The Loomis Chaffee girls cross country team won the Founders League Championship on Saturday, November 5, at Choate Rosemary Hall, on the strength of outstanding racing from the entire team.

With all seven Loomis runners finishing among the top 20 in the varsity race, the Pelicans scored 24 points to earn the league title for the second year in a row. Taft was second with 52 points, followed by Choate, Hotchkiss, Miss Porter's, Kingswood Oxford, Westminster, and Kent.

Sophomore Natalie Crocker captured the individual title with a time of 19:09. Moving to the front of the pack in the early stages of the race and lengthening her lead with each kilometer, Natalie ultimately crossing the finish line 36 seconds ahead of the next competitor.

Sophomore Lexi Barry, junior Sofia Rincon, senior captain Maeve Dowd, and junior Logan Elie placed third, fifth, seventh, and eighth, respectively, and displacing runners sophomore Delaney Pece and junior Madison Bromberg sped to 11th and 20th places.

The meet's JV race featured stellar Pelican performances as well. The trio of junior Jess Roy, junior Bea Bilezikian, and senior Hayden Garside led the way and earned a 1-2-3 finish for Loomis. On their heels, their younger teammates secured the JV team championship with freshman Maleah Cogle in seventh place, sophomore Malia Alabre in eighth, sophomore Rachael Lantner in 10th, and sophomore Maya Bell in 11th.

The JV squad scored 21 points to place first as a team over Taft with 64 points, followed by Hotchkiss, Choate, Westminster, and several partial JV teams.

Up next, the team turns its focus to the New England Prep School Track Association's Division I cross country championship meet, which takes place on Saturday, November 12, at St. Paul's School in New Hampshire.