VERMONT STATE MEET

U-32 Boys Roll Again To Div II State Crown At Thetford

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

The U-32 boys are in the midst of something special and Saturday's domination of the VPA Division 2 state final at Thetford Academy isn't the race that will define them. 

U-32 swept the top three spots and had six of the top eight on the way to 17 points. Last year, the team swept the top top seven. 

But for Carson Beard, Ollie Hansen and Austin Beard -- Saturday's top three -- the big goal is the New England Championships, which are in two weeks on the same Thetford Academy course. U-32 wants to be the first team from Vermont to win that prestigious event.

U-32 posted a team average of 17:25 that was superior to the D1 winning team St. Johnsbury Academy (17:49). St. Johnsbury survived to win a sixth-runner tiebreaker over Bellows Free Academy-St. Albans (43-53). 

Evan Thornton-Sherman of St. Johnsbury ran 16:34.0 and won the D1 race by 22 seconds. It was also nine seconds faster than Beard's winning time in the D2 race. 

Cormac Leahy led Craftsbury to the D3 team title, winning that race in 17:07.0.

Burlington snapped the 12-year Division 1 streak held by Champlain Valley in the girls race, scoring 56 to CV's 61. 

Loghan Hughes from Bellows Free Academy-St. Albans won the race in 19:51.8. 

Harwood put three in the top four of the D2 meet and leader Ava Thurston ran 19:29.4 for the fastest time of the day. Harwood's 32 points beat U-32, which was second with 51.

Host Thetford Academy won the girls D3 title with 27 points. Freshman Estella Laird from North Branch won the race in 20:08.6.

Team Champions -

Division 1 - St. Johnsbury Academy 72 points (Tiebreaker over Bellows Free Academy-St. Albans), Burlington girls 56 points - RESULTS

Division 2 - U-32 boys 17 points, Harwood 27 points - RESULTS

Division 3 - Craftsbury Academy boys 12 points, Thetford Academy girls 27 points (four score) - RESULTS