Mike Lansing finished second to lead five Maine runners in the top nine as the Black Bears won their first America East Men's Cross Country Championship at the University of New Hampshire course. Victoria Botticelli of Boston University was the individual champion and led the Terriers to their eighth America East Women's Cross Country Championship in nine years.
The Maine men finished with 28 points to outdistance New Hampshire, which had won the three previous championships, with 58. Stony Brook was third with 71 points followed by Albany (76), UMBC (118), Boston University (165), Binghamton (194), Vermont (201), Northeastern (280) and Hartford (300).
Lansing covered the 8,000-meter course in 24:31.40 to finish second behind individual champion Anthony Truax of New Hampshire, who ran 24:27.00, the fourth fastest time in conference history. Maine's Jeff Caron (24:32.80) and Edward Caron (24:38.60), who are not related, finished fourth and fifth, respectively. Kirby Davis (24:44.40) and Donald Drake (24:46.50) finished eighth and ninth, respectively, to round out the team score for the Black Bears, who were winners for the first time in 17 tries since the championship was first held in 1988.
Dale Summervile of Stony Brook paced the Seawolves with a third-place individual finish in a time of 24:32.20. Robbie Freeman (24:39.20) and Andrew Allstadt (24:40.80) led Albany with sixth and seventh-place individual finishes.
Boticcelli ran the 5,000-meter course in 17:22.50, the sixth fastest time in the 16-year history of the women's championship. Abbey Sadowski was third in 17:35.10, Marissa Ryan was fifth in 17:38.80, Andrea Walkonen was seventh in 17:56.50 and Dina Mijuskovic was 11th in 18:10.70 as the Terriers posted a team score of 27 to earn their 13th championship in 16 tries. New Hampshire, which won its first championship last year, was a distant second with 85 points. Stony Brook finished third with 93 points, followed by Binghamton (117), Vermont (139), Albany (160), UMBC (164), Northeastern (173), Maine (188) and Hartford (330).
Leonora Joy of Stony Brook was the second individual with a time of 17:31.80. Caitlin Hayes (17:35.20) and Megan Hepp (17:42.50) finished fourth and sixth, respectively, to lead New Hampshire.
Maine's coaching staff, led by Jim Ballinger and Mark Lech was chosen America East Men's Coaching Staff of the Year. Boston University's staff, led by Bruce Lehane, was named America East Women's Coaching Staff of the Year.