Cross Country: Scots, Rams, Blazes send contingents to New Englands

MANCHESTER, Conn.—Saturday, Nov. 9 saw this year’s Cross Country New Englands held at Wickham Park in Manchester, Connecticut. Runners from a handful of local schools repped at the event – most notably Maine Class A Girls State Champions Bonny Eagle.

Selected Boys Team Results
1. La Salle Academy (Providence, Rhode Island), 89; 15. Brunswick, 431; 18. Mt. Ararat, 483; 22. Bangor, 518; 23. Greely, 532; 25. Scarborough, 542; 30. Maine Coast Waldorf, 790

Selected Boys Individual Results
1. Gavin Sherry (Conard, West Hartford, Connecticut); 4. Lisandro Berry-Gaviria (Mt. Ararat), 15:42; 61. Mahamed Sharif (Westbrook), 16:47; 76. Calvin Cummings (Gorham), 16:54; 105. Reed Henderson (Gorham), 17:08

Selected Girls Team Results
1. Champlain Valley Union (Hinesburg, Vermont), 142; 10. Bonny Eagle, 336; 21. Camden Hills, 488; 22. Gorham, 490; 23. Falmouth, 510; 24. Greely, 528

Selected Girls Individual Results
1. Sofie Matson (Falmouth), 17:52; 31. Kate Tugman (Gorham), 19:16; 39. Delaney Hesler (Bonny Eagle), 19:32; 46. Emmaline Pendleton (Bonny Eagle), 19:37; 75. Hannah Stevens (Bonny Eagle), 20:08; 105. Iris Kitchen (Gorham), 20:28; 157. Emma Abbott (Bonny Eagle), 21:01; 185. Elisabeth Loranger (Gorham), 21:34; 188. Rachel Cummings (Gorham), 21:35; 206. Bailey Wentworth (Gorham), 21:53; 207. Ella Dunne (Bonny Eagle), 21:55; 221. Gwen Catalano (Bonny Eagle), 22:17; 226. Emma Noonan (Bonny Eagle), 22:22; 235. Anna Nelson (Gorham), 22:39; 257. Carson Battaglia (Gorham), 24:06

“Our top performer at the meet was Kate Tugman,” Gorham coach Jason Tanguay said. “She placed 31st, and as far as my records show, this is the best performance by a Gorham cross country runner at New Englands.”

“Our girls had another strong performance – for the third week in a row – with all seven girls running strong races and handling the large field well,” Bonny Eagle coach Mike Burleson said. “It’s really helped us with Hesler and Pendleton battling up front to give us two low sticks. This weekend they were five seconds apart, with Hesler 39th and Pendleton 46th. Our girls were rewarded with a 10th-place finish, the highest of a Bonny Eagle team at the New England Championships.”

“Going into the New England Championships, our goal was to have the best finish a Bonny Eagle team ever had…and we did!” Scots senior Emma Abbott said. “Once again we put together seven good races to achieve our goal and placed in the top 10.”

“Personally, this was a perfect way to end my high school cross country career,” Abbott continued. “I’ve gotten to run with many incredible people and accomplish many incredible things: three state titles and a top-10 finish at the New Englands! Although it was a bittersweet ending, I am ecstatic with the way we capped off our season.”

Emma Noonan, Abbott’s fellow senior, echoed her: “I couldn’t ask for a better way to finish off my XC career,” Noonan said. “I was so lucky to be on such an amazing team who had an awesome New Englands finish!”

BE seniors Emma Noonan and Emma Abbott pose at NEs. Mike Burleson / courtesy photo

2019 Scots and coaches (from left): TJ Hesler, Ryan Dyer, Lysie Warner, Elizabeth Forrestiere, Ella Dunne, Gwen Catalano, Hannah Stevens, Emmaline Pendleton, Emma Noonan, Emma Abbott, Delaney Hesler, Cadence Howard, Mike Burleson Allie Hesler / courtesy photo