermont running community for once again pulling off a first class event. Featuring “Morty’s Monster”, Thetford is the most challenging, unrelenting course on the New England Championship circuit and arguably the country. Because of this, runners need to have a plan. It is pure cross country where some of the all-time greats have performed. Work too hard the first mile and the competition as well as the course has a way of paying you back over the final mile.
Girls Race
Girls Results Courtesy of Lancer Timing
The girls led things off this year and they certainly set the tone with all the individual contenders successfully getting out and in position by the woods. The question always is, did they relax into their pace in time? Just past the mile, 2 trios had formed. The pre-race favorites, Exeter’s Alexis Paterna, Hopkinton’s Maddy Lane and Lyme-Old Lyme CT’s Chase Gilbert had some separation and were setting torrid pace for such a hilly course. They were followed by Bedford’s Mikita Barry, Greenwich’s Sophie Passalacqua, and Cumberland’s Cecelia Ludwig. A long line of the field featuring Staples (CT) Sarah Bogdan, Glastonbury’s Lauren Parrett as well as Champlain Valley Union’s top 2 of Charlotte Crum and Lydia Donahue were next. Team wise, Hanover was off to a great start battling the 2-time defending champs CVU as well as RI state champs Cumberland.
By midway Paterna was pressing, but looking incredibly comfortable as did Lane and Gilbert. By 2 miles not much had changed with these three, but Parrett was on the hunt as she separated from the field. CVU and Cumberland had made up ground on Hanover with CVU probably having the lead here. It was also clear Oyster River and Mercy CT were having a good days. As always at Thetford, both the individual race and the team race would be decided over the 2nd half with Morty’s Monster looming.
Over the top of Morty’s and down the backside, Lane was making her bid to go for the title, but Paterna was right there not giving in. They had a slight gap now on Gilbert, but Parrett was still tracking! Coming down the final hill, in what is certainly the race of the year, Paterna had retaken the lead beginning her final drive with Lane creeping on her shoulder. Into the final turn they were dead even and they remained that way up to the line with Lane edging ever so slightly for the win 18:29.29 to 18:29.40! Neither athlete gave in! Incredible! Not only a historically close finish, but also 2 of the fastest times in the history of Thetford! Lets Go!!! And they are both juniors! Looking forward to RI next year!
Parrett did overtake Gilbert for 3rd with Ludwig claiming 5th both crossing in 18:56. They were a step in front of Passalacqua. Crum and Donahue led the CVU effort to capture their 3rd New England consecutive crown by taking 8th and 9th respectively. Mt. Mansfield VT’s Acadia Enman would claim the final top 10 spot in 19:18.
While we of course celebrate the Granite State’s 1-2 achievement, we also salute NH individuals who cracked the top 25 as well garnering All-New England honors. Hanover’s Megan Faris once again led them by placing an incredible 15th in 19:26 with Exeter’s Brianna Paterna taking 19th in 19:39 a few ticks in front of Bedford’s Mikita Barry, who placed 21st in 19:48. Tracking her was OR’s Olivia Kavanagh as she placed right behind her in 22nd in 19:48.
Led by the aforementioned Crum and Donahue, taking advantage of their experience at Thetford, CVU ultimately ran away with their 3rd title in a row over the final mile. CVU not only had their top 2 in the top 10, but Audrey Neilson was another All-New England member placing 20th with Zoey McNabb (43rd) and Isabella Gravina-Budis (47th) completing their scoring totaling 89 team points. Cumberland RI would be 2nd with 121. Hanover placed 3rd for the 2nd consecutive year with 179 points. Along with Faris, scoring for the NH State Champs were Lila Muirhead, Aria Deeb, Lila Marchetti, and Millie Larrick.
Oyster River had a great day placing 6th with 237 points. While Kavanagh secured All-New England honors, Neely Roy placed 35th and Maddy Cook, with her best race of the season, was right behind at 40th. Led by Sookie Folsom and Kalisan Marzolf, Pinkerton placed 11th, just 2 points out of 10th. The Paternas helped Exeter finish right behind the Trail Blazers in 12th, just 6 points back. That’s New Englands! Pure competition!
Congrats to all!
Boys Race
Boys Results Courtesy of Lancer Timing
The boys did their best to follow the girls race of the year as some Granite Staters swung for the fences. Hats off to NH #1 Pinkerton. They truly took their best shot at pre race favorite Bishop Hendricken of Rhode Island as Jason Robie, Sean Hayes, Austin Cipriano and the Long Red Line got out pretty darn well. They along with Hanover’s D2 Champ Ben Groves and Monadnock’s D3 Champ Peyton Joslyn were dialed early, taking their shot. Also sticking their collective noses into contention in the early going were BG’s D1 Champ Ethan Fischer, Concord’s Josiah Conley, Fall Mountain’s Elijah Bodanza and PCA’s Christian Barnes. Portsmouth RI’s Sean Gray would take the lead early and ultimately “ran” away with the title coming within seconds of the course record floating over the hills and trails to cross in 15:53.
After finishing 4th last year, Pinkerton gave the necessary effort in attempt to over come Hendricken. The Long Red Line did what they do best and that is to compress their top 5 spread. They posted a phenomenal 32 second pack time as Robie placed 12th, Hayes 21st, Trainor Mailloux 27th, Joseph Gustavson 30th and Cipriano 39th. This was an incredible accomplishment at this level, and it should put them in great position as they take on Nike Cross Northeast Regionals in a couple weeks! They did NH proud!
In the end Bishop Hendricken was just too strong up front. They placed 3 in the top 11! David Hayes placed 4th, Colby Flynn 9th, and Shepherd Butler 11th. Tough to overcome that, and when you add Fred Russell placing 24th, it became impossible. So a hearty congratulations to Bishop Hendricken as the New England Champions for 2025! They earned it!
Individually, LaSalle’s (RI) Marshall Vernon placed 2nd, Griswold CT’s Tycen LaBelle 3rd, Keene’s Sullivan Sturtz, for the 3rd consecutive year was NH’s top finisher at New Englands as he placed 5th in 16:25. He honestly put on a clinic as he patiently moved through the field the entire race. Groves stayed strong to place a super impressive 6th overall in 16:31 and after remaining in the top 4 for a vast majority of the race, Joslyn hung on for 8th in 16:34. A tip of the cap to him as he truly sent it. Fischer garnered All New England honors placing 16th a couple seconds in front of Conley who was 17th. And with the final medal, congrats to Barnes as he was 25th in 16:59.
One of the larger surprises of the day had to be NH#3 Coe-Brown nabbing 4th overall as a team behind of course Hendricken, Pinkerton and Greenwich, CT. The Black Bears did their best Pinkerton impression as they sported a 37 pack time of their own led by Patrick Youngs’s 50th place finish. Without a senior, the elder statesman junior Ben Jobin placed 78th, freshman Broden Cox 89th, sophomore Ben Larson 90th and freshman Mateo Ferguson 111th to complete this week’s scoring 5. Like Pinkerton, this seems to change every week. Led by Patrick Ramsey’s impressive 31st place, Londonderry came within 1 point of the top 10 to place 11th. Hanover was 15th and Keene 16th.
Congrats to all!
