Hawks post strong showings at McQuaid Invitational

It’s a race the River Hawks circle at the beginning of every season - the 61st McQuaid Invitational at Genesee Valley Park! 

On a beautiful Saturday morning, your Avon Harriers took advantage of cool temperatures and a fast, forgiving 3-mile course to post some outstanding performances and several personal bests.

On the girls’ side, Emma G. was lighting fast, earning a medal with an 8th-place finish in 18:50. Lilianna B. also had a great race, finishing in 22:30 and improving her time by more than two minutes from her last league race. The girls competed in a field of 368 runners from high schools across New York and neighboring states.

The boys followed with another strong showing against 427 runners in the A-2 small schools division. Owen H. had an outstanding race, earning a medal with a 32nd-place finish in 16:37, more than two minutes faster than his time at McQuaid last year.

Hunter P. was not far behind, running a personal-best 18:21, a huge improvement from his 22:03 last year. Senior Mitchell B. continued to battle, finishing in 19:46, more than a minute faster than his previous McQuaid time. Eli B., Ben K. and Reid M. also put together solid races and gained valuable experience competing on one of the biggest stages of the season.

It was a great morning of racing for your River Hawks! 

Up next, the Harriers head to Kendall on Tuesday, Oct. 6 for a league meet against Kendall, Attica and Holley. Race time is 5 p.m.

Photo courtesy of Tim Baumer

Emma G., left, and Owen H., right, pose for a photo with the medals they earned Saturday at the 61st running of the McQuaid Invitational at Genesee Valley Park. Emma placed 8th in the small school girls division with a time of 18:50. Owen took 16th in the small schools boys division with a time of 16:37.