Cross Country Teams to Compete in State Meet: Oct. 27
October 26, 2018
The TA boys and girls cross country teams will compete in the Vermont State Championships on Saturday, Oct. 27, at TA’s Dan Grossman Woods Trail. The races will begin at 10:30 a.m. TA girls will run at 11:30 a.m. and the Panther boys will compete at 1 p.m.; some TA boys will participate in the Challenge Race at 2:15 p.m.
The Thetford girls cross country teams is led by senior captain Anabel Reining. Her running mate, Eloise Van Meter, is running first for the Panther girls. Her sophomore classmate Layla Hanissian has run second this season. The squad is rounded out by newcomers Elle Dixon (junior), Emily Trage (junior) and Jessica Smith (a freshman). Having graduated six seniors last year, the girls are in the midst of rebuilding but expect strong performances at the state meet on Saturday.
The Panther boys have had a strong season in the won/loss column. Their most recent victory came on Oct. 16 in the Marble Valley League Championship at Bellows Falls, in which they beat much larger A Division schools including Rutland, Mount Anthony, and Brattleboro, to take the MVL Crown.
The boys are co-captained by seniors Owen Deffner and Bel Spelman, who often run first and second for the team. Following close behind are senior Jacob Slaughter and junior Eamon Deffner, who take turns holding down the third and fourth spots. Senior Gabe Gaetz, junior Jason Wolstenholme, and sophomore Jackson Ransom often vie for the fifth spot. Rounding out the team are a trio of freshman newcomers: Nathan Neubauer, Liam Patterson, and Ben Acker.
Owen Deffner, Bel Spelman, and Eamon Deffner were selected as MVL All-Stars. The photo depicts the MVL champion boys cross country team.
Both the girls and boys teams expect to be competitive at the state meet on Saturday.