Hampden Honors Longtime Coach Balentine

The cross country course at Hampden Academy is now called the Balentine Cross Country Course.

School officials honored longtime coach and teacher Dick Balentine with the honor before Friday's XC race on the Reeds Brook Trails.

Balentine retired after the school year in June. He spent 41 years as a teacher at Hampden Academy and 38 years as the cross country coach.

His teams won 12 conference titles, eight regional championships and one state title.