October 7, 2026 | By Jake Pitman

*Harwood Cross Country takes a photo break during a training run on the beach in York, Maine. Photo by Serena Wilcox*

The Harwood Union Cross Country team made its annual weekend trip to Belfast, Maine, last weekend for the 25th Maine Festival of Champions, where a school freshman trail race record was vanquished in storybook fashion.

The record-breaking performance came from Harwood ninth-grader Patrick Mignois, whose dad is Harwood Cross Country Head Coach Matt Migonis.

It seemed as though the younger Migonis was destined to break the Harwood boys’ ninth-grade 5000-meter trail race record, considering that it was held by none other than Ryan Kerrigan, from Harwood’s class of 2003.

*Patrick Migonis in stride during his record-breaking race at the 25th Maine Festival of Champions, Oct. 3. Photo by Serena Wilcox*

Ryan Kerrigan’s dad is John Kerrigan, the former longtime Harwood science teacher and head coach of the Harwood Cross Country program. His coaching career is one of the most decorated in Vermont’s high school athletics history, having won dozens of state titles with the cross country team across a 45-year span that concluded in 2023 upon his retirement. A Harwood student at the turn of the millennium, Ryan Kerrigan held the previous boys’ ninth-grade 5000-meter trail race record of 16:56.

Patrick Migonis understood what was at stake on Saturday, as the Belfast racecourse is known for producing blazing-fast times. Previously, Migonis’ personal best 5000-meter trail race time was 17:02 – only six seconds slower than Kerrigan’s ninth-grade record time.

While the record was clearly within reach, Migonis needed to overcome the absence of his friend and teammate, Vince Wing, an 11th grader who was not in the same race as Migonis. The two teammates train and compete together during virtually all practices and races due to their similar abilities as endurance athletes. Normally while racing, Migonis paces closely behind the older and more experienced Wing, but that wouldn’t be the case for this race at the Maine tournament.

Yet, Migonis prevailed and was nearly able to catch the leading runner at the finish. With a time of 16:36, he placed second overall in the race and third among all ninth-grade boy athletes at the competition. Most notably, his finish was more than enough to smash Ryan Kerrigan’s Harwood boys’ ninth-grade 5000-meter trail race record.

It was a storybook day and a true “passing-of-the-torch” moment for Harwood Cross Country, with John Kerrigan in attendance to witness the moment as well. In a social media post, Kerrigan shared the news along with photos from the meet of Patrick with both his father and the elder Kerrigan. The former coach congratulated the freshman athlete, calling it a “great day” to have seen a new Harwood record set.

*Harwood Cross Country Head Coach Matt Migonis with his son, Patrick, who broke the Harwood boys ninth-grade 5000-meter trail race record. Photo by Tom Cahalan*

The Maine Festival of Champions tournament was held at Troy Howard Middle School, in Belfast, Maine. It hosted 1,800 runners on teams from a record 100 schools from Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Vermont and Nova Scotia, according to the Kennebec Journal and Morning Sentinel newspaper.

Harwood boys results

The Harwood Boys Cross Country team finished 14th out of 79 teams at the tournament with a total score of 524 points. Their individual results are as follows:

Vince Wing – 16:35, 26th place; Patrick Migonis – 16:36, 27th place; Brody Hackett – 17:01, 48th place; Jacob Rye – 18:28, 192nd place; Beckett McElroy – 19:11, 276th place.

Senior athlete Mason Jones finished as the sixth-fastest runner for Harwood with a time of 19:26 and came in 310th place overall. Freshman Patrick Migonis placed second in the “Freshman Section” with a time of 16:36, earning him a medal and a backpack as rewards.

Sophomore athlete Conor McDonough placed eighth in the boys “Unseeded A” race with a time of 20:36, which earned him a medal for placing within the top 10 as well.

Harwood girls results

The Harwood Girls Cross Country team finished 37th out of 63 teams with a total score of 951 points. Their individual results are as follows: Julia Cisz – 21:27, 92nd place; Victoria Grace – 22:13, 147th place; Liv Kielich – 22:15, 150th place; Eireann McDonough – 24:58, 344th place; Harmony Devoe – 27:02, 455th place.

Senior athlete Alex Isham finished as the sixth-fastest runner for Harwood with a time of 28:43 and came in 522nd place overall.

Harwood Cross Country’s next race is their home meet – the 2026 Harwood Invitational – taking place this Saturday, Oct. 10. The team is hoping for a strong home crowd for the meet where the team will recognize its senior athletes.

Harwood XC in Maine: Migonis sets new freshman 5K record

Harwood boys results

Harwood girls results

New course records set at Allen Clark Hill Climb