The ConVal cross-country team hosted Milford and Wilton-Lyndeborough on Tuesday for a race through the brilliant fall foliage.
The Cougars, no stranger to the wicked hills that dot the wooded area of their course, used their home-course advantage to pull off wins in both the boys’ and girls’ races.
In the girls’ race, Milford’s Rebecca Durham and Alex Matsis jumped out to a big early lead and did not relinqish it, finishing 1-2 in 20:21 and 20:51, respectively. ConVal’s Clare Veverka was just back of Matsis, finishing third in 20:57 and leading a pack of seven consecutive Cougars Lucy Freeman took the second spot for CV, fourth overall, followed by Schuyler Michalak, Sawyer Cawthern, Hailey Doherty and Caitlin Galea. That depth should give ConVal a serious shot at the divisional championships, coming up on Oct. 29 at Manchester’s Derryfield Park.
The boys’ race featured a terrific finish, with ConVal’s Evan Coyne and Ben Henry in the lead. Henry was up front for the majority of the race, but Coyne passed him on the back stretch and held him off as the two sprinted to the finish line. It was Coyne’s first individual cross-country victory of his career, as he finished at 18:26. Finishing 5th and 6th overall were Oliver Ellerkamp and Casey Burgess.
Wilton-Lyndeborough’s Ben Ducharme cracked the top ten, finishing 7th in 19:37. Also in the top 10 were ConVal’s Liam Veverka (9th) and Harrison Kim (10th).
Wilton-Lyndeborough’s Hunter Freischlag finished 22nd.
ConVal heads to Saint Anselm’s College next Wednesday to compete in the Southern Cluster Championship meet.