CAMBRIDGE, Mass.—University at Albany sophomore Alex Leuchanka (Clifton Park, N.Y./Shenendehowa) and University of Maine junior Corey Conner (Townsend, Mass./North Middlesex Regional) earn Performer of the Week honors for men’s and women’s cross country for the season’s second week.
Leuchanka ran for the Great Danes in the 16th Annual Br. John “Paddy” Doyle Meet of Champions, hosted by Iona, on Saturday. The sophomore finished ninth overall out of 207 runners, posting a time of 25:26.84 for the 8,000-meter course. Leuchanka was the first Great Dane to cross the finish line, leading Albany to a third-place finish in the 19-team meet. Albany finished ahead of seven Division I schools that were regionally ranked last week, including nationally-ranked Iona (10th).
Conner won the individual race at the UMass quad meet on Saturday, helping lead the Black Bears to an overall team victory in the meet. Conner completed the 5k race in a time of 16:50. The junior’s time was 48 seconds ahead of the second-place finisher and Conner’s Black Bear teammate, Jordan Daniel. Conner was the individual champion at the 2009 America East championship meet.
Both the men’s and women’s cross country teams from the University at Albany appear in this week’s USTFCCCA Northeast regional rankings. The men held steady from last week at No. 13. The women entered the rankings this week at No. 15. Both teams ran Saturday at the 16th Annual Br. John “Paddy” Doyle Meet of Champions on Sept. 18 at Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx, N.Y., on Saturday. The prestigious meet, hosted by Iona, featured 10 men’s and nine women’s Division I teams that were regionally ranked by the USTFCCCA. There were 15 Division I schools in the entire field. The men placed third among 19 scoring teams while the women placed seventh among 18 scoring teams. Four of Albany’s top-five finishers, in both the men’s and women’s races, were underclassmen. In the men’s race, Leuchanka finished first on the team, followed by Paul Lagno (Salt Point, N.Y./Millbrook), who was 13th in 25:34.78. For the women, Emily Finnegan (Niskayuna, N.Y./Colonie Central) finished first on the team and 21st overall among 164 runners by navigating the 6,000-meter circuit in 22:46.42. Kathryn Fanning (Manlius, N.Y./Fayetteville-Manlius), was second on the team and 31st overall, finishing in 23:05.31. The Great Danes will have the next weekend off and return to action on Saturday, Oct. 2 to compete at the George Mason Invitational at Oatlands Plantation in Leesburg, Va.
Binghamton, on both the men’s and women’s sides, did not compete this week. The men’s team maintained its Northeast regional ranking at No. 7, tops among America East men’s programs. The Bearcats do not race again until Friday, Oct. 1, when both the men and the women will run in the Lehigh Paul Short Run in Bethlehem, Pa.
Boston University cross country hosted a dual meet with Florida State Sunday, placing second as teams in both the men’s and women’s meets, but boasting the individual winner of both races. Graduate student Eric Ashe (Hanson, Mass./Whitman-Hanson) paced the Terriers in the men’s race. Ashe, who led the entire race, crossed the finish line 14 seconds ahead of the next runner, finishing the Franklin Park course in 24:30. Juniors Robert Gibson (Brookline, Mass./Brookline/Texas/25:06) and Peter Gilmore (Hanson, Mass./Whitman-Hanson/25:06) were the next Boston U. finishers and secured eighth- and ninth-place finishes, respectively. Senior Kathleen Davies (Huntington Valley, Pa./St. Basil Academy) was the women’s individual winner, covering the 5K course in 18:48. Freshman Rosa Moriello (Naugatuck, Conn./Naugatuck/18:48) crossed the finish line with the lead pack and placed fourth. Boston U. returns to action on Oct. 9 for the New England Championships at Franklin Park in Boston.
