Essex Girls End a Dynasty to Win Vermont Division I Cross Country Title
On October 24, 2026, at the Vermont high school cross country championships at Thetford Academy, the Essex High School girls' team edged four-time defending champion Champlain Valley 46-49 to win the Division I team title — the school's first Division I crown since 2008. The race came on the 50th anniversary of the Essex girls' first championship, making it especially meaningful.
Champlain Valley had won 21 of the previous 23 Division I team titles, the undisputed dynasty of Vermont cross country, and the two teams battled to the final moments. Essex's decisive move came from sophomore Claire Blathras, who passed Champlain Valley's fifth runner with about 800 meters to go and finished 19th overall to lock up the championship.
Essex's top four finishers were Adrianna Bibo in third, Emily Dahl in fifth, Ruth Knox in tenth and Kaylin McNamara in fifteenth. Head coach Katie White had said before the race that "pressure is a privilege"; afterward she marveled that the team "dug deep," adding that cross country is a team sport and today's win was the best proof of that team spirit.
Source: GSM News
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 佛蒙特州议会大厦。图片经 Wikimedia Commons。 Vermont State House. Via Wikimedia Commons.
