Rec Briefs: Dartmouth XC Runner Prevails at Covered Bridges

Quechee — Ben Szuhaj can run in the hills, and he apparently can handle the flats at well.

A soon-to-be senior member of the Dartmouth College men’s cross country team, Szuhaj won the 27th edition of the Covered Bridged Half Marathon, the 13.1-mile road race from the Suicide Six ski area in Pomfret to the Quechee polo field. The 21-year-old from Glenside, Pa., earned a convincing victory, clocking a timem of 1 hour, 10 minutes, 9 seconds that was more than four minutes better than his closest pursuer.

Prescott Leach, 35, of Waltham, Mass., took second in 1:14:15, followed by Keith Drake, of Brookline, Mass., in 1:14:56. Upper Valley runners packed the rest of the top 10: Claremont’s Michael Demars in sixth (1:16:12), Enfield’s Richard Smith in seventh (1:16:36), Canaan’s Joe Burnett in ninth (1:17:51) and Woodstock’s Ansel Dickey in 10th (1:19:29).

Maura Carroll, of Arlington, Va., won the women’s division in 1:26:13. Hanover’s Mary Peters was second among all women in 1:27:55. Alice Grant, of New Haven, Conn. (1:28:23) was third, just a second ahead of Jennifer Flynn, of Jamaica Plain, Mass. Windham, N.H.’s Lauren Tilton (1:28:50) completed the women’s top five.

A list of the top 50 finishers can be found in the chart on this page.

On the Oval

NH Middle School MOC

Milford, n.h. — Hanover’s Sam Murray outpaced the field to win the boys 1,600-meter run at the New Hampshire Middle School Meet of Champions track and field meet on Tuesday.

Murray, a Richmond Middle School eighth-grader, recorded a time of 4 minutes, 43.99 seconds. He also took third in the 800 (2:17:13).

Hanover Parks and Rec team athletes also produced two other top-six results at the MOC. Matt Baskin was fourth in the boys 400 (59.66), and Olivia Trummel claimed sixth in the girls 100 hurdles (16.11).

Upper Valley participants who finished in the top four of their events at Sunday’s Connecticut Valley League meet qualified for the MOC.

Bassette, Young Star At CVL Meet

Lebanon — Woodstock’s Victoria Bassette won three events and Claremont’s Janiah Young came away with two victories, helping their teams to a share of second place, highlighting Upper Valley participation in Sunday’s Connecticut Valley League middle school track meet at Lebanon High.

Bassette swept her way to wins in the girls 100-meter dash (12.75 seconds), the 800 run (2:24.47) and the long jump (15 feet, 2 inches) as Woodstock scored 40 points as a team. Emma Tarleton helped the tally by winning the discus (56-10).

The Claremont girls also posted 40 points, with only Bellows Falls (59) amassing more. Young led the way with victories in the 200 dash (27.10) and the high jump (4-8). Young also ran anchor for teammates Shayla Laroche, Anna Numme and Sophia Nepton to earn second in the 4×100 relay (55.64).

The Lebanon girls placed fourth with 3 points. Brianna DeBanico provided the team’s individual win by taking the 400 dash in 1:04.58. Hanover’s girls took eighth, with Olivia Trummel (100 hurdles, 17.86) and Charlotte Tagupa (1,600 run, 5:38.12) claiming second in their races.

Hartford produced the area’s best boys team finish of fourth place with 39 points, behind Keene (74), Chesterfield (64) and Bellows Falls (61). Ben Gilbert grabbed a victory in the high jump (5-0), and Colby Boyce added a win in the discus (95-7).

Oxbow’s boys were fifth. Lyle Reinheimer and Tobin Durham had the top individual performances, with Reinheimer taking second in the long jump (16-0) and Durham doing the same in the 1,600 (5:09:91).

Hanover was sixth out of 19 scoring boys teams, getting a win in the 4×100 relay with Spencer Lawe, William Malley, Luke Szczepiorkowski and Logan Taylor. Matt Baskin added a second in the 400 dash (58.90).

On the Run

Skip Matthews Run

Lebanon — The annual Skip Matthews Memorial Race hits its 15th birthday on June 17 in downtown Lebanon. The four-mile race commemorates the life of Matthews, who died from brain cancer in 2003.

Since then, the race — which begins and ends in front of City Hall and covers part of the Northern Rail Trail — has raised money for the Norris Cotton Cancer Center’s tumor research program.

The day kicks off with Brady’s Fun Run/Walk, a one-mile route starting at 9 a.m. The four-mile run gets going at 10 a.m. River Valley Community College will provide post-race massages, and awards along with a barbecue will follow immediately after the race.

The cost to participate is $25 for adults (ages 19 and older) and $20 for youths (ages 18 and younger). There is no charge for the one-mile run run/walk. Online registration is available through the link at www.skipsrun.org. Day-of-race registration will also be available until 8:30 a.m. for the fun run/walk and 9 a.m. for the four-miler.

For more information, contact Fran Oscadal at foscadal@gmail.com or 603-448-4121.

Shaker 7 Set

Enfield — The Enfield Village Association will fire up the annual Shaker 7 road race on June 24 for its 14th edition.

The race covers a seven-mile route around Mascoma Lake, beginning and ending at Shaker Recreation Park in Enfield. A three-mile walk option is also available. Proceeds from the Shaker 7 go toward projects and events run by the EVA, which seeks to enhance the town’s cultural, recreational and natural resources.

The cost to participate is $30 for adults and $15 for students. Online registration is available through www.enfieldmainstreet.org. Day-of-race registration will be available starting at 7:30 a.m., and both the run and walk will fire off at 9 a.m.

The Shaker 7 is part of the nine-race Upper Valley Running Series overseen by the Upper Valley Running Club. For the complete schedule of events, visit www.uppervalleyrunningclub.org.

Save a Stray 5K

Newport — The Sullivan County Humane Society will hold its fifth Save a Stray 5K road race on June 23, beginning at the Corbin Covered Bridge.

The race, which will start at 10 a.m., is a fundraiser for SCHS, which provides help for homeless animals and sponsors spay and neuter clinics. Pre-registration is $20 and comes with a free event T-shirt for the first 100 runners to sign up. Kids under the age of 12 are free.

Race-day registration will also be available, starting at 8:30 a.m.

The day will include prizes for the top male and female finishers in several age groups, raffle prizes and a post-race barbecue, all taking place at the covered bridge. Visit www.sullivancountyhumanesociety.org or contact Laurie Waterman at 603-381-0715 or laurie_waterman@comcast.net for more information.