Mitchell Men's XC Finishes as Runner-Up at NECC Championship

WATERFORD, Conn. – The Lesley University men's and women's cross country teams each took home titles at the 2010 New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) Men's & Women's Cross Country Championships on Saturday at Harkness Memorial State Park.

The Lynx dominated the women's 5-kilometer race en route to their third straight title with a perfect score of 15 points. Lesley sophomore Noa Kupfer repeated as women's champion with a time of 20:19 and was named NECC Runner of the Year for the second time in her career. Lesley freshman Leah Miller finished as runner-up with a time of 20:39 and earned NECC Rookie of the Year honors.

The Lynx also repeated as team champions in the men's 8-kilometer race with a total of 20 points. Lesley freshman Kyle Casiglio crossed the finish line first with a time of 27:00, more than a minute ahead of his closest competitor. He was named both NECC Runner and Rookie of the Year. Mitchell College senior John Hoffman finished as runner-up for the second consecutive year with a time of 28:05.

Lesley University head coach Dan Flynn was voted NECC Coach of the Year for both the men's and women's programs. Bay Path College received the NECC Sportsmanship Award for the women while Newbury College took home the honor for the men.

The first nine runners to cross the finish line in the women's race came from the Lesley squad. Wheelock College finished as runner-up with 70 points to edge out Newbury College at 93 points. Mitchell (108), Elms College (111), Bay Path (181), Daniel Webster College (190) and Southern Vermont College (204) rounded out the scoring in the women's event. Senior Brittany Smyth led the Mariners and finished 14th overall in a time of 23:30.

On the men's side, Lesley placed seven runners among the top 11 finishers to solidify the team title. Mitchell finished as runner-up in with 47 points while Elms (71) and Southern Vermont (111) completed the team standings.

Nine Lesley women notched all-conference honors. Joining their teammates Kupfer and Miller on the NECC All-Conference First Team were freshman Jessica Foster, junior Elize McKelvey and freshman Kat Vicino. The NECC All-Conference Second Team was made up of Lesley freshmen Jacqueline Rosa, Anastassia Lutkevich, Stephanie Burian and Elizabeth Moses, along with Newbury sophomore Solange Thomas.

On the men's side, joining Casiglio and Hoffman on the NECC All-Conference First Team were Lesley freshman Chris Conforti, Newbury freshman John Morgan and Lesley senior Brian Axelrod. The NECC All-Conference Second Team was comprised of Lesley freshman Max Bulger, Mitchell freshman Drew Castagna, Lesley sophomore Gus Peluso, Lesley freshman Modesto Boton-Rodriguez and Elms freshman Jesse Zina.



Men's Cross Country

Runner of the Year – Kyle Casiglio, Lesley University
Rookie of the Year – Kyle Casiglio, Lesley University
Coach of the Year – Dan Flynn, Lesley University
Team Champion – Lesley University
Team Runner-up – Mitchell College
Team Sportsmanship Award – Newbury College

All-Conference First Team
Kyle Casiglio Lesley Fr. Shelton, Conn.
John Hoffman Mitchell Sr. Bala Cynwyd, Pa.
Chris Conforti Lesley Fr. Brattleboro, N.H.
John Morgan Newbury Fr. Cumberland, R.I.
Brian Axelrod Lesley Sr. River Vale, N.J.

All-Conference Second Team
Max Bulger Lesley Fr. Portland, Maine
Drew Castagna Mitchell Fr. Westerly, R.I.
Gus Peluso Lesley So. Middletown, Md.
Modesto Boton-Rodriguez Lesley Fr. El Quiche, Guatemala
Jesse Zina Elms Fr. Ludlow, Mass.

Women's Cross Country

Runner of the Year – Noa Kupfer, Lesley University
Rookie of the Year – Leah Miller, Lesley University
Coach of the Year – Dan Flynn, Lesley University
Team Champion – Lesley University
Team Runner-up – Wheelock College
Team Sportsmanship Award – Bay Path College

All-Conference First Team
Noa Kupfer Lesley So. Woodbridge, Conn.
Leah Miller Lesley Fr. Thomaston, Conn.
Jessica Foster Lesley Fr. York, Pa.
Elize McKelvey Lesley Jr. Baltimore, Ohio
Kat Vicino Lesley Fr. Mattapoisett, Mass.

All-Conference Second Team
Jacqueline Rosa Lesley Fr. Wolcott, Conn.
Anastassia Lutkevich Lesley Fr. Mansfield, Mass.
Stephanie Burian Lesley Fr. Culver, Ind.
Elizabeth Moses Lesley Fr. Lebanon, N.H.
Solange Thomas Newbury So. Webster, Mass.