Harwood Girls XC wins Meet of Champions
November 10, 2020 | Waterbury Roundabout
Left to right in both the masked and unmasked shot: Anlu Thamm, Ava Thurston, Caelyn McDonough, Britta Zetterstrom, Hazel Lillis, McKenna Paxman, Maisie Frank, Julia Thurston, Charlie Flint.
Harwood Girls XC pulled off a stunning victory at the Meet of Champions last weekend, topping 12-time defending Division I champion Champlain Valley Union.
The top 15 Vermont cross-country teams based on total team times across Divisions I, II and III were invited to run head-to-head on a flat, windy course near at the Hard’Ack recreation trails in St. Albans.
“It was a great end to a crazy season. I usually have all of my runners at their peak for the state meet. That proved to be a difficult task this year. Our season start was delayed by three weeks (starting Sept. 8) and our first meet did not take place until October. We were also limited to holding four practices only four days a week,” said Coach John Kerrigan.
The Harwood team went into the state meet Oct. 31 as defending Division II champions, an honor the program has won 10 out of the last dozen years. They took home second place, finishing behind U-32 and ahead of Burr and Burton.
“Having one more meet against the best in Vermont got us all psyched up,” said Harwood junior Ava Thurston of Waterbury, the2019 Gatorade Runner of the Year. The previously undefeated Thurston, lost to another previously undefeated Abby Broadley of Bellows Falls in a final sprint to the finish.
“I surged past her with about 600 meters to go but could not shake her,” the Harwood co-captain said. “I saved it for one final dash to the finish. I reached down to go to that extra gear, and it just wasn’t there. She is the real deal. It will be fun to run against each other next year.”
Thurston collapsed at the finish and had to be treated for dehydration by the BFA trainer. The temperature was in the mid-70s at the start of the race in St. Albans, a complete contrast to the previous Saturday in Thetford at the state meet that began below freezing.
Spectators were not allowed at the meet but Ava’s dad Tom Thurston was able to watch the finish via Facetime from a cell phone of a Harwood girls teammate. “I have never seen her push that hard. This was a great experience for Ava,” said the older Thurston, an accomplished runner himself.
The rest of the girls team backed up Thurston’s effort. Younger sister, freshman Julia Thurston, placed ninth; sophomore Charlie Flint (24th), freshman McKenna Paxman (25th) and junior Britta Zetterstrom (28th). Their team score was low enough to defeat CVU, the Division I champions and 2018, 2019 New England champions. CVU Coach Scott Bliss remarked that it has been six years since his team was last defeated by another Vermont team.
Coach Kerrigan put Saturday’s performance at the top of milestones for Harwood’s program. “Next to winning the 72-team Festival of Champions in Belfast, Maine, last year and the Harwood Boys XC team placing 21st in the nation in 2000, this was Harwood XC’s finest moment,” he said. “It is also extremely exciting knowing that all of these girls will be back next year. We may have a chance to challenge the best girl teams in New England.”
Left to right: Mason Berry, Luke Groom, Vinnie Spina, Carlton Cummiskey. (Berry is from Waterbury; the three others from Warren)
Kerrigan noted that the 2021 New England championships will take place in Thetford. “Just imagine HU girls in contention to win New England in front of a Vermont crowd!”
Harwood Boys finished the season strong as well, placing 10th in the elite field. The boys were led by senior Carlton Cummiskey (29th), junior Ebbe Lillis (48), senior Luke Groom (52), senior Vinnie Spina (73), senior Tyler Silveria (77), sophomore Rye MacCurtain (80) and junior Ben Nardin (87).
“It will be tough saying goodbye to our four seniors but we have a good nucleus of dedicated younger runners ready to step it up next year,” Kerrigan said of the boys squad.
All Results are online at athletic.net.