Updated w/PICS! All Divisions! 2016 Middle School State Championships!

Division I & II Pictures! – Thanks Davio DeLuca!

Division III  – Thanks Dave!

All results from today’s Middle School State Championship meets are found at LancerTiming!
For the first time in its 43 year history, the NH Middle School Championships were held at two different venues. The ever increasing popularity of cross country was a factor that helped force the hand of change.  Another was to divide teams into three more equitable divisions based on school population.  Londonderry hosted the (Large) Division I and (Medium) Division II, while Coe-Brown hosted the (Small) Division III.

At Coe-Brown, it was all about hometown domination.  As predicted, the Division III Girls race was a runaway victory by Northwood’s Addison Cox.  The talented 8^th grader scorched the two mile course in a course record time of 11:41 to become the first ever 3-Time NH Middle School State Champion.  Andover’s Sophia Reynolds ran strong to the finish to place 2^nd in 12:21, just ahead of Portsmouth Christian’s Liza Corso (12:22) and a pair of Hopkinton teammates Anna O’Reilly (12:22) and Cailey Stockwell (12:26).  Mariesa Preble of Hampstead placed 6^th in 12:32, Gilford’s Cat Stow placed 7^th in 12:36, Hopkinton’s Lilia Klinger was 8^th in 12:37, Portsmouth Christian’s Lily Kjendal 9^th in 12:38 and Deerfield’s 6^th grader Sophie Hopkins finished 10^th in 12:38.

Hopkinton successfully defended its state title.   They won the team competition by placing four runners in the scoring top 10 and their fifth in 22^nd place to tally a team low of 42 points.  The young and talented Deerfield squad placed second with 89 points just ahead of crosstown foe Northwood’s 143 points. Newmarket placed 4^th with 153 points and Hampstead was 5^th with 185 points.

The 2016 Division III Champion Hopkinton winning team members were, O’Reilly, Stockwell, Klinger, Addison Locke (12^th 12:46), Jessica Carney (22^nd 13:20), Meggie Haley (43^rd 13:53), and Clara Locke (61^st 14:21).
Northwood’s Aidan Cox ran away from the competition to commence his own cache of state championship titles.  The mighty 6^th grader won the race in 10:23 lowering his own course record by six seconds.  Northwood made it a 1-2 finish when Cox’s fellow teammate Porter Heigis (2^nd 10:35) turned the tables on rival Brayden Kearns of Deerfield (3^rd 10:39).  Boynton’s Josh Movsessian (4^th 10:43) sandwiched Northwood’s Luke Tkaczyk (5^th 10:55) when Boynton’s Landon Vaillancourt finished 6^th in 11:18.  Chesterfield’s Torin Kindopp (7^th 11:25) edged out Northwood’s Wyatt Mackey (8^th 11:27) and Hopkinton’s Joseph Tierney (9^th 11:27).  Ryan Fischer of Science & Design placed tenth in 11:29 to finish out the medal winners.

Northwood capped off its perfect season in style by winning the 2016 Division III State Championship by scoring an impressively low score of 28 points upending 4-time Champion Deerfield which placed second with 74 points.  A very strong Boynton placed a respectable 3^rd with 109 points, Winnisquam was 4^th with 164 points and Hopkinton rounded out the top five team medal winners with 213 points.

Northwood’s winning team members were Cox, Heigis, Tkaczyk, Mackey, Tyler Tkaczyk (12^th 11:32), Logan Mihelich (18^th 12:00) and Max Heigis (72^nd 13:13).

Division II

Portsmouth’s Angela Hagstrom got out to an early lead and put it on cruise control to win the Division II Girls individual championship in 12:47.  Monadnock’s Delaney Swanson won the battle for second in 13:01 just ahead of Oyster River’s Sophie Sullivan (3^rd 13:03).  The very talented twosome from Amherst were next with Masho Primmer (4^th 13:07) and Chloe Trudel (5^th 13:08) distancing themselves from Litchfield’s Cassie Hemming (6^th 13:14).  Milford’s Abigail Halloran 7^th finished in front of the pair from Pelham Rose Goyette 8^th 13:30 and Paige Hurst 9^th 13:36. Merrimack Valley 6^th grader Sophia Rubenciuc grabbed the tenth place medal in 13:38 just in front of what looked like an army of Amherst runners.

