CAMBRIDGE, Mass.—Stony Brook University senior Lucy Van Dalen (Wanganui, New Zealand/Wanganui Collegiate) and University at Albany sophomore Paul Lagno (Salt Point, N.Y./Millbrook) earned America East Cross Country Performer of the Week honors as each runner earned a win in over the weekend.
Van Dalen won the white race at the Pre-National Meet in Terre Haute, Ind. Van Dalen raced through the 6K course in a time of 20:08.1, two seconds ahead of the second-place finisher. The senior finished ahead of runners from national powers like No. 5 Georgetown, No. 9 Colorado, No. 17 Stanford and No. 23 North Carolina State as she continues to establish herself as one of the top runners in the nation. She also helped the Seawolves team to a fourth-place finish, their best-ever finish at a pre-national meet. This is the second weekly award of 2010 for Van Dalen, who has only raced twice this season. In her other race, she won the Notre Dame Invitational.
Lagno won Albany’s home meet, the 44th Annual UAlbany Invitational. The win was the first individual win for Lagno in an invitational. The sophomore finished the course in a time of 24:51.7, just 11 seconds ahead of classmate Alex Leuchanka. Lagno’s time improved on his 2009 time on the same course by more than 30 seconds. Lagno, who led Albany to a team victory, is the first Great Dane to win the race since 2001.
The University at Albany hosted the 44th Annual UAlbany Invitational on Saturday. The men’s team won its home invitational for the first time in seven years, finishing 66 points ahead of second-place Brandeis. The women placed third among 22 scoring teams. In the men’s race, sophomore Paul Lagno won his first individual title at an invitational by navigating the 8,000-meter circuit in 24:51.7, which bettered his time of 25:24.3 on the same course last season. He became the first Great Dane to win the individual crown at the UAlbany Invitational since Jamie Rodriguez in 2001. Lagno was directly followed by classmate Alex Leuchanka (Clifton Park, N.Y./Shenendehowa), who recorded a second-place time of 25:02.8. Sophomore Ethan Clary (Schuylerville, N.Y./Schuylerville Central), junior Chris Burke (Tully, N.Y./Tully/SUNY Delhi) and sophomore R.J. Sniffen (Cohoes, N.Y./Shaker) completed the team’s top five and were all among the first 10 runners in the field of 183 to cross the finish line. The men won the team title and produced the individual champion at their home meet for the first time since 2001. The men’s team is currently ranked 10th in the USTFCCCA Northeast regional poll. The Great Dane women set a school record for the second straight meet by having their top-five finishers register an average time of 18:28.6 on the 5,000-meter course. The previous mark of 18:32.08 was recorded two weeks earlier at the Greater Louisville Classic. Sophomore Emily Finnegan (Albany, N.Y./Colonie Central) finished eighth among 177 runners in a personal-best time of 18:04.3, falling seconds shy of becoming the second woman in program history to eclipse the 18-minute mark on a 5,000-meter course. She was followed by freshman Brianne Bellon (Greenfield, N.Y./Saratoga Springs), who placed 10th in 18:18.1. Albany has had four underclassmen place in its top five at every meet this season. Albany will next race at the America East Championship meet on October 30 at Franklin Park in Boston, Mass.
Binghamton University sent its cross country teams to separate locations last weekend. Part of the men’s team ran in the UAlbany Invitational, as did the entire women’s team. The other portion of the men’s team ran at the Pre-National Meet at Terry Haute, Ind. The women finished fifth out of 22 teams at Albany while the men finished sixth at the Albany meet. The Bearcat men at the Pre-National meet finished 20th as a team. That group was led by senior Erik van Ingen (Marathon, N.Y./Marathon/Canisius), who finished 27th overall in a time of 24.13.1. Chris Gaube (Vestal, N.Y./Vestal) also finished in the top 100, placing 96th in 24:53.6. The men in Albany were led by sophomore Vasili Papastrat (Binghamton, N.Y./Binghamton), who finished eighth overall with a time of 25:33.4. The women were paced by sophomore Lindsay Raulli (North Syracuse, N.Y./Cicero North Syracuse), who took 13th overall, posting a time of 18:27.6 on the 5K course.
Boston University cross country did not compete last week. Despite not having a race, the men’s team entered the USTFCCCA Northeast Regional rankings this week, coming in at No. 11. Both the men’s and women’s teams will next compete at the America East Championship meet on October 30.
