ESSEX — Cross-country runners from Middlebury, Mount Abraham and Vergennes competed at this past Saturday’s season-opening Essex Invitational meet, which drew high school competitors from all Vermont divisions.

The veteran duo of senior Beth McIntosh and junior Mary Harrington finished 19th and 22nd, respectively, to lead the MUHS girls’ team to a local best seventh-place finish. Three freshmen emerged as the other scorers for the MUHS team.

VUHS senior Grey Fearon posted the best finish among Addison County male runners, taking 39th in the boys’ race as the Commodores finished 13th as a team.

SENIOR KADEN HAMMOND, seen here leading a pack of runners, was the top finisher for the MUHS cross-country boys’ team at Saturday’s Essex Invitational.
Photo by Joe McVeigh

Tiger senior Kaden Hammond paced the 10th-place Tiger boys by taking 43rd, and sophomore Jakob Hill led the 15th-place Eagle boys by taking 90th.

The Eagle and Commodore girls teams’ did not field enough runners to score collectively. Junior Eleanor Wilkinson-Sachs led VUHS by taking 64th in the girls’ race, and freshman Cameron Vose was the first Eagle girl across the finish line in 73rd.

Champlain Valley swept the team championships.

The Tiger girls’ scoring five and their times were: 19. Beth McIntosh, 21:54.5; 22. Mary Harrington, 22:03.3; 35. Louisa Orten, 23:09.9; 53. Annika Bruning, 25:04; and 58. Meredith Carr-Perlow, 25:47.6.

The Tiger boys’ scoring five and their times were: 43. Kaden Hammond, 18:53.2; 55. Baker Nelson, 19:20.1; 64. Ethan Spritzer, 19:36; 66. Jorgen Pirrung,19:54.6; and 67. Aaron Carr-Perlow, 20:00.4.

The Commodore boys’ scoring five and their times were: 39. Grey Fearon, 18:40.3; 76. Brody McGuire, 21:01.7; 79. Connor Brogan, 21:19.6; 82. Caleb Hatch, 21:36.6; and 93. Chance Koenig, 22:35.9.

The Eagle boys’ scoring five and their times were: 90. Jakob Hill, 22:05.4; 92. Elliot Senecal, 22:35.3; 103. Oliver Zelonis, 24:43.3; 104. James Mount, 24:44.3; and 105. Bennett Eberhardy, 24:53.8.

The Eagle girls’ places and times were: 73. Cameron Vose, 27:00.9; 91. Rhiannon Andrews, 28:53.9; 99. Eloise Newman, 35:12.3; and 102. Sadie Nezin, 40:57.2.

The VUHS girls’ places and times were: 64. Eleanor Wilkinson-Sachs, 26:14.3; 75. Torrey Hanna, 27:20.8; and 95. Georgia Kunkel, 29:48.1.