THETFORD, Vt. – Mt. Blue of Farmington’s Erin Archard finished seventh overall in the girls race and Jeff Alden of Caribou was 12th on the boys side in the 2000 New England High School Cross Country Championships Saturday at Thetford Academy.

Archard, the Maine state Class A champion, covered the 3.15-mile course in a time of 19:39, 30 seconds off the pace set by winner Meghan Owen of Killingly (Conn.) High School. Hampden’s Oriana Farley finally beat Katie Laverdiere of Old Town, who had outrun Farley in Penobscot Valley Conference, Eastern Maine and state meets this fall. The two went 28-29.

Class D state champion Samantha Pelletier of Seacoast Christian School in South Berwick was 10th overall. Concord (N.H.) High School won the girls’ team title.

In the boys race, Jeff Gaudette of Biddeford (16:49) and Yarmouth’s Pat Tarpy (16:55) finished 8-9. Alden clocked a 17:03. Class D state champion Robert Gomez of Limestone was 24th.

Ellsworth junior standout Steve DeWitt, the Class B state champion, was running with the two leaders at the two-mile point when he fell and did not finish the race, said George Mendros, the Maine representative to the New England Cross Country Committee. Danbury (Conn.) High School took the boys team crown.

New England Championships Maine finishers

Boys

8. Jeff Gaudette (Biddeford) 16:49, 9. Pat Tarpy (Yarmouth) 16:55, 12. Jeff Alden (Caribou) 17:03, 24. Robert Gomez (Limestone) 17:16, 30. Jeff Caron (Edward Little) 17:22, 35. Dermot Killian (Cheverus) 17:28, 40. Blake Davis (Falmouth) 17:34, 43. Ben True (Greely) 17:35, 59. Caleb Lander (EL) 17:47, 61. Eric Olafson (Deering) 17:49, 74. Michael Downing (Gorham) 17:56, 79. Aaron Norton (Morse) 17:59, 86. Matt Burke (Wells) 18:01, 98. Kirby Davis (Fal) 18:07, 99. Keith Dawson (Piscataquis) 18:07, 101. Eric Rudolph (Ellsworth) 18:08, 102. Cameron Millard (Orono) 18:08, 109. Andrew Van Hoogenstyn (Scarborough) 18:11, 131. Darren Bennett (Scar) 18:23

Girls

7. Erin Archard (Mt. Blue) 19:39, 10. Samantha Pelletier (Seacoast Christian) 19:59, 15. Anne Martin (Edward Little) 20:09, 26. Anna Willard (Telstar) 20:29, 28. Oriana Farley (Hampden) 20:32, 29. Kathryn Laverdiere (Old Town) 20:32, 33. Theresa Alvarez (Orono) 20:41, 34. Katherine Davisson (Gould) 20:43, 41. Miranda Szewc (Bangor) 20:52, 49. Alora Johnson (Mount Ararat) 21:01, 51. Joanna Kinsman (Fryeburg) 21:02, 52. Mary Rhoads (Frye) 21:03, 56. Amy Crowley (South Portland) 21:07, 58. Samantha Bowden (Greely) 21:12; 62. Carolyn Shea (Waterville) 21:17, 71. Anya Davidson (Brunswick) 21:21, 83. MacKenzie Rawcliffe (Hampden) 21:28; 174. Rachel Yates (Mt. Blue) 23:12