Calvin & Issy win at Bellows Falls

The team traveled to Bellows Falls, VT this afternoon to compete in the first cross country running race of the fall and came home with both the girls and boys race winners – Calvin Swomley & Issy Pelletier – along with a many other fast times and great performances for the afternoon. We’re guests of the league, so we don’t officially score or factor into team results (we keep our own times!), but it’s great to hop in a race and get a solid running workout in for the week. Our 3 PG boys (Charlie, Nick & Corky) are too old to race in the high school league and Mollie and Anika are avoiding running for now as they rehab some injuries, so that group of five, plus Matt, biked from South Londonderry to Bellows Falls High School (30 mile ride) while Sverre and Liz drove the runners over. Pictures and results below! Click on any picture to make it bigger. (Above, Sverre talks strategy with the boys before the race.)

Issy, Kate, Mackenzie, and Tess made up our team of four girls today!

Boys race is off! From left with white tops and blue shorts are Gino & Mac side by side, Tyler, Hamish, Calvin and Paddy.

Less than a mile into the race Calvin establishes himself at the front of the pack with Jacob Ellis (Brattleboro), Paddy, and Jordan Fields (Woodstock) in tow.
Paddy
Tyler (above) & Hamish (below) are not too far behind. Hamish is smiling because his knee isn’t bothering him!

Gino is too fast for the camera!

Mac strides it out on a downhill.

Back in the field, about halfway through the race, Calvin goes stride for stride for the lead.

Jordan Fields, a member of the New England Junior National team last winter, is a step ahead of Paddy.

Tyler cruises through the flats.

Hamish starts chipping away at the race and passes a few runners.

Gino looking strong.

Calvin breaks the race open on the final lap through the woods.

Paddy drops Jordan and pulls even with Jacob Ellis…who we found out is the Vermont State Champion at 800 meters!

Back into the field to catch the finish (sorry for not catching the rest of the crew in the woods!) – Calvin stretches out his lead.

Coming around with 100 meters to go until the finish Calvin (out front) has some ground on Paddy and Jacob (Brattleboro) who sprinted it out down to the wire! Jacob was able to pull away with a few yards left to sandwich between Calvin and Paddy.

Hamish passed Tyler during the second lap and brings it home for a 10th place finish.

Tyler takes 12th place.

Gino right on Tyler’s heels in 13th.

Mac sprints in to take 25th place.

Meanwhile, the ladies warm up for their race with some strides.

Paddy and Gino wish the girls luck for their race!
Post-race boys team photo.

Girls are off!

Issy (foreground) and Kate (background, just rounding the turn) took off at the gun and never looked back.

Kate – smiling!

Tess strides through the trails behind Bellow Falls HS. I missed Mackenzie here – sorry!

The biking crew pulls in halfway into the girls race.

Anika and Mollie are all smiles!

Back to the race – Issy pulls away for her eventual win…

(Missed Kate – sorry!) Mackenzie speeds up in the second half of the race and picks up several places to move into the top ten.

Tess rounds the corner with less than a mile left.

Issy heads for the finish as Calvin and Corky cheer her on.

Kate solidly in second place!

Mackenzie brings it home in 6th place.

Tess puts all our girls in the top ten with a 10th place finish.

Below are some great pictures from Issy’s dad, Herve Pelletier – thanks!

Mac.

Mackenzie.
Kate.
Issy leading Kate at the start.

Tess.

On the way home, Charlie snapped the rest of these pictures from the van. Route 11 was in better shape than it was last week, but still has some areas with visible flood damage, including the heartbreaking shot of the home that was swept into the river below. We’re very lucky to have not felt much of the hurricane’s impact up on the mountain.

Race Results:

Boys

1. Calvin 16:45

3. Paddy 16:51

10. Hamish 18:19

12. Tyler 18:40

13. Gino 18:50

25. Mac 19:54

Girls

1. Issy 20:39

2. Kate 21:16

6. Mackenzie 22:42