If you were traveling through Hudson via Route 102 on Saturday afternoon, you may have noticed a rather large crowd gathered at the historic Hills House, where the 20th Annual Battle of the Border Cross Country races between teams from Massachusetts and New Hampshire was taking place.
The event was once again hosted by Alvirne High School, it will also be the site for the this year’s New Hampshire Iinterscholastic Aathletc Association’s Meet of Champions.
New Hampshire teams competing were: Alvirne, Bedford, Bishop Guertin, Campbell, Coe-Brown, Concord, Con-Val, Dover, Goffstown, Hollis/Brookline, Keene, Londonderry, Central, Memorial, West, Milford, Nashua South, Oyster River, Pelham, Pinkerton, Portsmouth, Salem, Spaulding, Windham, and Winnacunnet High School.
The state of Massachusetts was represented by Holy Family Academy, Innovation, Marshfield, Methuen, Needham, Newton South, North Andover, Notre Dame Academy-Hingham, and Tyngsborough High School.
Six races were held throughout the afternoon, starting with the Freshman 3,200 Meter Run for both boys and girls; the Girls’ and Boys’ 5K Junior Varity races; and the 5K Varsity races.
For the Girls’ Varsity: Oyster River took first place with a score of 49-points; Pinkerton Academy followed closely in second place with 56-points; and North Andover took third with 130-points. The Broncos girls’ team finished in ninth-place overall and there were 139 runners in the race.
Junior Makita Barry of Bedford High School was the first place finisher with a time of 17:36.7. She had a 40-second lead over senior Haley Kavanagh of Oyster River (18:16.4). Senior Anna Fondakowski came in at third with her time of 19:02.8.
The top Broncos runner was senior Anna Simpson, who came in at eighth place with a time of 19:21.5. Freshman Olivia Cartagena had a 29th finish with her time of 20:45.5. Senior Ava Martin came in at 31st with a time of 20:46.2. Senior Sophia Berube had a time of 22.52.8. Senior Addison Tobin was 83rd (23:35); Junior Lilliana Schultz was 86th (23:51.8); and senior Jennifer Herbert was 89th (23:57.2).
In the Boys’ Varsity 5K: The team from Pinkerton Academy took first with a score of 50; Nashua South was second with 87-points; Salem High School took third place with a score of 143.
The Alvirne Broncos squad’s seven runners took ninth-place at 211-points, with 167 runners being recorded.
Concord High School junior Josiah Conley came in with a time of 15:11.9 for first-place. In second, 20-second behind Conley was senior William Simard at 15:31.3. Graham Heinrich of Marshfield Mass. was third at 15:36.
The Alvirne team’s top runner was senior Brent Dunning, coming in at 19th with a time of 16:28.4. Junior Sam Matson was 40th with a time of 17:11. Senior Jacob Plante placed 45th at 17:18.6; Senior Ethan Schultz had a time of 17:30 for 53rd place. Sophomore Brandt Roarke was 54th at 17:31.6; Sophomore Ashton Rowe placed 59th at 17:40.2; and senior Ryder Wannamaker had a time of 18:00.5 for 73rd.