Week #5 Cross Country Release (PDF)
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Boston University junior captain Eric Ashe (Hanson, Mass./Whitman-Hanson) and University of Maine sophomore Corey Conner (Townsend, Mass./North Middlesex Regional) each claimed a top-five individual finish and led their respective teams to a top-20 finish at the New England Championships to earn the male and female cross country Performer of the Week honors for the week ending October 11. Ashe and Conner also received All-New England honors for their top-15 individual finishes at the meet.
Leading the team for the third time this season, Ashe claimed fourth in a 320-runner field at the New England Championships on Saturday. He completed the 8K course in 24:42, improving on last year’s time of 25:30, and led the Terriers to a 15th-place team finish out of 49 teams. This is Ashe’s second weekly award for the 2009 season, earning his first weekly accolade after a second-place finish at the Boston U. Invitational.
With two individual titles and three second-place finishes this season, Conner earns her first weekly honor. Conner outdistanced the 322-runner field by 28 seconds to claim the individual title at the New England Championships in a time of 17:36, bettering last year’s time of 18:44. She has been the top runner for the Black Bears all season and led the team to a 10th-place team finish on Saturday.
Four women’s squads earned regional rankings in the USTFCCCA poll with Stony Brook again capturing fourth place followed by Boston U. (9th), Vermont
(13th) and Maine (15th). Three men’s squads also claimed Northeast regional rankings, including Binghamton (9th), Boston U. (14th) and New Hampshire (15th).
Albany – The Great Danes return to action when they host the 43rd annual UAlbany Invitational on Saturday, October 17.
Binghamton – The Bearcats return to action next weekend when the men race at the Penn State National Open on Friday and the women compete at the UAlbany Invitational on Saturday.
Boston U. – The Terrier men’s and women’s team ran to 15th and 16th-place finishes, respectively, on Saturday at the New England Championship meet held on their home course. Eric Ashe led the men finishing fourth overall in a 320-runner field in a time of 24:42. Sophomore Peter Gilmore (Hanson, Mass./Whitman-Hanson) finished second for the Terrier men taking 77th place. Sophomore Katie Matthews (Rocky Hill, Conn./Rocky Hill) finished first for the Boston U. women claiming a 17th-place finish, running the 5K course in a time of 18:22. Junior Kathleen Davies (Huntingdon Valley, Pa./St. Basil Academy) finished second for the Terriers crossing the line in 25th place. Boston U. next competes in the Central Connecticut State mini meet on October 24.
Boston U.'s story
Hartford – At Franklin Park, the Hawks men’s and women’s squads placed 35th and 33rd, respectively. Senior Kaycee Martinez (South Yarmouth, Mass./Dennis Yarmouth Regional) was the first woman to cross the finish line for the Hawks placing 163rd out of 327 in a season and personal-best time of 20:01. Senior Stefanie Lombardi (North Providence, R.I./North Providence) finished second for the women, posting a season-best time of 20:17. Junior Jonas Hampton (Pottstown, Pa./Pottsgrove) led the Hartford men for the third race, placing 121st overall in a season and personal-best time of 26:21. On the men’s side, senior Weston Melnik (Durham, Conn./Coginchaug) also posted a season-best time of 27:15 on the 8K course. The Hawks next compete at the Central Connecticut State mini meet.
Hartford's story
Maine – The Black Bears women’s team captured an individual title and a 10th-place team finish at the New England Championships on Saturday while the men took 23rd place. Corey Conner, who has led the Maine women all season, claimed the individual title in the 322-runner field with a time of 17:36, 28 seconds ahead of the runner-up. Junior Allison Conner (Townsend, Mass./North Middlesex Regional) finished second for Maine in 33rd place. Senior Miles Bartlett (Casco, Maine/Lake Region) led the men’s team with a 48th-place finish in a time of 25:42. Sophomore David Currier (Sidney, Maine/Messalonskee) was the second Black Bear to cross the finish line for the men in 87th place. Maine returns to action on October 31st at the America East Championship hosted by Vermont.
Maine's story
UMBC – The Retrievers next compete at the Princeton Invitational on October 17 in their last race before the America East Championship.
New Hampshire – The Wildcats were the top America East finisher in both the men’s and women’s race at the New England Championships with the men placing fourth and the women capturing fifth overall. Senior Josh Kearns (Ridgefield, Conn./Ridgefield) led the men crossing the finish line in 11th place with a time of 24:59. Senior Wesley Dinnan (Juneau, Alaska/Juneau-Douglas) finished second for the men in 18th place out of 320 runners. Sophomore Elizabeth Campbell (Colonia, N.J./Mt. St. Mary’s) led the women claiming 24th place overall in 18:32. Junior Allison Letourneau (Kingston, Nova Scotia/Berkshire Prep School) finished close behind Campbell in 28th place out of 327 runners. New Hampshire returns to action on Saturday, October 31 at the America East Championship meet.
New Hampshire's women's story
New Hampshire's men's story
Stony Brook – The Seawolves women next compete on October 19 at the Penn State National Invite while the men next race at the Princeton Invitational on the following day.
Vermont – The Catamounts women claimed an eighth-place finish at the New England Championships while the men raced to a 19th-place finish. Freshman Debbie Isen (Bethesda, Md./Walt Whitman) was Vermont’s top runner for the first time in her career, placing 10th overall. Sophomore Morgan Powers (Cincinnati, Ohio/Indian Hills) came in second for the Catamounts, claiming a spot in the top-15. Senior Doug Maisey (Gwynedd Valley, Pa./Wissahickon) led the men with a 10th-place finish and is the first Catamount since 1996 to earn back-to-back top-10 finishes at the New England Championships. Isen, Powers and Maisey all earned All-New England honors. Vermont next competes on Friday, October 16 at Saint Michael’s College.
Vermont's story