THETFORD – The St. Johnsbury Academy (SJA) boys cross country team captured their fourth straight state title over the weekend as several local runners competed in the Vermont High School State Championships at Thetford Academy.
photo by Vanessa Fournier
SJA claimed three of the top four spots and five of the top eight to win their fourth straight title in the boys 5,000m, their first since the tragic passing of legendary Hilltopper coach Chip Langmaid this past summer.
The Woods Trail at Thetford Academy ran fast with a warm and dry week leading up to a cool Saturday afternoon. Seniors ruled the day as Emmett Johnson took first overall individual honors for SJA with a time of 16:23.80. Reigning Vermont Gatorade Runner of the Year, Andrew Thornton-Sherman, placed third and former Craftsbury Academy (CA) state champion Charlie Kehler placed eighth for the Hilltoppers. Teddy Tremblay of BFA-St. Albans earned runner-up honors with a time of 16:35.70. SJA cruised to the state title over BFA 23-79.
Senior Ruth Krebs, another former CA standout, finished just outside the top 20 in the girls 5,000m as the Lady Hilltoppers secured a fourth-place finish in Division I. Both SJA teams qualified for the 89th Annual New England Interscholastic Cross-Country Championships in Connecticut on November 9. First-year SJA head coach Brandon Legendre captured his first Division I state title.
In Division III, Stowe ended the Craftsbury Academy boys’ four-year championship reign by edging BFA-Fairfax 52-53. BFA’s Gage Magnuson won the overall individual title with a time of 17:12.40, beating Thetford’s Brady Sloop by five seconds. First-year CA head coach Maxfield English replaced coaching legend Mike LeVangie this fall and was tasked with defending the Chargers four-year run without any returning starters from last season. Freshman Stig Linck, juniors Soren Stelma-Leonard and Owen McKibben, and sophomores Theo Alexander and Kosmos Glestos all qualified for states this season and English’s Chargers should be in position to make some noise with more experience under their belt next fall.
Danville sophomore Nolan Cargill and Hazen Union junior Lewis LaPierre also qualified and competed in states over the weekend.
In the girls Division III 5,000m, sophomore Desi Broadley of Bellows Falls bested the field to win individual honors with a time of 19:56.30. Sophomore Leila Griffith of Stowe was runner-up, just over a minute off Broadley’s pace.
Danville had a pair of promising freshmen qualify and compete over the weekend in Molly Daniels and Sycada Barnes. CA freshman Linsey Allen also qualified and competed in states along with Hazen sophomore Chloe Dyer.
Stowe captured the Division III girls championship over Thetford Academy 46-61.
