The BFA-St. Albans’ cross country teams traveled to Thetford Academy on Saturday, Oct. 25, with high hopes and two healthy teams. The girls were looking to qualify for the New England Championships, and the boys’ team was hoping they could possibly challenge for a state title.
The Division 1 girls started the day of racing. It was a perfect day to run fast with cool temps and no wind. The girls’ goal was to beat South Burlington and cruise into New England’s. Senior Kaitlyn Lumbra went out with the leaders to do her job of placing in the top 10. Sophomore Bonni Lunna went out to run with SB’s top two. At the mile, they were both accomplishing that goal.
Behind them, we had a pack of seniors–Nora Tatro and Lilah Powers with sophomores Kenedy Heth and Ellie Tremblay, with senior Marie DeSorgher just behind them. The girls were well on their way to completing their goal.
Girls Varsity – Coach Mashtare, Marie DeSorgher, Ellie Tremblay, Bonni Lunna, Lilah Powers, Kennedy Heth, Nora Tatro, Kaitlyn Lumbra, Coach Hureau
By the two mile mark the front two were still in good spots, the pack had fallen apart, perhaps they went out a little too fast and were now paying the price. South Burlington had taken control, and the girls had to refocus going into Morty’s Monster, the biggest hill on the course, just past the 2-mile mark, to save their dream of racing in New England.
At the 4k mark, Lumbra was running 12th and had to make a big move to make the top 10 with 1K to go. Lunna was sitting on the shoulders of the top two SB girls, and the fight was on. Seniors Nora Tatro and Lilah Powers had recovered and were picking off runners and heading to personal best times on the tough Thetford course.
Kenedy Heth and Ellie Tremblay were just seconds behind them with Marie DeSorgher in tow. They had all rebounded in the toughest part of the course and were running for fast times to hold up against the division two and three divisions to have a shot at New England’s.
Lumbra would place 10th, running her fastest time on the Thetford course ever. An amazing feat considering she has missed training time with an injury. Her time gives her the 5th best time for a BFA runner ever at Thetford and makes her the 3rd fastest BFA Individual to ever run the Thetford course. Her 10th-place finish also puts her on the BFA 1st Team States All-Star List. Lunna would just miss the SB girls, but her time makes her the 7th fastest BFA runner ever on the course, and her 17th place finish puts her on the BFA 2nd Team States All Star List.
Tatro would place 27th to place her on the BFA 3rd Team States All-Star List. Heth finished 35th, Tremblay in 38th, and DeSorgher 45th.
The top six would all run personal bests on the course, with DeSorgher just missing hers. They had gone out and done battle with the best Vermont has. They would place 4th as a team, losing to Champlain Valley Union, Essex, and South Burlington. They held on to beat Mt. Mansfield and St. Johnsbury to stay in the conversation to make New England’s.
Senior Girls – Left to right…….Coach Storms, Marie DeSorgher, Nora Tatro, Coach Mashtare, Lilah Powers, Kaitlyn Lumbra, and Coach Hurteau
We knew Burr & Burton would beat us, and probably U32, to put us 6th. We did not know whether another Division 2 or 3 team would push us out of the 6th and last qualifying spot.
The tension was high, and no one knew for sure if we had made it until long after all three divisions of the boys’ races were done.
I cannot say enough about the character, heart, and soul of these seven girls. They came ready to compete and lay it all on the line to get the job done. I’m extremely proud and happy for them that they reached their goal. Running a personal best in the course says it all about how ready they were to go for their goal.
The members of that 1996 team, the last to qualify for New England’s, were Marcie Sawyer, who holds the 2nd- and 3rd-fastest BFA times for Thetford and is the 2nd-fastest BFA runner ever on the course. Christine St. Peter is the 8th fastest BFA individual on the course, and Heather Young, Jodi Young, Andrea Brouillette, Kelly Powers, and Leah Greene.
The BFA boys had a goal of challenging for the title. Each boy had a job to do, a nd every one of the guys went out and did what was asked of them. They knew it was a long shot, and we would need CVU and St. Johnsbury to have off days for us to be close.
There was fast action from the gun. Brattleboro’s Nico Conathan-Leach sprinted to the front and gapped the field by 15 – 20 yards. A pack quickly formed to ponder why he made such a bold move and consider whether he would come back to the pack.
