If the recent USATF National Junior Olympic Cross-Country Championships is any indication, the future looks bright for the upcoming freshmen class next fall.
Competing in the age 13-14 division, teams from Cumberland and Smithfield swept the top two placements in the team standings this past Saturday. The North Cumberland Surge claimed the national title by narrowly defeating the Sentinel Striders, 105-110, in Tallahassee, Fla.
The Striders' John McLoughlin was the top finisher, placing fifth overall in 12 minutes, 52.7 seconds for the four-kilometer (2.4 mile) course. Ethan Carpenter of the Surge finished sixth in 13:01.5. The Striders' Evan Reynolds, placed ninth overall in 13:03.3, and Alexander Maxwell was 20th in 13:08.0.
Rounding out the scoring for the winning North Cumberland squad was Adam Thibodeau (38th, 13:22.9), Henry Dennen (45th, 13:27.1), Owen Molis (50th, 13:30.0) and Jack Casey (124th, 14:02.1).