CONCORD – “That was fun!” Three simple words, spoken slightly out of breath, were all that was on the mind of NHTI’s Eli Lemire after he won the national USCAA championship and his third overall meet of the season at Penn State Fayette this past weekend. Lemire, a student of the Civil Engineering Technology program at NHTI – Concord’s Community College, also won the Yankee Small College Conference (YSCC) championship earlier this season and was honored as the YSCC Runner of the Year. He has previously earned multiple YSCC Runner of the Week honors and is a 2024 graduate of John Stark High School.
In his field of 82 runners, Lemire, who hails from Weare, was the standout, running a 5:30.6 mile average while beating all other opponents by a margin of 26 seconds. His overall finishing time of 27:23.5 was 3 seconds faster than the winning mark of last season. He became the first NHTI national champion since NHTI Hall of Famer Heather Searles did it back in 2008; it was also the best men’s finish in the national meet since Hall of Famer Ignacio (Nacho) Hernando finished second in 2011.
Also representing NHTI at the national championship, men’s Cross Country runners Wesley Thompson , David Tran, and Jacob Kantz finished within 30 seconds of their personal records. Thompson was named to the national All-Academic team. On the women’s side, Sydney McCullough and Margaret Greenwood each ran within 15 seconds of their personal bests, and Shaelyn Finlay finished 30 seconds better than her previous personal record. Head coach Graham Hayslip and assistants Silus Frary, Chloe Astholz, and Emmit Collins were instrumental in the team’s success this season.
“We are incredibly proud not only of Eli but of the whole NHTI Cross Country team’s performances at the national level,” says newly appointed NHTI Athletic Director Annie Mattarazzo. “Eli and his teammates trained diligently all season for this opportunity, and they made it count. To have our student athletes earn such high honors is a feather in the cap for not only NHTI’s Athletics program, but for the college as a whole. A huge congratulations to every member of the team as well as the coaches for representing NHTI and earning their own personal achievements.”
NHTI Cross Country began in 2006, when it was started by coaches Tom Walton and Perry Seagroves. Since then, NHTI’s Cross Country teams have won 11 YSCC conference championships on the men’s side and 6 on the women’s side. NHTI has earned 8 All-American runners and 23 Academic All-Americans.
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NHTI – Concord’s Community College
NHTI is a dynamic public institution of higher learning that provides accessible, rigorous education for students, businesses, and the community. We create pathways for lifelong learning, career advancement, and civic engagement, offering 80+ academic and workforce programs to over 3,400 students annually. NHTI is a member of the Community College System of New Hampshire and is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education.
Press Contact Amber Gavriluk | 603-230-4001 | [email protected]