University of Hartford cross country competed at the Connecticut College Invitational Saturday morning. The men finished seventh out of 19 teams while the women took ninth out of 18 teams in the extreme wind conditions. For the fourth time this season, the Hawk men were led by junior Andrew Chalmers (Ashland, N.H./Plymouth Regional) who ran a time of 26:32, placing 25th out of 225 runners. Close behind Chalmers at the finish line was junior Eric Flaman (Walpole, Mass./Walpole) who ran the 8,000-meter course in 26:44 and placed 35th overall. Senior Jonas Hampton (Pottstown, Pa./Pottsgrove), who placed 47th overall, ran a time of 26:53. The Hawk women accumulated a total of 223 points. Freshman Megan Barry (South Yarmouth, Mass./Dennis Yarmouth Regional) highlighted the Hartford women, posting an impressive sixth-place finish out of a total of 199 runners. In her first-ever 6k race, Barry plowed through the course in a time of 23:11, leading the Hartford women for the fifth consecutive race this season. Classmate Jennifer Flores (East Meadow, N.Y./East Meadow) was second for the Hawks, running a time of 24:05, which was good for 38th overall. Following closely behind her was senior Marisa Poleto (Albany, N.Y./Colonie) with a 46th place time of 24:22. The Hartford cross country teams are idle next weekend in preparation for the America East Championship meet on October 30.
The University of Maine cross country teams did not compete last weekend. The women’s team moved up a spot to No. 13 in the USTFCCCA Northeast Regional poll. Maine will not race again until the America East Championship meet on October 30.
The UMBC cross country teams competed at the Princeton Invitational on Satruday. The men placed ninth while the women recorded a 10th-place finish. Junior Sam Boimov (Montgomery Village, Md./Gaithersburg) led the Retriever men across the line, placing 29th overall in a time of 25:13.20. Freshman Brandon McGee (Hiram, Ohio/Crestwood) was 56th in 25:35.70. The UMBC women’s cross country team was paced by senior Sara Parkinson (Lancashire, England/Loughborough University), who claimed her third top-10 finish in four meets this season, placing seventh overall in a time of 22:34.40. Junior Keri Wilson (Columbia, Md./Long Reach) placed 36th overall in 23:26.40. The Retrievers return to action on Saturday, October 30, at the America East Championship in Boston.
The University of New Hampshire women’s cross country team ran at the UAlbany Invitational while the men’s team was idle last weekend. The women won the UAlbany Invitational, with all five scorers finishing in the top 12 and seven runners finishing in the top 19. The Wildcats were led by senior Sydney Fitzpatrick (Billerica, Mass./Billerica Memorial), who finished second overall with a time of 17:38.0. Fellow senior Erica Jesseman (Scarborough, Maine/Scarborough) took fourth with a time of 17:51.9 while freshman Elise Beattie (Woodstock, Ill./Woodstock) and senior Allison Letourneau (Kingston, Nova Scotia/Berkshire Prep School) took fifth (17:53.3) and sixth (17:56.3), respectively. The women’s team remains in the USTFCCCA regional rankings, holding steady at ninth in the poll. The Wildcats will race again on October 30 at the America East Championship meet.
Stony Brook University sent its cross country teams to different races this week. The men’s team finished 11th in the Princeton Invitational while the women’s team ran in the Pre-National Meet. The women finished fourth overall in the meet’s “white” race, their best finish ever at the meet. The men were led by junior Gerard Harley (Setauket, N.Y./Ward Melville), who finished 28th (25:13). The Stony Brook women’s team was led by senior Lucy Van Dalen, who won her second straight national meet, crossing the finish line in 20:08.1. Twin sister Holly Van Dalen (Wanganui, New Zealand/Wanganui Collegiate) also finished in the top 10 for the second straight meet, placing eighth (20:27.1). The 14th-ranked women’s team finished in fourth, ahead of squads like No. 19 Michigan, No. 23 North Carolina State and No. 27 Florida. With the performance, the women moved up to No. 2 in the USTFCCCA Northeast Regional poll. Stony Brook’s next race is the America East Championships on October 30.
University of Vermont did not participate in a meet last week. The Catamounts will next compete in a dual meet at Saint Michael’s College in Colchester, Vt., on October 22.