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Sam Laverdiere had the Brooks Northeast XC Regional circled on his calendar all season. The homeschooled senior-who previously ran for Lake Region High School-leaned into the flexibility of his schedule, spending October training at altitude in Flagstaff, Arizona. Racing this fall for Portland's Valor Track Club, he sharpened his strength in several 8k races, posting 24:51 at the Codfish Bowl and 24:29 at the USATF-NE Championship both races were held at Franklin Park. The combination of altitude work and long-distance strength convinced him he had a real shot at winning and earning his place at the Brooks XC National Championship in San Diego.
When the gun fired at Franklin Park, Laverdiere settled into the lead pack behind early pacesetter Nick Mazzeo of Pennsylvania. Approaching the mile mark and the base of Bear Cage Hill, he made his first decisive move, but that was quickly covered.
"I planned to sprint the last 10 meters up Bear Cage and push the downhill," Laverdiere said-and he executed perfectly, creating a small but meaningful gap. Mazzeo and Connecticut's Nathan Lee, however, refused to let him go.
Just before two miles, Mazzeo returned to the front with Laverdiere and Lee tucked behind as the trio wound through the course. Emerging from the Picnic Area with 600 meters left, it was still anyone's race.
Turning onto the long finishing stretch, Laverdiere struck. Lee charged after him, and with 50 meters remaining, the two were in an all-out sprint. Lee closed hard, but Laverdiere stayed composed, pumping his arms and powering through the tape in 14:59.90-just ahead of Lee's 15:00.0. Mazzeo claimed third in 15:03.20.
Catching his breath after the roar that marked his win, Laverdiere summed it up simply: "This was the smartest race I've ever run."