Mayor’s Recognition of Sullivan Sturtz- November 20, 2025
Keene High School’s Sullivan Sturtz capped off an extraordinary cross-country season by earning NH
Division 1 and All State honors for the 2025 NH Cross Country season! The senior standout’s
achievements in the 2025 season have solidified his place among the best high school distance runners
in New England and the entire northeast!
Sturtz’s season was nothing short of dominant. He won all five invitationals he entered this fall,
including several notable repeats: The Cofrin Classic Invitational for the third consecutive time;
theAmherst Invitational for the third consecutive year; the Northfield/Mt. Hermon Invitational for
the third straight time; was 2nd in theMoonlight Madness Invitational after winning the event for the
previous three years; and won the Connecticut Valley Conference title for the third year. With every
race, Sturtz demonstrated poise, strategy, and an unrivaled competitive edge.
In one of his most impressive performances, Sturtz blazed through the Keene HS XC course in his
final run on his home course, setting a new course record of 15:50. This record time solidified his
status as the fastest XC runner ever for Keene HS!
Sully began this years Championship season with a runner-up finish at the Division I State
Championship—a performance that fueled his determination to run even better heading into the All
class and NE Championship meets.
The pinnacle of Sturtz’s individual season came at the NHIAA Meet of Champions, where he claimed
the title for the first time in his career, defeating the Division 2 and Division 3 individual champions as
well as all other runners from the qualifying 18 teams and qualifying individuals!
Sturtz further proved his running talent at the New England Championships, finishing fifth overall
among the 253 runners from NH, VT., R.I., Conn., and ME. after finishing 4th each of the previous two
NE Championship meets! It’s a rare feat for an underclassman to place so highly in back-to-back
seasons and then follow up those performances with an especially hard fought 5th place finish, a
testament to Sturtz’s consistency and ability to rise to big occasions.
By season’s end, Sturtz’s accolades painted a clear picture of his dominance. He was named to the NH
Division I All-Star Team, the NH All-State Team, and the All-New England Team, earning
recognition from peers, coaches, and cross-country fans across the region.
“Sully has shown incredible dedication and hard work this season, as well as his entire 4 year career”
said Keene head coach Dave Goldsmith. “His ability to perform at such a high level week after week
and season after season is a reflection of his training, focus, and love for the sport.”
What makes Sturtz’s season even more remarkable is his steady progression. Since his freshman year,
he has consistently improved his times and racing tactics, setting personal bests in key races and
leading his team to a 2nd place (20 teams) in the 2025 Division 1 Championship meet; 4th place (18
teams) team finish in this season’s NH Meet of Champions and a 16th (30 teams) in the NE XC
Championship meet!
Now, with his senior season behind him, Sturtz has firmly established himself as one of the top runners
to watch heading into his post season Brooks and Nike regional qualifying races to try to earn a spot in
the national HS XC Championship meet in either San Diego, Ca. or Portland, Or.. If his performances
this season are any indication, there’s plenty more accolades to come for this talented athlete!
As he looks toward the future, Sully will attend UMASS-Amherst next year and continue to represent
an example of perseverance, humility, and passion for the sport. Keene High School and the entire New
Hampshire running community have every reason to be proud of his achievements!
Mayor Jay V. Kahn
