CAMBRIDGE, Mass – A three-time America East Performer of the Week this season headlines a pair of top New England runners to earn weekly honors. University of Maine’s Riley Masters (Bangor, Maine/Bangor) and Boston University’s Katie Matthews (Rocky Hill, Conn./Rocky Hill) both turned in top-notch runs at the New England Championships held at Franklin Park in Boston, Mass.
Matthews, a 2010 all-conference honoree, captured the New England Championship with a personal-best time of 17:18 in the 5K race to top the field. Her efforts catapulted the Terriers to a second-place finish as a team.
Masters picks up his third weekly honor after running to a second-place finish in the men’s 8K New England Championship race in a blazing 24:34. The senior led his Black Bear squad to tenth place overall.
The University at Albany was idle last week and will return to action to host the 45th UAlbany Invitational on Oct. 15 at the University Campus Course, which will be the site of the 2011 America East Cross Country Championships on Oct. 19.
Binghamton University rested its legs last week and will head to Albany for the UAlbany Invitational on Oct. 15.
The Boston U. women’s team placed four runners in the top-20 of the New England Championships led by Katie Matthews, who took first place. Sophomore Rosa Moriello (Naugatuck, Conn./Naugatuck) took sixth in 17:56 with two more Terriers not far behind her in 15th and 16th, respectively. On the men’s side, Rich Peters (Bristol, England/Brimsham Green School) finished in fourth place in 24:45 to lead the Terriers to a third-place showing. Boston U.’s Matt Paulsen (Manchester, N.H./Manchester Central) also cracked the top-10 claiming the ninth-spot in 25:00 even. The Terriers will be in action next at the Mayor’s Cup in Franklin Park.
For the third consecutive race, Hartford’s Megan Barry (South Yarmouth, Mass./Dennis Yarmouth Regional) scored the top finish for the Hawk women. Her 19:11 time in the 5K was good for 73rd-place out of 341 runners. The Hartford men rode the performance of Andrew Chalmers (Ashland, N.H./Plymouth Regional) to a 29th-place finish overall. The senior clocked in at 26:18 to take 79th. Both squads return to the course at the UAlbany Invitational this weekend for the final tune-up before the America East Cross Country Championships.
Maine’s Riley Masters took runner-up honors at the New England Championships to lead the Black Bear men to a 10th place finish at the New England Championships. Taylor Philips (Brookfield, Conn./Brookfield) was the next Maine harrier to cross the line, in 42nd with a time of 25:49. Carolyn Stocker (Westfield, Mass.) placed 30th to the lead the women’s team to a 19th-place finish. She completed the 5K course in 18:36 while Jennie Lucy (Bangor, Maine/Bangor) finished 74th in 19:14. Maine will next run at the UAlbany Invitational.
UMBC did not compete last week and return to the trails on Oct. 15 at the Princeton Invitational.
The University of New Hampshire cross country teams also competed at the New England Championships over the weekend. Wildcat junior Kent Harlow (Burnt Hills, N.Y./Burnt Hills) paced the men placing 82nd overall in the 269-runner field to lead his squad to a 22nd-place finish in the varsity division. The UNH women competed in the sub-varsity division earning a 13th-place finish as a team. Sophomore Kellie Walker (North Branford, Conn./North Branford) finished 54th representing the top finish for the Wildcat women. New Hampshire joins a handful of America East squads at the UAlbany Invitational on Oct. 15.
Stony Brook did not race last week and will send their men’s and women’s teams to different venues this weekend. The women head to Madison, Wis. for the Wisconsin Adidas Invitational while the men head to the Princeton Invitational.
Vermont’s Morgan Powers (Cincinnati, Ohio/Indian Hill) finished second overall in the women’s 5K race at the New England Championships. Powers completed the course in a time of 17:33 to pace the Catamount women to third place as a team, which marked the best women’s team performance at this race in nearly 20 years. Junior Kirsten Weberg (East Aurora, N.Y./East Aurora) placed 12th overall for the ‘Cats in 18:16. For the men, sophomore Aaron Szota (Windsor, Conn./Windsor) led all Catamount runners by finishing 36th overall with a time of 25:43.