THETFORD — Lake Region’s cross country teams finished strong at the Vermont Division 3 State Championships Saturday, with the boys team placing fifth and the girls taking sixth overall.
Senior captain Xaviar Chapdelaine led the Rangers with a 12th-place finish in the boys race, while fellow senior captain Charlie Edlund paced the girls team, finishing 14th — jumping 21 spots from her performance at last year’s state meet.
The boys team saw strong performances from its middle pack, with Isaac Heinchon, Max Demaine and Josiah Quinn all breaking the 22-minute mark, placing 34th, 39th and 42nd respectively. Ethan Gratton-Derbyshire, returning from a month-long injury, rounded out the scoring runners in 49th place. Gavyn Letzelter, Jericho Thatcher and Isaac Smartt completed the Rangers’ lineup.
In the girls competition, newcomers Nell Urie, Ivy Arant and Mia Lussier made their state meet debuts, finishing 36th, 41st and 50th respectively. Emma King and Gi Chinaglia crossed the finish line together, placing 56th and 57th.
Both Chapdelaine and Edlund qualified for next week’s Meet of Champions, where they will compete against top runners from all divisions.
