OLD LYME — This past Saturday (Dec. 14), in cold and windy conditions in Madison, Wis., Laila Goodman of Old Lyme and Tillie Killam of Madison earned All-America status by taking 1st and 9th place respectively among 157 runners in the Junior Olympics (JO) Cross-Country Championships. Both girls are in third grade at The Country School in Madison, Conn.
Having finished 8th in the same competition last year in Reno, Nev., Goodman led the 7-8 girls’ race this year from start to finish, fending off challenges from top runners from California, New York, and 42 states to finish the 2K course in 8:01, five seconds ahead of the 2nd place finisher.
Going to the National JOs for the first time, Killam needed a top-25 finish to become Country School’s third-ever All-American, and she earned it with a well-paced race and a fast finishing kick to flash across the line in 8:29.
Fellow classmate Lillian Clare of Madison raced in the 9-10 year-old division and blitzed the 3K course in 13:10 to take 94th out of 242 runners. Clare, Goodman and Killam qualified for Nationals by finishing in the top 30 in Connecticut and then the top 30 in Region 1, which includes all of New England, Long Island and the Adirondacks.
In national competition, Clare, Goodman, Killam and all Country School students run for Litchfield Track Club, whose 8 and Under girls cross-country team, led by Goodman and Killam, captured 4th place in the team competition Saturday against all the club teams in the United States.
The competition was held at the Yahara Hills Golf Course in Madison, Wis. Over 4,000 youth runners in ages 7 to 18 took part in the all-day competition.
In addition to Goodman and Killam, the Litchfield Track Club 8 & Under girls team included Gwen Krukar (Goshen) 65th, Alexa Johnston (Litchfield) 102, and Attie Bergin (Goshen) 115th. There were a total of 157 finishers in their race.
The team advanced to the finals by winning the Connecticut Association meet and placing 2nd in the Region 1 Championships on Long Island in November.
Due to a USATF rule that states to compete in a national event, a runner must turn age seven by December of that year, Country School 1st grader Liv Killam could not compete after qualifying for Nationals.
Also competing for Litchfield Track Club in Wisconsin were Annecy Vlieks of Madison (12:03 for 94th, 11-12 girls), Abbie Johnston (105th, 13-14 girls), and Branford’s Liam Watson (188th, 11-12 boys).
Founded in 1955, The Country School serves 200 students in PreSchool-Grade 8 on its 23-acre campus in Madison. The Country School is committed to active, hands-on learning and a vigorous curriculum that engages the whole child. Signature programs such as Elmore Leadership, Public Speaking, STEAM, and Outdoor Education help prepare students for success in high school and beyond. See our community in action during our winter Open House on January 26 from 1-3:30 p.m.
For more information, visit www.thecountryschool.org.