CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – On Saturday, October 11, Hartford, Maine, UMass Lowell, New Hampshire and Vermont all took part in the New England Championships at Franklin Park in Boston, Massachusetts.
Male Performer of the Week
John Prizzi, Senior, Wycoff, New Jersey
- New Hampshire’s John Prizzi led all America East male competitors at the New England Championships (8K), placing third with a time of 24:41.71.
- Prizzi ran in the New England Championships last in 2012, where he finished 67th with a time of 25:25.38.
- The junior led the Wildcats to a third place overall team finish; four runners on the men’s team finished under the 25-minute mark.
- The only teams to place higher than New Hampshire were Brown and Providence, who are ranked 11th and second in the Northeast Region by the USTFCCCA in their latest poll.
- This was John Prizzi’s second top-five finish this year; the first came on August 31st during a meet in Durham, New Hampshire, against Providence and Holy Cross.
Female Performer of the Week
Elinor Purrier, Sophomore, Montgomery, Vermont
- Sophomore Elinor Purrier finished first at the New England Championships (5K), beating out the competition with a time of 17:27.38.
- Purrier finished first at the Championships event in Franklin Park last year, but improved on her time; as a freshman Purrier ran the course in 17:33.
- The New Hampshire women’s cross country team won the New England Championship, besting 38 other competing schools. The Wildcats won the event for the second straight year, and for the fourth time in since 1975.
- New Hampshire had two other runner besides Purrier finish in the top 10; Anne Twombly placed sixth and Samantha Blais took ninth.
Men's Cross Country Notes
- New Hampshire was the top finisher for the America East at the New England Championships, placing third out of 39 competing schools.
- Following the Wildcats, Vermont finished 10th and Maine finished just behind the Catamounts in 11th. UMass Lowell placed 19th, and the Hawks of Hartford came in 34th.
- The USTFCCCA did not release a new regional poll this week, so the placement of America East teams remains the same. UMBC sits at 10th in the Mid-Atlantic Region; New Hampshire stands in 12th in the Northeast, while Stony Brook places 13th.
- Albany is in action this week for the UAlbany XC Invitational. Binghamton, Hartford, Stony Brook, and UMBC are all ready to take part in the Princeton Invitational in Princeton, New Jersey. The Riverhawks of UMass Lowell travel to Terra Haute, Indiana for the NCAA Pre-National Meet, and Vermont will participate in the Rothenberg Run in Providence, Rhode Island.
Women's Cross Country Notes
- New Hampshire won the New England Championships for the second straight year, and sophomore Elinor Purrier won the 5K event, recording a time of 17:27.38.
- Following up the Wildcats, Vermont took home sixth, UMass Lowell placed 23rd, Hartford finished 26th, and Maine came home in 27th.
- The USTFCCCA did not come out with a new regional poll this week, so the standings of America East schools in their respective regions remains the same as last week, UMBC sits at 11th in the Mid-Atlantic Region; New Hampshire reigns supreme among America East teams in the Northeast Region sitting fifth. Stony Brook also is top 15 in the Northeast Region, sitting at 14th.
- The Great Danes are hosts of the UAlbany XC Invitational this upcoming week. Binghamton, Hartford, Stony Brook, and UMBC are all ready to take part in the Princeton Invitational in Princeton, New Jersey. UMass Lowell travels to Indiana for the NCAA Pre-National Meet, and Vermont travels to Providence, Rhode Island, for the Rothenberg Run.
Weekly Awards
Sept. 9 – Men's Performer of the Week: Dan Moroney, Vermont; Women's Performer of the Week: Molly Pezzulo, Albany
Sept. 16 – Men's Performer of the Week: Hassan Omar, UMBC; Women's Performer of the Week: Alicia Clark, Vermont
Sept. 23 – Men’s Performer of the Week: Robert Allen, UMass Lowell; Women’s Performer of the Week: Silvia Del Fava, Albany
Sept. 30 – Men’s Performer of the Week: Eric Speakman, Stony Brook; Women’s Performer of the Week: Elinor Purrier, New Hampshire
Oct. 7 – Men’s Performer of the Week: Hassan Omar, UMBC; Women’s Performer of the Week: Silvia Del Fava, Albany
Oct. 14 – Men’s Performer of the Week: John Prizzi, New Hampshire; Women’s Performer of the Week: Elinor Purrier, New Hampshire