The University of Hartford hosted the 2010 Hartford Hawks Riverfront Cross Country Festival held at Hartford’s Riverside Park on Saturday. Both the men’s and women’s teams came in second behind Central Connecticut St. In the men’s race, junior Andrew Chalmers (Ashland, N.H./Plymouth Regional) led the Hawks for the second-straight week with a third-place finish, racing to a personal-best 8k time of 26:03.6. Chalmers was one of six Hartford men who posted significant PRs on the course Saturday. Trailing Chalmers by five seconds was teammate Jonas Hampton (Pottstown, Pa./Pottsgrove), who finished in fourth place overall with his time of 26:08.8, also a new personal-best for the distance. Junior Eric Flaman (Walpole, Mass./Walpole) finished third for the Hawks and eighth overall in a personal-best time of 26:43.4. For the women, Megan Barry (South Yarmouth, Mass./Dennis Yarmouth Regional), a rookie, led the Hawks with her third-place finish, posting a time of 19:16.6 on the 5,000-meter course. Senior Marisa Poleto (Albany, N.Y./Colonie) was the second Hartford woman to cross the finish line, taking fifth overall with a time of 19:30.30. The Hawks return to action on Saturday, September 25 when they travel down the road to New Britain, Conn., for the Central Connecticut State Invitational.
The University of Maine sent its men’s and women’s teams, both of which are ranked 14th regionally, to Amherst, Mass., to compete in the UMass quad meet on Saturday. The men finished third out of the four teams while the women brought home a first-place finish. In the men’s race, freshman Jason Kaake (Phippsburg, Maine/Morse) led the Black Bears, finishing the 8k course second overall in 25:34. On the women’s side, three Black Bears finished in the top 10, paced by the race winner, Corey Conner. Senior Jordan Daniel (Corinna, Maine/Mt. Blue) finished second overall in 17:38. Senior Allison Conner (Townsend,Mass./NorthMiddlesex Regional) finished eighth overall in 18:09. Maine next competes this Friday, Sept. 24, as the Black Bears host a dual meet against New Hampshire.
The UMBC men’s cross country team finished fifth at the Navy Invitational Saturday while the women finished seventh at the Salty Dog Invitational, also on Saturday. For the men, freshman Brandan McGee (Hiram,Ohio/Crestwood) led the Retrievers across the line, placing 17th overall in a time of 25:16.85. Junior Sam Boimov (Montgomery Village, Md./Gaithersburg) was 30th in 25:33.35. Senior Sara Parkinson (Lancashire, England/Loughborough University) finished fourth overall in a time of 22:36.3 to pace the Retriever women. Junior Keri Wilson (Columbia,Md./Long Reach) was the next UMBC runner across the line, placing 44th overall. The Retrievers return to action Oct. 1 for the Lehigh Paul Short Run.
The University of New Hampshire cross country teams did not have a meet this past week. Idle for the week, the Wildcat women maintained their Northeast regional ranking at No. 11. New Hampshire next travels to Maine for a dual meet with the Black Bears this Friday, Sept. 24.
Stony Brook’s cross country teams were also idle this week. The women’s team remained third in the Northeast regional rankings, the highest ranking of any America East squad. The women also received nine votes in the national poll. Both the men and the women are off until October 1, when the women will race in the Notre Dame Invitational while the men compete in the Lehigh Paul Short Run.
The University of Vermont, along with Maine, also competed at the UMass Invitational on Saturday. The men placed fourth at the meet. The women earned a third-place finish. In the men’s race, junior John Little (New Ipswich, N.H./Mascenic Regional) led the way for the Catamounts. Little, who was in front at the midway point of the race, finished third overall with a time of 25:38. Freshman Aaron Szotka (Windsor, Conn./Windsor) and junior Connor Jennings (Concord, N.H./Concord) also finished in the top-20 for the Catamounts, placing 12th (26:16) and 15th (26:22), respectively. For the women, junior Morgan Powers (Cincinnati, Ohio/Indian Hills) placed third overall to lead the Catamounts, posting a time of 17:47. Teammates junior Bo Dunn (Harvard, Mass./The Broomfield School) (7th, 18.08), sophomore Kirsten Weberg (East Aurora, N.Y./East Aurora) (11th, 18.07), and freshman Yolanda Ngarambe (Märsta, Sweden/Rudbeck) (20th, 18.38) all finished in the top-20. The next meet for the Catamounts will be Oct. 1 at the Lehigh Paul Short Run. | Video Highlights |