Windham Cross country charges through post season meets - By Nate Bennett

Windham High School’s varsity cross country boys and girls teams met other regionally-ranked champion runners from throughout Maine on Saturday at the Southern Maine Class A Regional XC Championship. Teams competed over the open fields and through the woods of Twin Brooks Recreation Area in Cumberland.

A week prior, Windham’s runners had performed gallantly at this same venue for the Southern Maine Regional Championship. The girls, as a team, and Eliza Bennett, as an individual, qualified for the state championship. The boys, as a team, along with Ben Breton, Jeremy Bennett, Reese Preston, and Mason Rosborough, as individuals, qualified for the state meet.

Southern Maine Class A Regional XC Championship

Boys Results:
#8 – Ben Breton – JR – 17:21.54
#12 – Jeremy Bennett – JR – 17:30.71
#16 – Reese Preston – SR – 17:43.86
#30 – Mason Rosborough – FR – 18:09.31
#60 – Wyatt Yost – SO – 18:54.69
#84 – Liam Flynn – SR – 19:30.35
#92 – Sebastian Foster – JR – 19:47.81

Team Result – 126 points – Third of 17 teams.
Fastest Time – 16:39.54
Total Boys Runners – 118

Girls Results:
#25 – Eliza Bennett – SR – 21:28.14
#36 – Amanda Turner – JR – 21:54.37
#39 – Kiana Clark – JR – 22:06.84
#56 – Joelle Bockus – SR – 23:12.02
#63 – Sierra Yost – SR – 23:26.49
#65 – McKenzie Pepin – SR – 23:32.80
#71 – Analyse Harris – SR – 23:59.09
Team Result – 209 points – Eighth out of 16 teams.
Fastest Time – 19:48.37
Total Boys Runners – 114
 

At the State Championship, Windham’s varsity teams were, once again, cheered on wholeheartedly by members of the junior varsity boys and girls team as well as cross country alumni runners visiting from university, coaches, friends and family.

A slightly muddy course slowed the field and made it more arduous than last Saturday, but the excitement and cheers from the spectators, even as they themselves ran from point to point along the trail, compelled the runners onward.

Windham's runners left everything they had on the course and finished the season strong. And though the teams did not move on to the New England Championship, only Windham received the Southern Maine Class A Best Sportsmanship Award for both boys and girls teams for cross country.

Maine Class A State XC Championship

Boys Results:
#9 – Ben Breton – JR – 16:57.79
#24 – Jeremy Bennett – JR – 17:44.45
#33 – Reese Preston – SR – 17:58.33
#50 – Mason Rosborough – FR – 18:23.53
#90 – Wyatt Yost – SO – 19:18.60
#101 – Sebastian Foster – JR – 19:41.94

#109 – Liam Flynn – SR – 20:20.35
Girls Team Result – 173 points – Fourth out of 15 teams
Fastest Boys Time – 16:17.71
Total Boys Runners – 112

Girls Results:
#45 – Amanda Turner – JR – 21:50.92
#49 – Eliza Bennett – SR – 21:58.42
#61 – Kiana Clark – JR – 22:19.09
#86 – Joelle Bockus – SR – 23:23.70
#87 – Sierra Yost – SR – 23:32.54
#89 – McKenzie Pepin – SR – 23:41.84
#95 – Analyse Harris – SR – 24:24.74
Girls Team Result – 279 points – 13 of 14 teams
Fastest Girls Time – 19:42.90
Total Girls Runners – 111

Ben Breton qualified for the New England Championship scheduled for November 14th in Vermont. Wish him luck as the team, coaches, family and friends cheer him on: “Fight for It!”