SWANTON — The Middlebury Union High School boys’ cross-country team edged Milton for the NVAC Small School championship on Saturday on Missisquoi’s home course, while the Tiger and Vergennes girls’ teams ran 2-3 in the Small School girls’ race behind Rice.
The Tiger boys scored 45 points to nip Milton by three points, followed by Rice (69), Spaulding (83), Fairfax (127), VUHS (150) and Mount Abraham (164). Runners from Missisquoi, Richford and Enosburg competed as individuals because their schools could not field full teams of five competitors.
Tiger runners Ross Crown and Henry Ganey finished second and fifth, respectively, to spark their team’s victory. Wade Mullin (eighth) cracked the top 10 for VUHS, while Jude Bunch (20th) led Mount Abe.
The Rice girls earned a commanding win in the small-school race with 32 points. The Tigers were next at 60, followed by VUHS (87), Missisquoi (88), Fairfax (102) and Spaulding (157). Mount Abe, Milton, Richford and Enosburg did not field full teams.
Kate Oster finished fifth to lead MUHS, while Sadie Kass was 11th to pace the Commodores. Two Eagle runners competed: Delaynah Leavitt was 16th in 22:52.9, and Ally Hoff was 26th in 24:12.5.
The NVAC meet was the teams’ final tune-up before this Saturday’s Division II state championship races at Thetford.
The teams’ top finishers and their overall, not their scoring, finishes were:
MUHS BOYS: 2. Ross Crowne, 17:06.4; 5. Henry Ganey, 17:18.2; 14. Daniel Wisell, 18:24.2; 26. Cade Christner, 18:54.6; 45. Nico Brayton, 19:29.6; 71. Ethan Reiderer, 19:48.5; 100. Hunter Heffernan, 19.57.02.
VUHS BOYS: 8. Wade Mullin,18:21.6; 31. Erich Reitz, 19:40.6; 67. Camden Bushey, 20:28.4; 107. Brandon Cousino, 21:01.4; 150. Ben Praamsma, 21:23.6; 194. Jake Barnes, 21:25.2; 239. Andrew Woods, 21:55.1.
EAGLE BOYS: 20. Jude Bunch, 19:33.5; 28. Andrew Raymond, 19:56.4; 80. Aidan May, 20:05.3; 118. Will Aldrich, 20:46.3; 164. Ross Carr, 22:00; 212. Ryan Adams, 22:51.7; 261. Brian Cousineau, 25:37.
MUHS GIRLS: 5. Kate Oster, 21:39.4; 15. Taylor Moulton, 22:27.5; 29. Isabel Olson, 22:53.3; 44. Sophie Marks, 23:03.2; 60. Mary Ann Eastman, 23:07.1; 77. Kate Wallace, 23:10.2; 95. Katherine Koehler, 23:11.1.
VUHS GIRLS: 11. Sadie Kass, 22:35.4; 24. Emma Beauchemin, 22:51.8; 43. Ashley Cray, 23:3; 64. Grace Lebeau, 24:10.5; 87. Sophia Parker, 24:46.5; 116. Anna Huppuch, 27:39.1.