Manchester's Puffer opts for Northern Arizona
Sep. 25—Aidan Puffer will continue his competitive running career in the Grand Canyon State.
Puffer, one of the top-ranked cross country runners in the nation, made a verbal commitment Friday on Instagram to Northern Arizona University.
"Thank you so much to all my coaches, teammates, friends and family over the past few years," he wrote, "and I can't wait to spend the next few in Flagstaff!!!"
Puffer is currently ranked No. 12 nationally in cross country.
Puffer entered Manchester High having already made a name for himself after setting both the 11 and 12-year-old world records in the 5K in 2016 and 2017, respectively.
An injured right Achilles tendon caused Puffer to miss the final month of his freshman season. He returned for the Class LL state meet and finished 18th.
As a sophomore, Puffer overcame a left foot injury to finish second at the Class LL meet, but injured his toe during the race. He missed both the State Open and New England meets as a result.
The COVID-19 pandemic forced the CIAC to cancel the 2020 state championships for fall sports, including cross country. Puffer won the Class LL 1,600 and 3,200 titles in outdoor track in the spring.
Puffer kicked off his senior season with a victory at the Red Hawks' tri-meet with Tolland and RHAM at Wickham Park.
Northern Arizona, a member of the Big Sky Conference, is ranked No. 1 in the Mountain Region in the USTFCCCA Poll.
The Lumberjacks won the 2020 NCAA Cross Country team title, its fourth championship in the last five seasons.
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