By Dan Barile
Eagle Times Correspondent
WESTMINSTER, VT — The Bellows Falls girls’ cross country team recorded an early season victory at the Eno Invitational in Westminster. The race is named in honor of legendary Bellows Falls coach Tim Eno, who was inducted into the Vermont Principals’ Association Hall of Fame in 2022.
With the score tied between Bellows Falls and Brattleboro after the first four runners crossed the finish line for each team, Chloe Benson of Bellows Falls edged out Brattleboro’s fifth runner to secure a 27-29 victory for the Terriers.
Bellows Falls was led by Lilly Ware who finished 2nd overall in 23:05. Gillian Robb was next for the Terriers in 6th (25:25), and Amelia Critchfield followed in 13th (30:26).
Erin Geisler, a top 10 finisher in last year’s state meet, won the girls race in 20:15. She was the first of four Rutland runners to finish in the top 10, but without a fifth runner, they were unable to post a team score.
In the boys’ race, Rutland earned a 26-32 win over Brattleboro. Nico Conathan-Leach of Brattleboro won the race in 17:37.
Fall MountainOn the other side of the river, Fall Mountain traveled to Derryfield Park on Sept. 23, to compete in the 48th Annual Manchester Invitational. Nearly 2,000 runners from New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts and Maine competed in what is one of the most competitive high school cross country races in New England.
Competing in the “Small School Varsity” race, the Fall Mountain Wildcats boys team finished in 15th place and the girl’s placed 17th.
Leading the boys was Ben Tetu, who finished in 30th place in 17:18. David Northcott was next for the Wildcats in 57th place (18:07) and Ben Frithsen followed in 65th place (18:18). Tyler St. Pierre (20:21), Braydon Patch (20:21) and Keegan O’Connor (20:22) were close the entire way for Fall Mountain, and Edward Baker rounded out the varsity team by completing the 5k course in 24:00.
Jenna Fillion led the girls’ team by placing 26th in 20:41. Kelly Ranta was next for the Wildcats in 88th place (22:57) and Cerys Gascoyne followed in 24:02. Kelsey Fillion (24:59), Abby Jarvis (26:02) and Ana Lloyd (28:25) rounded out the varsity squad for Fall Mountain.
Fall Mountain hosts its homecoming meet on Thursday, Sept. 28, and Bellows Falls hosts its next meet on Tuesday, Oct. 10.
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