Over 1,550 runners hailing from Nova Scotia to Rhode Island gathered Oct. 5 to compete in the state’s largest cross-country race, the Festival of Champions in Belfast. Seahawk star Karen Higgins again made strides with a top 10 finish under 20 minutes. The performance helped the girls team take its best finish for the race in school history, according to coach Nick Scott.  

Overall, Higgins took eighth place in 18:36.89 out of a pool of 642 finishers. Other results were Laura Chapman, 103rd, 21:44.12; Olivia Rittall, 118th, 21:56.39; Maddie Orchard, 215th, 23.15.73; Maddie Andreasen, 262nd, 23:56.01; Sophia Mansfield, 289th, 24:19.73; and Lexie Hughes, 562nd, 29:44.47. 

The girls team placed 20th in a pool of 61 teams with an average time of 21:53.83 minutes and 615 points. Mount Desert Island High School won the girls race with 141 points and a 19:52.20-minute average. 

The boys team placed 46th out of 74, with 1,224 points and a 19:30.83-minute average. Portland High School won with a 16:28.64-minute average and 98 points. 

AJ Crocker led the Seahawk boys with a 123rd place overall finish in 18:00.71 minutes. Other results were Cleyton Splaine, 258th, 19:14.72; Ethan Clark, 262nd, 19:18.24; Lysander Lefevre, 350th, 19:58.55; Alex Ross, 474th, 21:01.93; Thomas Hennessy, 507th, 21:14.53; Ross Gaffney, 556th, 21:41.72; Ben Gapski, 653rd, 22:42.98; Nathan Percival, 792nd, 25:27.90; Chase Mansfield, 804th, 26:03.14; and Neal Baldwin, 888th, 34:24.97. Overall, 891 boys finished.  

The next race, and last of the regular season, is scheduled for Oct. 11 at Lisbon.