BY JERRY LIPTAK

MANCHESTER – While Goffstown and John Stark struggled in team competition at the NHIAA Cross Country Class Meet Championships, GHS junior Jana Hieber placed among the top 20 individuals in the Class L girls race at Derryfield Park on Saturday, Oct. 25.

As a result, Heiber joins the remainder of the top 30 individuals from Class L, the top 25 from Class I and the top 20 runners from the combined Class M-S race at the Meet of Champions. That event takes place Saturday, Nov. 1, at Nashua South High School, and it also includes the best seven teams from Class L, top six from Class I and the strongest five from Class M-S.

Goffstown

The girls finished 17th among 19 squads, while the boys took 16th among 18 teams. Hieber was 19th, finishing the race in 20 minutes, 26 seconds. Kali Langevin, in 85th; Rachel Goldstein, 116th; Marissa Fifield, 121st; and Laura Zehr, 128th, added to the GHS score. Katie Veneman also raced, finishing 129th. Andrew Fournier, in 52nd place, led the Goffstown boys. Jacob Sweatt, 74th; Tyler Fournier, 78th; Mark Scimone, 100th; and Henry MacGibbon, 112th, also scored for the Grizzlies. Ryan Lunderville and Kyle McNamara finished 117th and 119th, respectively.

John Stark

Both the boys and girls finished 14th as teams. The boys faced 22 other squads, while the girls raced against 20. Greg Jones finished 66th to pace the Generals. He was followed by Alex Capuco, 72nd; Patrick Tucker, 74th; Corey Thibadeau, 94th; and Kevin Lablond, 97th. Greg Whitney, 102nd, and Charles Petrick, 107th, also competed.

Maggie Trier took 56th place to lead the girls. Liz Anderson was right behind in 58th. Christine Heinemann, 82nd; Beth Restuccia, 87th; and Valerie Joseph, 94th, added to Stark’s tally, while Sarah Walton, 122nd, and Allison Dubois, 131st, finished the 3.1-mile course as well.