HOPKINTON, N.H. - Ben Groves has been the best runner in his division all fall. On Saturday, the Hanover senior proved he was the best runner in the state.
Groves won the boys race at the Meet of Champions at Hopkinton State Fairgrounds, covering the 5-kilometer course in 15:05.2. It was no runaway. Bishop Guertin’s Ethan Fischer chased him all the way to the line and finished two seconds back in 15:07.2, with Pinkerton’s Jason Robie third in 15:20.2.
Groves had plenty of company up front. Sophomore Dylan Faris was sixth in 15:42.2 and freshman Teddy White was right on his shoulder in seventh in 15:43.1. Junior Isaac McNaughton was 11th in 15:53.2 and junior Alexander Collins finished 26th in 16:19.3 to complete the scoring.
That added up to 47 points and the team title for the Bears, who beat Coe-Brown (61), Pinkerton (88), Oyster River (157) and Keene (169) among the best teams in the state. Oliver Collins (51st, 16:58.6) and Rohan Novosad (71st, 17:34.1) rounded out Hanover’s seven.
It capped a big two weeks for the Hanover boys. A week earlier at Derryfield Park in Manchester, Groves won the division title in 15:58.5 and the Bears took their fourth straight division team title with Faris second, McNaughton fourth and White seventh.
The Hanover girls were nearly as good. The Bears finished second with 81 points behind Exeter (56) and ahead of neighbor Lebanon (107). Senior Aria Deeb led the way in fifth place in 18:25.4, and senior Alice Bell was 10th in 18:53.2.
Junior Mia Sverrild (19th, 19:25.8), senior Ari Hirschler (24th, 19:35.3) and Olive Hanissian (37th, 20:09.4) completed the scoring five, and Grace Stewart (40th, 20:18.5) and Madelyn Berk (53rd, 20:39.3) also ran. Hopkinton’s Madeleine Lane won the girls race in a course record 16:48.2.
The girls came in off their third straight division title, won a week earlier in Manchester when Deeb was second and Hanover put seven runners in the top 14.
Both Hanover teams finished in the top six, which sends them on to the regional meet next weekend.
Hanover cross country is next at the New England Championships on Saturday, November 14, at Troy Howard Middle School in Belfast, Maine.
That wraps up the day for Hanover High School sports. We’ll see you next time!