HUDSON, N.H. — Hanover High sophomore Lea Perreard won Saturday’s 5K cross country race at the New Hampshire Meet of Champions, breaking the 18-minute barrier for the first time.
The Bears boys and girls finished second in the team competitions at Alvirne High School.
Perreard crossed in 17:50, 12 seconds better than her previous best, and six seconds ahead of the second-place finisher, Oyster River’s Haley Kavanagh.
Hanover senior Lucien Gleiser, was second in the boys race with a time of 15:20, three seconds better than his previous best. Matthew Giardina of Bishop Guertin won the race in 15:11.
“I felt really good today,” Perreard said by phone. “I was able to get out front with a lead. I did tire some at the end, but held on.”
Also scoring for the Hanover girls in the field of 141 runners were Megan Faris (10th, 18:24), Lily Terry (33rd, 19:36), Millie Larrick (39th, 19:52) and Sarah Glueck (40th, 19:55).
Lebanon’s top finisher was Olivia Hanna (51st, 20:25). The Raiders girls finished 18th. Mascoma’s boys were 17th.
In the boys’ race of 144 runners, Hanover’s Andrew Valentino was 19th (15:58) followed by Ryan Faris (22nd, 16:04), Ben Groves (27th, 16:15) and Will Parker (49th, 16:38).
Mascoma’s Gunner Currier was 15th (15:50).
Hanover coach Eric Picconi said both his boys and girls teams lived up to expectations with most of the runners hitting their best times of the year.
“It is bonkers that they are running faster than last year and they land in second place,” Picconi said. “New Hampshire cross country has risen to a super-human level.
“I am so proud of how they train together, race together, and fight for each other until the finish line where they continue to support one another,” Picconi said.
Next up for Hanover are the New England Championships on Nov. 11 in Maine.
Girls team results — Oyster River 61, Hanover 81, Pinkerton 82, Bedford 140, Dover 177, Exeter 222, Concord 231, Nashua North 232, Souhegan 237, Hopkinton 249.
Boys team results – Nashua South 78, Hanover 94, Coe-Brown 132, Pinkerton 146, Souhegan 170, Bedford 171, Bishop Guertin 202, Salem 237, Oyster River 240, Milford 291.
ST. ALBANS, Vt. — White River Valley’s Anya Young finished 10th at Vermont’s Meet of Champions.
Young crossed in 20:19. Estella Laird of Champlain Valley Union won the 82-runner 5K in 18:40 at Hard’ack Recreation area.
White River Valley’s Lincoln Miller was 20th for the boys (17:12) and teammate Tomo Watanbe finished 50th among 97 runners in 18:15. White River did not have enough runners for team scores.
NEWPORT — Top-seeded Newport forced four turnovers, leading to two scores, and reached the NHIAA Division IV title game for a second season. The Tigers (8-0) again face second-seeded and two-time defending state champion Somersworth (6-1) at Laconia High.
Newport, which defeated Somersworth, 13-12, earlier this season, wore fourth-seeded Bishop Brady down. The hosts deployed a strong ground game led by senior Kyle Ashley, junior Amilio Urista and sophomore Kobie Curtis.
Newport coach John Proper felt his team wasn’t sharp during last week’s 44-40 defeat of Raymond, but that the Tigers made up for that regular-season finale Saturday.
“We wanted to atone for what happened last week,” Proper said. “We didn’t play our best football, didn’t tackle well. This week we wanted to get back to being the team we have been all season.”
Newport led, 14-7, two minutes before halftime and had driven 57 yards when Bishop Brady’s Todd Sheppard intercepted a pass. However, the Green Giants (3-5) were forced to punt and the Tigers regained the ball at the Bishop Brady 40-yard line and two timeouts in their pocket.
The hosts reached the 17-yard line after an Ashley pass to Aiden Couitt. Freshman Tyson DiPaola hauled in another toss to reach the six-yard line. Ashley ran around the end for a touchdown 17 seconds before halftime and his team took a 21-7 lead into the break.
Ashley ran for more than 100 yard in three quarters. He keyed a third-quarter drive with several runs, including one for 24 yards to the three-yard line, from where Urista ran it in for a 28-7 lead.
Newport opened the day’s scoring on a 2-yard run by Ashley five minutes into the first quarter. Newport’s Colton Goodwin soon recovered a Bishop Brady fumble at midfield. Four plays later, Aaron Fellows threw to Christian Forsythe for a touchdown and a 14-0 lead with a minute remaining in the stanza.
Bishop Brady’s Ian Miller threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to Sheppard three minutes into the second quarter.
Newport’s final score came after Urista stripped the ball from a Bishop Brady receiver on the Giants’ 34-yard line. A 1-yard DiPaola run capped a short drive.
“They control their own destiny,” Proper said of his players “I told them the only team that can stop them is themselves.”