Published: 11/13/2021 9:41:48 PM
Modified: 11/13/2021 9:41:46 PM
THETFORD — Lebanon High junior Birhanu Harriman had another impressive outing on the cross country course in Saturday’s New England Interscholastic Championships on Thetford Academy’s Woods Trail.
Harriman, in a field of more than 260 runners from the six New England states, posted the best finish by an Upper Valley athlete by placing eighth overall.
Harriman, who has been a top-five runner in most races this fall, crossed the line in 16 minutes, 45 seconds, with only Coe-Brown’s Aidan Cox (16:41) posting a faster time among New Hampshire-based athletes. Gavin Sherry of Conard High in Connecticut, won the race in 15:54. Connecticut athletes took the top five spots.
“He ran a really smart race,” said Lebanon cross country coach Kevin Lozeau. “He was about 23rd or 24th halfway through then moved up to eighth in the second half. He ran very well today and does better on hills than some of the other runners from around New England.”
Lozeau said Harriman, who placed fifth in the NHIAA Meet of Champions in Nashua last Saturday, the day after being part of Lebanon’s state soccer championship, has tremendous confidence in his abilities.
“He never gets flustered and has been getting faster and faster all season,” said Lozeau, although Saturday’s time didn’t mark a personal best for Harriman.
The Hanover boys, the only Upper Valley school to send an entire team to New Englands, were paced by senior Spencer May in 85th place (18:00), followed by junior Mack Levy in 152nd (18:41), sophomore Will Parker in 172nd, (18:54), senior Luke Holmes in 198th (19:11) and sophomore Caleb Zuckerman in 217th, (19:32). Hanover placed 27th out of the 29 full teams at the meet, having qualified by placing fifth as a group at MOCs.
U-32, with three runners in the top 28, claimed team honors.
A week after leading the Thetford girls to the VPA Division III title, Panther junior Madelyn Durkee finished 65th (21:24) in a field of 260 to lead the Upper Valley girls’ contingent. White River Valley sophomore Anita Miller was 132nd (22:23), and Rachel Horner-Richardson, a Mid Vermont Christian senior, finished 163rd (22:44).
Ruth White, of Orono High in Maine, won the race in 18:44.