Some of Division III’s top cross-country runners sped up and down the Jaffrey Rail Trail Tuesday afternoon at Conant High School’s second annual Conant Fast 5K.
Tuesday’s race featured last year’s DIII boys’ individual champion, Elijah Bodanza of Fall Mountain, last year’s team champion, Mascoma Valley, and last year’s runner-up, Mascenic, along with the host Orioles and visiting WLC.
Conant has excellent returning leaders on both their boys’ and girls’ teams this fall that should set the pace for their small but fierce team.
“Everybody’s good,” coach Chris Bernier said. “We like everybody, right? But our two leaders, Amelia [Hill] on the girls’ team and Aaron Graham on the guys’ team are coming back, and both of them are looking real strong.”
The Orioles have just 10 runners between the boys and girls, which will make competing for team titles unlikely; still, Conant has some goals for the season.
“We’re a small enough team where we probably can’t score at states, but the way I look at it, if we can’t score at states, we can at least make a mess of the other team scores, so that’s our goal.”
Graham started his race Tuesday pacing teammate Roland Dumont before letting loose on the second half of the flat rail trail course, timing out at 18:04, lagging behind Bodanza (16:18) and Mascoma’s Carl Russell (16:52) but passing Mascenic’s No.1 Dylan Callahan (18:12) down the final straightaway.
“[Graham] is running really hot right now,” Bernier said. “He’s putting in some extra mileage and he’s running real, real strong.”
Hill likely would have been in the mix for a top time in the girls’ race, but she opted to have a little fun and do some extra training by pushing classmate Aylee Bernier in her modified wheelchair, as is tradition at Conant’s home race these past couple years.
“It’s a great way to get my daughter Aylee involved with the community,” Coach Bernier said. “It’s something that we pushing with her developmental services, and all the girls and guys embrace her on the team. Uh, so she’ll, She’ll come out and do workouts on the rail trail and some of the hill workouts. I think it gives them a little perspective too when they see somebody pushing.”
Hill, pushing Aylee, got a good workout in; they’d only finish 14th, but Hill will feel a weight lifted on her next unencumbered run.
The girls’ race finished with little drama, as Mascenic senior Kaitlyn O’Shea finished first in 19:34; after Fall Mountain’s Jenna Fillion (20:14), Viking teammate and twin sister Erin O’Shea took third (20:58). The O’Shea sisters are expected to compete for a DIII title this year, though the Viking numbers are down, too, as freshman Sophia Somero (16th, 29:54) was their only other runner on Tuesday.
Conant’s girls ran well Tuesday, even with Hill out of the mix. Sophia Battisti was their first finisher (eighth, 23:58); Lily Mormando (10th, 24:24) wasn’t far behind; Scarlett Griffits (15th, 29:24) and newcomer Norrey O’Neil (17th, 40:38) rounded out the Oriole five.
The Mascenic boys, last year’s DIII runner-up, should be competitive again this fall. Callahan returns to lead the Vikings; freshman standouts Donovan Griffis (fifth, 1813) and Reino Crawford (seventh, 19:08) will be key contributors, and Logan Vaillancourt (10th, 19:44), along with senior Finnian Shippee (20th, 28:02) and Thomas Moran.
With the smaller team size, coach Bernier said he gets lots of one-on-one time with his runners, and between that and keeping pace with Graham Conant’s boys are well-positioned to improve and be competitive. Dumont, chasing Graham, took a top-10 spot (ninth, 19:38); Josh Demanche (15th, 22:52) is steadily improving; freshman Morgan Ratcliffe (19th, 25:41) has been a solid addition, and sophomore Dallas Charles, returning from injury, gritted out a 21st-place finish in 29:38, holding off a Mascoma competitor along the way.
“We’ve got a small group on both sides, and all different levels, and they’re all working hard,” coach Bernier said. “I think we’ve got a good team.”
Wilton-Lyndeborough brought a handful of runners out on Tuesday as well. Freshman Logan Ray was the lone boys’ runner, finishing 17th in 24:24, while Sydney Beam (sixth, 23:28) and Paisley Silva (seventh, 23:50) ran well on the girls’ side.
Conant will be back in action at the Manchester Invitational on Sept. 20. Mascenic travels to Fall Mountain on Friday, and WLC heads to Fall Mountain the following week.
The NHIAA Division III state meet is set for Oct. 25 at Manchester’s Derryfield Park, with the Meet of Champions to follow at Alvirne on Nov. 1.