Loomis Chaffee girls cross country opened the season with strong performances in September invitationals, setting a high bar for the team’s quadruple dual meet this Saturday, October 5, against Northfield Mount Hermon (NMH), Taft, and Hotchkiss at home at 3:45 p.m. 

On September 21, 19 Loomis girls competed in the Manchester Invitational in New Hampshire. The Pelicans rose to the challenge on the demanding Derryfield Park course. In the large-school varsity race, Loomis finished 13th out of 31 teams, a commendable result against top-tier competition. Senior Natalie Crocker led the way, finishing 31st out of 222 runners. Senior Lexi Barry, junior Charlotte Preuss, senior Delaney Pece, junior Ani Tzonev, junior Maleah Cogle, and sophomore Lily Muhlhauser, all contributed to a solid team performance. 

The JV squad also had an excellent day, placing sixth out of 17 teams in the JV “B” race, which included teams from schools of all sizes. All six of the JV Loomis runners finished in the top half of the field of 162 competitors; freshman Neve Rugette led the team as she placed 18th overall. Senior Maya Bell, senior Ellen Chen, freshman Ruby Hoffman, junior Frieda Bilezikian, and senior Amy He followed closely, showing the depth of talent across the team. 

In the JV “C” race, which was run over a two-mile course, six Pelicans placed in the top 50 out of 199 finishers. Sophomore Maddie Denaro impressed with a seventh-place finish, while sophomore Morgan Touhy followed in 11th. Senior Bays Quarrier (25th), senior Nina Cushman (39th), senior Maddie Van Norman (42nd), and senior Rachael Lantner (46th) rounded out the team’s top-50 performances.

The following weekend, on Saturday, September 28, the full team traveled to compete in the NMH Invitational. Building on their momentum from Manchester, the Pelicans delivered outstanding results. The varsity squad claimed first place out of six teams, scoring an impressive 28 points. The JV team also dominated, placing first out of three teams with 16 points, further showcasing the team’s depth. In all, 38 Loomis runners competed in the meet on the challenging NMH course.

“These last two weekends have been a lot of fun, and the girls have raced with determination and toughness even though their legs are tired from our early-season training,” head coach Becky Purdy said after the NMH Invitational.

The team of 50 girls is the largest in program history but retains its signature camaraderie. “It’s great to see the way they support and believe in each other,” Becky said.

As the team looks ahead to its only home meet this Saturday, October 5, against Hotchkiss, Taft, and NMH, the runners are well-prepared for the challenges ahead. With solid performances from both veteran and younger runners, Loomis Chaffee’s girls cross country team is proving to be a force to be reckoned with this season.