Houlton/GHCA Cross Country team shows strong showing at States

Belfast, Maine- The Cross Country State Championship races were held in Belfast this past weekend, and it was a strong showing for the Houlton/GHCA Cross Country team. 

The Houlton/GHCA Cross Country team were able to send both the Girls and Boys Cross Country teams to the Class C State Championship meet after qualifying in the Northern Maine Class C regional two weeks prior.

The girls team finished third out of nine teams with a team score of 77, finishing 4 points behind Waynflete. The boys teams finished fifth out of thirteen teams with a score of 120. The boys team tied with Winthrop with a score of 120, but lost the tiebreaker. 

In the girl’s race, Orono’s Ruth White was first to cross the finish line in the race finishing in 16:57. Finishing right behind her was Houlton/GHCA’s Teanne Ewings with a time of 17:22. The Shiretowners also placed two girls in the top ten with Natalie Johnson finishing 5th in 19:20, and Leanne Ross finishing ninth in 20:18. 

Other results for the Shire girls were: 39, Dalayna Mincey, 23:19; 49, Katie McQuarrie, 23:53; 52, Andrea Ross, 24:08; 68, Amelia Drake, 26:12. 

The Orono Red Riots won the Class C State Championship with a team score of 45, Waynflete finished second with a score of 73, Houlton/GHCA finishing third with a score of 77. 

In the boys race, Sumner’s Kaleb Colson was the overall winner with a time of 15:48. Houlton/GHCA’s freshman Malachi Witmer was the first one to cross the finish line for the Shires, finishing 14th in a time of 18:01. 

Other results for the Shire boys were: 20, Brayden Drake, 18:11; 24, James Brady, 18:19; 44, Shawn Coty, 18:56; 53, Landon Laferriere, 19:25; 86, Shayne Grass, 20:51; 110, Ethan Casale, 29:23. 

The Sumner Tigers won the Class C State Championship with a team score of 59. Orono High School finished second with a team score of 90, and George Stevens Academy finished third with a score of 95. 

As the Cross Country season came to a close for many athletes, two Houlton/GHCA runners will be competing in the New England Cross Country Championships. Teanne Ewings and Natalie Johnson qualified individually for the meet, as they finished in the top 25 in the state of Maine for girl runners. Ewings and Johnson will be competing in the race on Saturday, November 11th at 11:30 a.m. at Troy Howard Middle School in Belfast. 

Full Results of the Class C State Championship race

Girls: http://www.sub5.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/classcgirlsstatexc2023.txt

Boys: http://www.sub5.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/classcboysstatexc2023.txt