Highlander Cross-Country teams win 33rd annual Harwood Co-Ed Invitational

October 14, 2020  |  By John Kerrigan

Editor’s note: John Kerrigan, Harwood’s Cross-Country Head Coach, submitted the following report on the Saturday, Oct. 10, Harwood Invitational meet. Special thanks to the parent officials Susan Cummiskey and Ann Zetterstrom for the photos as well.

Harwood Coach John Kerrigan sounds the horn for the start of Wave 2 in the Boys’ Varsity race. Photo courtesy Susan Cummiskey.

In the boys race, Harwood’s lead runner Carlton Cummiskey keeps stride with Middlebury's Jack Christner with a wave of Spaulding runners closing in on them. Photo courtesy Susan Cummiskey.

Varsity girls warm up. Photo by Ann Zetterstrom.

Harwood’s Ebbe Lillis, left, and Vincent Spina, right, keep pace with each other to finish 9th and 10th, helping to seal a win for the Highlander Boys. Photo by Ann Zetterstrom.

Harwood varsity girls runners at the start, left to right: Britta Zetterstrom, Julia Thurston, Charlie Flint, Ava Thurston. Photo by Ann Zetterstrom.

Harwood girls left to right: Britta Zetterstrom, Charlie Flint, Julia Thurston, Ava Thurston. Photo by Ann Zetterstrom.

First-place finisher Ava Thurston is in the lead ahead of Rice's Emily Bloom who finished second and Julia Thurston, who ranked fourth, as they take one of Harwood's hills. Photo by Ann Zetterstrom.

Girls varsity runner Caelyn McDonough on the course. Photo by Ann Zetterstrom.

JV runner Ben White stays focused. Photo by Ann Zetterstrom.

JV runner Jonah Busker pushes on. Photo by Ann Zetterstrom.

JV runners Cooper Hansel and Cameron Gaidys keep pace together. Photo by Ann Zetterstrom.

JV runners McKenna Paxman for Harwood and Laura Martinez from Montpelier's Pacem School on a climb. Photo by Ann Zetterstrom.

The 33rd annual Harwood Co-Ed XC Invitational had a COVID-19 twist: The start/finish line was adjusted to allow for safe-distancing; disposable chips were utilized for timing to reduce contact between meet officials and runners; and in keeping with state guidelines for sports competitions from the Agency of Education, the number of runners on site at Harwood were capped at 150. 

Runners in the morning 5K (A) races at the Harwood Union High School cross-country course had to leave the venue to allow for the arrival of those in the later (B) races. This meant that runners were not allowed to see their younger teammates, siblings and friends run their races. 

Opposing teams were placed at the starting line with a 6-foot, safe distance between each other. Spectators were not allowed.

All runners, coaches and officials were required to wear masks with runners allowed to remove theirs when they entered their starting block. 

There were no team cheers; no pre-race pleasantries were exchanged between runners; no hugs between teammates and fellow competitors at the finish line. Absent were cheers coming from throngs of spectators.  Runners passed key junctions with only the sound of muffled claps coming from some of the Harwood parents who were acting as race officials. 

But the twists and turns and challenging terrain knew nothing of COVID.   Kerrigan’s Killer Hill was as steep as ever! And the restrictions due to COVID-19 did not dampen the spirit of the Harwood 48.   

Harwood Girls 

Harwood Girls left no doubt that they are one of the top teams in the entire state of Vermont. 2019 Vermont Division II State Champion Ava Thurston led the Highlanders, the Vermont Gatorade Player of the Year set a new course record beating her past record by finishing in 19:40.2.

Harwood’s top 7 runners placed in the top 13 -- Ava was followed by younger sister, freshman Julia Thurston whose time of 20:53.2 ranked 4th, followed by a wave of Harwood runners:  Britta Zetterstrom (5th), Charlie Flint (6th), Caelyn McDonough (7th), Maise Franke (11th); and freshmen McKenna Paxman (13th), Anlu Thamm (14th), Hazel Lillis (17th), Mackenzie Greenberg (19th), Jill Rundle (24th) and Aliza Levey (26th). 

Middlebury Union and Lamoille Union rounded out the top three team spots. The second- and third-place individual finishers were Emily Bloom from Rice Memorial at 20:22.7 and Lamoille Union’s Maggie McGee at 20:30.8

Harwood Boys

Harwood Boys provided an exciting race for the limited audience, led by Carlton Commiskey who finished 4th in 17:45.5. Next for Harwood were Vincent Spina (9th) and Ebbe Lillis (10th).

They received great efforts from first-year runner and soccer transfer Tyler Siveria (20th) and Luke Groom (21st). Ben Nardin, a first-year transfer from Massachusetts also had an excellent race placing 28th overall. 

After counting up the places from the first five runners from each team, Harwood runners were in a tie with Division I Spaulding High School. In cross-country, ties are broken by comparing the placing of the sixth runner from each team. Harwood’s sixth runner was sophomore Rye MacCurtain (26th) who finished one place ahead of Spaulding’s Camden Pierce (27th) and sealed the victory for the Highlanders. 

Middlebury Union finished third as a team. The top three individual finishers were: North Country Union’s James Cilwik at 17:16.4; Ben Huston from Vergennes and Middlebury Union’s Jack Christner.

Harwood JV boys were led by freshman Noah Rivera (33rd), Mason Berry (35th), River Collins (37th), Ben White (45th), and Holden “I am glad the Moretown Bridge is open” Stephenson (46th). 

Observations

It was different, but we had a cross-country race at Harwood despite the restrictions of a worldwide pandemic. The assistant coaches, particularly Tom Cahalan, provided needed help dealing with the daily health checks and limitations of hosting a major meet while following AOE guidelines. 

I miss the emotional sinew of cross-country -- the hugs, the shouts, the facial expressions of joy, pain and anguish and especially the smiles. Hopefully we won’t have an entire generation that misses this aspect of the sport.

Full results from the meet are available online at athletic.net.