NEWPORT – The Craftsbury Academy (CA) cross-country team made a splash in just their second meet of the season last week, taking top boys team honors at North Country Union High School.
The Chargers placed four runners in the top ten last Tuesday in Newport to win their first boys cross-country meet of the season and first under second year head coach Maxfield English. The freshmen dynamic duo of Oakley Crawford (3rd overall) and James Reynolds (5th) led the way for CA. Crawford posted a time of 19:55 and Reynolds posted a personal best time of 21:25 in the boys 5,000m.
Charger senior Owen McKibben finished 9th with a time of 22:26 and fellow senior Anson Magoon crossed the line one spot behind with a time of 22:46.
English is rebuilding CA’s storied cross-country program quickly after taking over the reins from coach Mike LeVangie last fall. The legendary coach led the CA boys team to four consecutive Division III state titles from 2020-2023. Lake Region sophomore Noah Blanco took home individual honors with a time of 18:32m, edging Danville’s Landon Gerrano, who was runner-up with a time of 18:49. Hazen Union sophomore Kiah Cloutier had a strong opening showing for the Wildcats, finishing 7th with a time of 21:45 and fellow junior teammate Daniel Pougnier finished eighth a second later.
In the girls 5000m, Charger freshman Aemilia Terrone posted an impressive third place finish with a time of 23:17. Danville sophomore Peyton Winn posted a fifth-place finish with a time of 25:16 and Hazen sophomore Ursa Goldenrose had a top ten finish with a time of 26:52. North Country took home top team honors led by Dylan Carr, who bested the field with a time of 22:19.
Against the largest field of the season at the Danville Run Invitational on Saturday, Terrone was the top Charger to cross the line in the girls 5000m with a personal best time of 22:37.20. St. Johnsbury Academy’s (SJA) Stella Van der linde bested the field with a time of 21:05.20.
Crawford led CA once again in the boys 5000m in Danville, finishing tenth with a personal best time of 19:31.10. Danville freshman Landon Garrand posted an impressive fifth place finish with a time of 18:27.30 and Hazen’s Kiah Cloutier capped off a strong week with a top twenty finish. Lyndon Institute senior Zachary Taylor took home first place honors with a time of 18:14.70. The Charger boys team finished fourth overall on Saturday, with SJA taking home top honors in both the boys and girls team results.
Local high school cross-country teams will be back in action on Saturday at the U-32 Run Invitational.
