Ultra runners competing in the 50-kilometer race check their watches at the starting line. The Vermont 50 benefit race hosts mountain biking and ultra-running events in Ascutney, Vt. annually. (Valley News - John Happel) Copyright Valley News. May not be reprinted or used online without permission. Send requests to permission@vnews.com.
Ultra runners competing in the 50-kilometer race check their watches at the starting line. The Vermont 50 benefit race hosts mountain biking and ultra-running events in Ascutney, Vt. annually. (Valley News - John Happel) Copyright Valley News. May not be reprinted or used online without permission. Send requests to permission@vnews.com. Credit: Valley News — John J. Happel

Brownsville — Norwich’s Jane Lemasurier and Woodstock’s Kirk Kardashian added a taste of Upper Valley success with their results at Sunday’s Vermont 50 mountain bike and ultra run races at Ascutney Mountain.

Lemasurier, 33, was the top female mountain biker on the trails, winning the women’s 50-mile race in 5 hours, 56 seconds, a little less than four minutes ahead of runner-up Kathleen Wanat, of Worcester, Mass. Kardashian also excelled on the bike, taking second in the men’s 50-miler in 4:07:18, about a minute and a half behind winner Jake Hollenbach, of Richmond, Vt. (4:06:45).

Brian Rusiecki, of South Deerfield, Mass. (6:35:36), and Liz Gleason, of Waterbury Center, Vt. (7:33:02), claimed victories in the 50-mile run division. Daniel Princic, of Reading, Mass. (4:47:29), and Hilary McCloy, of Center Conway, N.H. (5:07:41) picked up the wins in the 50-kilometer run.

Lucy Mac 5K Moving

Brownsville — The Lucy Mac 5K-9 run and walk will take place on Sunday at the Ascutney Trails facility on Mount Ascutney in Brownsville.

A fundraiser for the Lucy Mackenzie Humane Society, the event will take place on trails laid out on Ascutney’s western base. Trail shoes are recommended for anyone participating, as parts of the course will run over rocks, wood, dirt and grass. The 5K trail run is open to all; a one-mile fun run or walk is also planned, and a special kids mini-course will be set up with a series of dog agility-inspired obstacles.

Participants are also welcome to join with or without dogs.

Lucy Mac has set a fundraising goal of $10,000 for the upcoming event. To learn more, visit www.lucymac.org or contact Jackie Stanley at jstanley@lucymac.org or 802-484-5827.

Foliage Five Sunday

Thetford — Recreational runners are invited for a morning run in peak Vermont foliage when the annual Foliage Five road race takes place at the Union Village Dam on Sunday.

The five-mile course will be contested primarily on dirt roads, with a 2 p.m. start. The cost of the race $15 through the day of the race. Children and adults not tackling the full route are welcome to take part in a short fun run at 1:30 p.m., just before the main event.

Modest rewards will go to overall male and female winners as well as the top three finishers in each age category. A raffle is also planned.

Visit recreation.lebnh.net for the online link for registration, or contact Lebanon Recreation and Parks’ Paul Coats at 603-448-5121 or paul.coats@lebcity.com.

In a Scrum Mountain Men Rebound

Boston — Back in action a week after their first loss of the NERFU Division IV season, the Lebanon-based Upper Valley Mountain Men rode a strong second half and four tries from Darious Long for a 34-25 win over Boston Ironsides RFC on Saturday.

Ironsides held Upper Valley (3-1) to a 15-15 draw through halftime before the visitors grabbed control of the contest.

Josh Henderon also produced a try for Upper Valley, which received important contributions from Adam Barczewski and Emeric David as part of the victory.

The Mountain Men cap a three-match road trip with a visit to the Black River Rugby Club in Ludlow, Vt., on Saturday.

On the PitchGPS Elite 4, U11s 3

Meriden — Visiting GPS Mass. Elite Orange scored the winning goal in the final 90 seconds to nip the Lightning Soccer Club’s U11 Flames at Kimball Union Academy’s Carver Field.

GPS grabbed a 2-0 lead early, but Zach Edison responded just before halftime and taemate Kai Kurokawa leveled the match a half-minute after the interval. GPS retook the lead on a free kick four minutes later, the Flames’ Nolan Morlock tied the contest and GPS grabbed the points late.

Landon Kingsbury and Noah Branchflower assisted on Morlock’s score. Norwood Davis made five saves in the Flames’ goal.

U12 Force Wins

Meriden — The LSC U12 Force grabbed its first win of the season in a 6-1 rout of GPA over the weekend.

The Force lived up to its name with five first-half goals. Jacoby Patterson notched the game-opening goal and added a second before the interval. Nate Finley also delivered two goals, and Harry Molesworth added two of his own, one in each half.

Luke Dwyer faced little activity in goal in recording the win, with defenders Angus Ferw, Sam Loescher, Will Coates and Lochlan Park limited chances on goal.