BFA’s big three had the task of placing in the top 10. That was looking good after the mile, with Ethan Barbieri tasked with beating his previous best time by a minute and placing in the top 20, if possible. Eli Hazen was to beat his previous best time and be close to Barbireri. Keiran Reilly and Hudson Root, both racing in their first varsity state championship, were to support Barbieri and Hazen the best they could.
At 4K, the Soter’s were 5th and 6th and would hang on to those places. Hurteau was 11th and had some work to do; he got the job done to place 10th.
I have to commend these three; they were in a pressure situation with the best individuals Vermont has to offer, and they got the job done.
Garrett has the 5th fastest time for BFA ever and is the 5th fastest BFA runner ever on the Thetford course. His 5th place places him on the BFA 1st Team States All-Star List. Jacoby holds the fastest time ever for BFA and is the 6th-fastest individual ever on the Thetford course. His 6th-place finish places him on the BFA 1st Team States All-Star List.
Toby has the 9th fastest BFA time ever run and is the 8th fastest BFA runner ever. His 10th place places him on the BFA 1st Team All-Star List. Ethan, placing 26th, places him on the BFA 3rd Team States All-Star List. Eli placed 40th, Keiran 56th, and Judson 58th.
All of the guys ran personal bests for the course, with Keiran missing his by only 6 seconds after rolling his ankle during the race and limping into the finish line.
Like the girls, the boys laid it all on the line. Running personal bests on that course while under pressure shows how badly they wanted to succeed.
The guys would place 3rd as a team behind CVU and St. Johnsbury, holding off a Burlington team that had their sights set on upsetting us. The team qualified as the 4th-best team in the state.
Both teams will be in action next Saturday at the Meet of Champions at Hard’ack, a race where each division comes together in one race to determine who is the best in Vermont. It also serves as the class championships, determining which individuals are the best in each class. Come out and support the teams and individuals as they use this race to tune up for the New England Championships, which will be held at Thetford, VT, this year on November 8.
Results
Varsity Girls Division 1: CVU 25, Essex 62, SB 88, BFA-St. Albans 109, MMU 130, St. Johnsbury 153, BHS 170, North Country 202
10th Kaitlyn Lumbra 20:45 **
17th Bonni Lunna 21:33 **
27th Nora Tatro 22:51 **
31st Lilah Powers 23:14 **
35th Kennedy Heth 23:24 **
38th Ellie Tremblay 23:34 **
45th Marie DeSorgher 24:22
** Course Personal Best
Varsity Boys Division 1: CVU 47, STJ 55, BFA 83, BHS 109, Brattleboro 124, Essex 127, SB 145, MMU 211, MAU 232, Col 278,
5th Garrett Soter 17:04 **
6th Jacoby Soter 17:05 **
10th Toby Hurteau 17:20 **
26th Ethan Barbieri 18:23 **
40th Eli Hazen 19:02 **
56th Keiran Reilly 19:34
58th Hudson Root 19:38 **
** Course Personal Best
JV Girls
38th Mary Strouse 26:37 **
44th Maddie Messier 27:25
46th Bella Bonk 27:40 **
47th Delia Branon 27:40 **
48th Grace Vining 27:41 **
56th Anna Hibbard 28:35 **
57th Eve Duckworth 28:59 **
59th Laura Persons 29:02
84th Ashley Foisy 36:20 **
86th Adele Thomas 39:12
** Course Personal Best
JV Boys
22nd Jude Sato 20:11 ** &
57th Henry Schneider 21:22 **
67th Will Sybert 21:53 **
76th Even Fortune 22:05 **
79th Isaac Peyrat 22:06 **
99th Ryan Heyer 22:48 **
105th Duncan Hadd 23:06 **
115th Bentlee Consentino 23:37
130th Calvin Corkrum 24:49 **
144th Jeremy Heskett 25:37 ** %
146th Braden Bovat 25:49 **
148th Jack Barney 26:04
158th Adam Persons 26:53 **
162nd Whittier Goodland 28:55
171st Connor Keefe 31:17 **
** Course Personal Best
& BFA 2nd Best Time All-time JV State List
% Personal Best Time
