The Alvirne High School cross country teams welcomed runners from New Hampshire and Massachusetts to Hudson on Saturday, Oct. 3, for the 22nd annual Battle of the Border, giving the Broncos an opportunity to compete against some of the region’s top runners on their home course.
The annual invitational at the Hills House course featured varsity, junior varsity and freshman races, with Alvirne fielding runners in the girls varsity and JV races, boys varsity and freshman races.
The Alvirne girls’ varsity team turned in a fifth-place finish among 13 teams, scoring 138-points with an average time of 21:16.
Freshman Saleena Ramboer led the Broncos with an impressive 10th-place overall finish, crossing the finish line in 19:36.8. Her performance placed her among the top 10 runners in a competitive field that included several of New Hampshire’s top programs.
Sophomore Charlianna Downey was next for Alvirne, finishing 26th in 21:06.4. Junior Taelyn Downey followed in 30th at 21:18.0, while senior Alexis Ballantine was 35th in 21:33.6.
Freshman Elyse Goulet finished 58th in 22:45.5, followed by senior Leah Sturk, who crossed in 23:33.5 to complete the Broncos’ varsity lineup.
The host Broncos finished just 11-points behind fourth-place Bedford and 11-points ahead of sixth-place Windham.
In the girls’ junior varsity race, Alvirne placed seventh among 10 teams with 182 points and an average time of 26:26.
Sophomore Sophie Sargent paced the Broncos, finishing 11th overall in 23:18.4. Sophomore Morgan Coupal was 38th in 25:08.5, followed by sophomore Emma Melo in 46th at 25:29.4.
Freshman Kassidy Workman crossed in 71st at 27:57.8, while sophomore Nora Picanso finished 91st in 30:20.7. Freshmen Ella Smith and Brooklyn Pearson also competed, finishing 103rd in 37:26.9 and 104th in 37:47.3, respectively.
On the boys side, Alvirne finished 12th among 19 teams in the varsity race with 302 points. The Broncos posted a team average of 18:09.
Senior Roarke Brandt led the Broncos, finishing 52nd overall in 17:45.7.
Sophomore Aiden O’Leary was close behind in 61st at 18:01.0.
Junior Drew Barton placed 63rd in 18:10.7, while freshman Braeden Carey finished 70th in 18:20.4. Junior Camden Griffith crossed in 75th at 18:28.3.
Junior Logan Hould finished 100th in 19:07.6, followed by junior Evan Plante in 127th at 20:35.8.
The Broncos also had three runners compete in the boys freshman race.
Freshman Kelson Cox led the Alvirne contingent with a fifth-place finish in the 3K race, completing the course in 13:26.5. Teammate Eli Erickson was seventh in 13:35.0, while Cam Barbato finished 29th in 17:26.2.
The Battle of the Border also provided the Broncos with the advantage of competing on their home course at Alvirne’s Hill House Farm. The meet’s 5K course winds through the fields and trails surrounding the property and serves as a unique interstate competition in which New Hampshire and Massachusetts runners face off for state bragging rights.
For the Alvirne runners, the meet offered another opportunity to test themselves against a large and diverse field while gaining experience on the course they will know better than most when the postseason arrives.
