Orono, ME - The 2023 America East Cross Country Championships are slated for this Friday, October 27th. The Maine Black Bears will play host to this year’s championships. All nine teams will be traveling to Orono to compete at the Penobscot Valley Country Club. This course will be the first time that these runners have raced at this venue. The men will take the 8k course first at 10:00am with the women starting the 5k course at 11:00am. 
 
For more information on the upcoming championship, visit #AEXC Championship Central. Stay updated throughout the meet by watching the live stream which can be found on AETV as well as with live stats.
 
A FEW THINGS TO KNOW

1. Last Time Out: It was all River Hawks. UMass Lowell swept the 2022 #AEXC Championships. The River Hawks became the first team to sweep three consecutive #AEXC Championships since Boston University from 1992-94. The men finished with 27 points, while the women took gold with 67 points. The River Hawks had 4 top ten finishers, while the women had 3 finishes in the top ten. 
2. Last Time in Orono: The last time the #AEXC Championships were held in Orono, the Binghamton Bearcats won the men’s cross country title with 59 points and 3 top ten finishers. The Wildcats of New Hampshire won the women’s cross country title with 26 points, led by Elinor Purrier. 
3. Regional Rankings: This year both UMass Lowell men’s and women’s teams cracked the Northeast regional rankings. Both the men and women ranked as high as 10 this year. 
4. Runners to Watch: 
   1. Women
      1. Mary-Kate Finn, UMass Lowell - Finished top-15 with a 14th place finish at last year’s championship. Returns to the course running a season best of 21:11.5 placing 11th at the XC23 College & Open.
      2. Megan Randall, Maine - Randall is a 3 time weekly award winner in just this season. She ran a personal best at the ECAC/IC4A Championships with a time of 20:55.5
      3. Sophia Ryan, Binghamton - Ryan placed 3rd in the 2022 championship (16:50.3). This year she returns to the #AEXC stage ran a season best at the Iona Meet of Champions with a time of 18:05.4.
      4. Sarah Van Ornum, NJIT - The promising Highlander’s freshman is a 2023 two time weekly award winner, and ran her fastest 5k at 18:05.34 at the METs Championships 
   2. Men
      1. Josh Stone, Binghamton - Placed in the top 10 at last year’s championship with a 7th place finish with a time of 24:23.6. Stone ran a personal best 8k finishing coming in at 24:03.6 at the Canisius Alumni Classic.
      2. Evan Thornton-Sherman, Maine - At the 2022 championships, Thornton-Sherman received Most Outstanding Rookie with a 13th place finish and a time of 24:47.7. He ran a personal best this year at ECAC/IC4A Championships finishing with a time of 24:23.1. 
      3. Alec Troxell, Maine - Troxell placed 3rd in the 2022 championship with a time of 24:06.9. His season best was when he took first at the Maine Black Bear Invite clocking in at 24:20.9
      4. Wouter Van den Akker, UMass Lowell - Ran a personal best this year at Lehigh’s Paul Short Run with a time of 24:19.5, receiveing his first ever #AEXC weekly award honors.

 
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