U13 Fire Blazes Up Ladder

Meriden — The LSC U13 Fire moved into second place in the New England Premiership I North standings by taking a 2-0 win over previously unbeaten SFC New England at KUA’s Pope Field on Sunday.

The Fire dominated the first half despite playing into a strong breeze, with Hugh Clark, Richie Aman, Zane Schiffman and Tucker Chpman all setting up quality scoring chances. Jack Ross converted one of the with a 22-yard strike over the goalkeeper’s head in the 25th minute.

SFC held greater possession in the second half, but LSC grabbed some insurance when Jack Maynes fed Clark for the Fire’s second goal. Maynes and Ty Nolan split the goalkeeping duties, earning the shutout.

Cyclones Succeed Twice

Meriden — The LSC Cyclones snared a pair of victories last weekend, topping Seacoast United White, 5-3, and Seacoast United Admirals, 3-2.

LSC took a quick 3-1 halftime lead in its first game through goals from Benji Madory, Ian Homes and Will Knowles. When United rallied to tie, LSC pulled away through goals from Ryan Carroll and Gavin Munson.

Wyatt Daigle made several important saves early in LSC’s second contest to help set up an eventual win. Munson broke the deadlock, while Graham Thompson and Connor Reed set up the deciding scores.

U8 Tornadoes Split

Meriden — The LSC U8 Tornadoes rolled to a 6-0 win over Seacoast United Storm before closing its weekend with a 5-2 loss to GPS.

Sacha Palm struck twice to get the Tornadoes rolling against United. Shawn Walker provided two more goals and Finn McColgan stretched the lead to 5-0. Ryan McLaughlin had the final score for the Tornadoes.

Another Palm goal gave LSC a good start in the nightcap, but the visitors rolled to the win. Peter Arvold scored on a breakaway for the Tornadoes’ other goal.

McBride Blanks Breakers

Meriden — Goalkeeper Mo McBride proved to be a rock in the net, backstopping the LSC U12 Sparks to a 2-0 win over NEFC Breakers Elite over the weekend.

Grace Nostrant, Grace Bean and Brielle Fitzpatrick united in front of McBride to keep NEFC off the board. Kaelin Fitzpatrick got the Sparks on the board in the first half, and Emilia Torresani sealed the victory with a second-half goal.

Aztecs Nip Strikers

Meriden — The LSC Strikers dropped a 2-1 decision to the Saugus (Mass.) Aztecs on Sept. 18.

Carter Guerin combined with Harry Molesworth for the Strikers’ goal, equalizing an earlier score for the visitors. Goalkeeper Nate Finley kept LSC in the contest with his play in the net.

To the HoopRef Clinic Time

White River Junction — Vermont IAABO Board 105 will again open classes for new basketball officials next month, with Monday and Thursday sessions at Hartford High School beginning on Oct. 31.

The sessions are open to anyone in Vermont or New Hampshire intersted in working all levels of high school basketball. There is a cost for class materials and the exam.

For more information, contact Dan Pause at 802-683-9315 or danpause@gmail.com.

Taking a LeapCudhea Podiums in Ill.

Fox River Grove, Ill. — Joining athletes from the Lake Placid, N.Y.-based New York Ski Education Foundation, Thetford’s Aiden Cudhead found himself earning a podium result twice last weekend’s Autumn Ski Jumping Festival staged by the Norge Ski Club.

Competing in the U16 division, Cudhea recorded an overall third-place finish. While short on distance, Cudhea made up for it with top-of-the-class style points for his efforts in a competition featuring top ski jumpers from the Midwest.

Cudhea, a 15-year-old Thetford Academy sophomore, returned to Norge’s K70 ramp on Sunday to compete in the U20 meet. He again took bronze, improving his distances by more than 8 meters compared to Saturday’s results.

Cudhea returns to jumping competition on Colubus Day weekend when he heads to his home-away-from-home hill, the K90 jump at Olympic Park in Lake Placid, for the Flaming Leaves Jumping Festival.

On a Hike Wednesday WalkersBack on Track

White River Junction — The Hartford Parks and Recreation Department’s Wednesday Walkers hiking series is in the midst of another autumn of recreational trips around the Upper Valley.

The series involves hikes along some of the region’s scenic backwoods trails. Each hike is open to all ages and experience levels; group s meet first at Hartford Town Hall at 9 a.m. for transportation to that day’s trail head.

The remaining fall and winter schedule:

Oct. 12: Hurricane Forest Wildlife Refuge, White River Junction.

Oct. 26: Holts Ledge, Lyme.

Jan. 25: Mill Road Trail, Lebanon.

Feb. 8: Storrs Pond Ring Trail, Hanover.

March 1: Mink Brook Marsh, Hanover.

Events are weather-dependend, so call Hartford Parks and Rec at 802-295-5036 to confirm or to reserve a spot on a hike.