The reinforcement of Amherst runners were led by Annie Bermingham (11^th 13:44), Ashereka Primmer (12^th13:44), Adrianna Zlotnick (13^th 13:45), Sophia Lunati (14^th 13:52) and Hailey Ramundo (23^rd 14:14), that was more than enough to overrun the competition and win the 2016 Division II Championship with 45 points more than doubling up second place Portsmouth 93 points. Oyster River placed third 152 points squeaking by Hampton Academy 4^th 154 points and Litchfield 5^th 167 points.

Sanborn’s Dylan Khalil turned in a very fine performance comfortably distancing himself to win the Division II title in 11:18 over a trio made up of archrival Oyster River harriers led by Owen Fleischer (2^nd 11:35), Amani Harvey (3^rd 11:37) and Andy O’Brien (4^th 11:38).  Hanover’s Richard Aman (5^th 11:40) slipped by Portsmouth’s Avery Crowell (6^th 11:41).  Dylan’s younger brother Jared Khalil of Sanborn did well for himself also by placing 7^th in 11:49 ahead of Monadnock’s Harry Ryan (8^th 11:53), Milford’s Caleb Korthals was 9^th and Monadnock’s Tyler Hebert rounded out the top ten in 12:00.

As expected, the depth of Oyster River’s #1-7 runners was overwhelming for its DII opponents.  They scored a paltry 34 points to win the 2016 Division II Championship, their first title since 1996.  Hanover placed second with 86 points with most of its team intact for a 2017 run at a title.  Led by its sensational siblings, Sanborn took a reputable 3^rd with 119 points ahead of Monadnock with 136 points and Amherst was with 166 points.

Oyster River 2016 Division II Champion team members include Fleischer, Harvey, O’Brien, Zak Jones (12^th 12:18), Theo Castonguay (13^th 12:19), Connor Shea 18^th (12:52) and Theo Fleischer (20^th 12:56).

Division I

Fairground’s Cali Coffin ran the fastest time of the day in
Londonderry savoring the sweet smell of victory for herself by winning the 2016 Division 1 Girls individual title in a blazing 12:17 over Carly Rinko of Ross A. Lurgio (2^nd 12:25) and Grace Mercier of Cooperative Middle School took 3^rd in 12:27.  McLaughlin’s Morgan Nault placed 4^th (12:37) ahead of Morgane Orcutt of Rundlett (5^th 12:44), Hillside’s Fiona Doherty (6^th 12:50) and Elm St. Zoey Greene (7^th 13:05).  Londonderry’s Caroline Leone (8^th 13:06) edged out Woodbury’s Erica James 9^th in 13:06.  Grace Jones of Elm St. made it just in time to grab the last medal in 10^th at 13:15.

There is a reason why they are called Hillside, because yet again they are King of the Hill!  Successfully defending their 2015 State Title and winning by a margin of 40 points, yet led by only one top ten finisher.  Hillside scored a workman like 71 points earning that triumph over a solid second place finish turned in by Rundlett 111 points.  Seacoast Champion Cooperative Middle School snatched 3^rd with 126 points over pre-race favorite McLaughlin 4^th (131 points) and Woodbury finished 5^th with a 155 points.

Hillside’s State Repeat Champion members were Doherty, Ella Tartsa (11^th 13:15), Erin Flurey (13^th 13:18), Sophia Leonard (17^th 13:27), Devan Booth (5^th 13:41), Emily Hobuasz (28^th 13:43) and Rania Barton (52^nd 14:18).

The only 1, 2, 3 sweep of the day went to the boys of Londonderry.  Ryan Young led the way placing first in a very fast 10:53 ahead of last week’s Tri-County Champion Will Heenan (2^nd 11:00) and Matt Griffin (3^rd 11:17).  Woodbury’s Bradley St. Laurent took 4^th in 11:32 by a whisker over Elm St. Christopher Keefe (11:32) and Rundlett’s Eben Bragg (6^th 11:33).  Keene’s Tyler Harrington (7^th 11:40), Londonderry’s Tyler Kraft (8^th 11:44), Keene’s Gunnar Schonbeck (9^th 11:53) and Rundlett’s Trey Fortier (10th 11:55) rounded out the top 10.

The lowest team total (26 points) on the day and the largest margin (70 points) of victory went to Londonderry.  Keene placed second with 96 points better than Rundlett’s 122 points. Dover ran to a fine 4^th place finish with 152 points and Elm Street seized 5^th with 166 only 2 points ahead of 6^th place Ross A. Lurgio.

Londonderry’s 3-Peat NH State Champion members were Young, Heenan, Griffin, Kraft, Andrew Young 12^th 12:08, Damon MacLeod 22^nd 12:28 and Jack Sprague 25^th 12:33

Races!

Interviews!