Well Friday the 13th lived up to it’s frightening hype at the 2023 Cougar Classic. From late entries to late bus arrivals, the day and the meet turned out to be a chaotic one with, wrong turns and wrong bib associations, leading to inaccuracies in the recorded distances as well as in the times and places as well. But after the dust settled, there was some great racing along the Merrimack on a crisp and blustery Friday fall afternoon.
The girls got things rolling only moments after four teams arrived on course as bussing issues had them arrive ten minutes to start time. Alana Hagen of Newmarket shot right to the front followed by Erin and Kaitlin O’Shea of Mascenic and a whole throng of athletes from the ten schools in attendance. Before even one loop of the upper fields the lead runners missed the first turn but were quickly rerouted back on track. By the time the athletes left the upper fields, Hagen was well out front, followed by the O’Sheas, and then front pack made up of Eilis McKenna of Newmarket, Emma Schaumloffel, Skye Lambert and Amelia Smith of Mascenic, and the top two girls of Gilford and a big chase pack.
Once beyond the upper fields, the next place to catch the racers is with less than a 1000 meters to go when they climb a long hill on the access road, loop around a rock and rip back down the hill. After what seemed to be a longer wait than anticipated, Kaitlin O’Shea appeared leading Erin with Lambert and Schaumloffel each about 30 meters back of each other. Right behind and shortly passing was Hagen, having all missed the turn around but Hagen was further out in front meaning she had further run once she finally turned
around. Behind them was a group of McKenna, Smith and the top Gilford girl.
With 500 meters to go they pop up with one circuit of the upper fields to circumnavigate with Kaitlin, then Erin still out on Hagen who had passed Lambert and Schaumloffel and was trying to make inroads on the O’Sheas. But all that hard work to get back would mean the gas tank was mostly dry and the O’Sheas would stay out, Kaitlin, then Erin, then Hagen. Lambert and Schaumloffel would snag fourth and fifth, and somehow though Smith would enter the upper fields in eighth, she would snag sixth over the final lap. Belmont’s Adeline Tankangtas would be listed in sixth, with Holy Family’s Mariana Vicinanzo splitting Gilford’s Sydney Eastman and Maria Tilley.
With five in the top six there was no question Mascenic had won the race, however when the top ten were being revealed, it became apparent that something was messed up with the timing as the finishing order was way off. The culprit ended up being the chip numbers on the back of the bibs didn’t not always match the numbers on the front, so while measuring the chip time correctly, the bibs were assigned to athletes by the number on the front meaning some kids weren’t running the places or times being given to them. Gilford would finish second and Belmont third.
The boys race went off a little better, having watched the girls race the course and getting more warmup there were no misdirections among the top half of the field. At the sound of the horn, three Gilford athletes went right to the front. Missing, however, was Bocelli Howland-Vhalakis, meaning it was now anyone’s race. By 800 meters in, InterLake’s Ronan Hird and Isaak Hudd-Homeyer were right up there with Newmarket’s Jaron Labranche leading the chase pack.
In the ensuing 300 meters, Hird and Hudd Homeyer were now leading the field, with Gilford’s top guy and Mascenic’s Dylan Callahan in tow, followed by more Golden Eagles. This would essentially hold until the final circuit on the upper fields, where by the finishing tape Labranche would split up the InterLakes duo, and Callahan would be in fourth. Holy Family would have the next two in Paul and Matt Williams, with Gilford’s Alden Townsend and Carter Forest finishing seventh and eighth. Belmont’s Brayden Townsend would prevent Gilford going three in a row by finishing ninth in front of Gilford’s Gunner Marvel to round out the top ten.
With only one athlete in the top ten, Mascenic would benefit some solid grouping to win with 54 points over Gilford with 66 points. Holy Family would finish third with 73 points.
