EGHS Boys X-Country Wins Vermont Invitational

The EGHS Boys Cross Country team won the Wood’s Trail Run in Thetford, Vt., on Saturday, in a team tour de force, with co-captain Ben Fazio placing sixth overall and the rest of the seven member team placing in the top third.

Woods Trail could be the toughest cross-country course in the Northeast, said EGHS coach Peter Dion. But the EG Boys X-Country – the dream team – had won it in 2007 and after a practice run on the course Friday evening, team members decided they could finish in the top three.

“We went into this race hoping to do pretty well as a team. First is very high goal to set but we definitely thought top three was attainable,” said junior Garrett Scanlon, who placed 18th overall.

“We talked and realized we could place in the top five, maybe the top three,” said Fazio Monday.

He place sixth overall, then watched as one by one his teammates finished with good times. Unlike most all other sports, cross country teams don’t know how they’ve done until it is announced.

“After third place was called, I knew we had placed second or first,” Fazio said. “It started to sink in.”

“I thought we could win that meet,” said Coach Dion. “The kids ran like a team, they ran smart. The understand the course. It’s a very tough course, maybe the toughest in the Northeast.”

Ironically, even though EG had been running in the Woods Trail race for the past decade, this team almost didn’t get in. According to Dion, it’s so popular, they were initially blocked out, but he pressed the organizers, noting this team’s potential and recalling the 2007 win. It worked – EGHS was invited to bring their top seven runners.

“You go there because the course is so awesome. It’s loaded with hills – Vermont’s just a big hill,” Dion said. “They truly enjoy the cross-country spirit up there.”

Cross country is a different kind of a sport, individual and team at the same time. Dion said that team aspect is what pulled this EG team through, noting their average time was better than the 2007 team’s. That’s saying something, since the 2007 team included Avenger stars Nick Ross and Mark Feigen, who placed first and second respectively at Wood’s Trail that year.

“As much as it is an individual sport, you have a team of seven guys and you’re spending two to three hours together six days a week,” said Fazio. “As much as I’m trying to do well individually, I’m trying to get [my teammates] to run with me.”

“Winning the meet was an awesome feeling,” said Scanlon. “Throughout this entire season we have known this is a very talented team but this is our first real victory. Hopefully this leads to more as well.”

In 2007, the Boys Cross Country team won states. Coach Dion said he wasn’t sure this team would be able to replicate that, noting Bishop Hendriken’s strength and La Salle’s talent – but, he said, “We’re right in the mix. They can make the next three to four weeks pretty exciting.”

EGHS times (out of 177 finishers):

6th Ben Fazio 17:20.33

18th Garrett Scanlon 17:39.29

23rd Scott Kulm  17:57.04

26th Nate Waddell 17:58.65

34th Tommy Sommer 18:08.44

40th Jon Contreras 18:16.05

57th Matt Wegrzyn 18:31.53

To see the times of all the finishers, click here.