ESSEX — Solid results for Middlebury Union High School highlighted local runners’ efforts at Saturday’s Essex Invitational Cross Country Meet, at which Tiger senior Sam Hodges finished fifth, and top-20 efforts by freshman Camille Malhotra and senior Caroline Kimble helped the MUHS girls take sixth, the best team finish among Division II schools participating.
Vergennes junior Spencer Hurlburt won the boys’ JV race, and his time was better than all other local runners except Hodges. Commodore and Mount Abraham runners entered the JV competition, and neither team fielded the minimum five runners needed to score in either the boys’ or girls’ races.
Essex won the boys’ competition with 45 points, with D-II U-32 in second with 63. The Tiger boys’ score of 228 was good for eighth and the second-best score among D-II teams competing.
Champlain Valley edged Burlington for the first place on the girls’ side, 45-58. The Tigers’ top five runners all finished in 45th or better as they scored 137 points to finish sixth. U-32 (164) finished seventh and was the second-place finisher in D-II.
The MUHS girls’ varsity competitors and their places and times over the 5,000-meter course were: 11. Malhotra, 20:47.5; 16. Kimble, 21:21.0; 24. Malia Hodges, 21:47.0; 41. Sofia Stefani, 22:41.9; 45. Katherine Koehler, 23:04.3; 59. Kate Wallace, 24:24.9; 61. Taylor Moulton, 25:11.7.
The MUHS boys’ varsity competitors and their places and 5K times were: 5. Hodges, 16:44.8; 48. Julian Schmitt, 19:14.8; 50. Thomas Hussey, 19:17.4; 62. Thomas Nevins, 19:57.0; 63. Nico Brayton, 19:57.3; 77. Ethan Reiderer, 20:55.5.
The VUHS boys’ times and places in the JV race were: 1. Hurlburt, 18:07.5; 6. Wade Mullin, 18:41.6; 42. Erich Reitz, 20:01.3; 63. Gabe Praamsma, 20:49.1.
The VUHS girls’ times and places in the JV race were: 29. Emma Beauchemin, 24:26.5; 45. Ashley Cray, 25:24.0; 127. Siobhan Eagan, 33:15.9; 128. Bri Billings, 33:22.8.
The Eagle girls’ times and places in the JV race were: 47. Ally Hoff, 25:30.1; 77. Jasmin Gile, 27:38.6; 107. Gillianne Ross, 30:26.3; 143. Emmaline Heilman, 46:37.8.
The Eagle boys’ times and places in the JV race were: 34. Aidan May, 19:51.6; 157. Ryan Adams, 24:52.4.