On Oct. 30, Loghan Hughes ran away with first place at the 2021 Vermont Principals’ Association Cross Country State Tournament, becoming the first-ever BFA St. Albans cross country state champion.

Hughes and the cross country team rode down to Thetford, Vt. last Saturday to make their yearly debut for states. Hughes has been crushing school records all year, and this was her time to shine. Hughes ran the 5k race finishing in 19:51:73 and winning first for Division 1.

After passing the finish line, Hughes said her first thoughts were “Wow, that hurt” before her excitement turned to “I can’t believe I did that.” 

Hughes’ coach, Mike Mashtare, added his opinion on Hughes’s win:  “Loghan’s run to the state championship was because of a lot of hard work and many miles logged; it was a well-earned victory.”

Hughes also reflected on preparing for her race.  “I trained really hard all summer to finally make this happen…It feels really shocking but satisfying that it all paid off,” Hughes said. 

After placing first in states, Hughes qualified for the Meet of Champions Race, which she said she was “super [excited] for because [she got] to race against all the top girls in the state at [her] home course.” 

The Meet of Champions race took place on Nov. 6 at Hard ‘ack in St. Albans, where Hughes took second place and beat her personal record for a 5k.

This weekend is another big race for Hughes as she will race in the New England States along with other girls who placed in the top 25 for states.

Hughes isn’t the only representative from BFA running. Ethan Mashtare (’22), Calvin Storms (’22), Jacob Tremblay (’22), Porter Hurteau (’24), Will Hughes (’24) and Teddy Tremblay (’25) will be attending as well.

It’s Hughes’ second year running cross country, and Hughes said she “plans to continue running in college [as she’s] grown to love the sport.”

Hughes is also grateful for her cross country family.

“Thank you to my coaches for knowing how to push me the right amount, and my teammates who are so supportive,” Hughes said.