XC Teams Finish as Runner-Up at NECC Championship
NASHUA, N.H. – The Mitchell College men's and women's cross country teams each finished as runner-up at the 2011 New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) Championship on Saturday at Mines Falls Park. The Mariners also walked away with several major awards.
Freshman Sherif Ali won the men's 8k race and was named both NECC Runner and Rookie of the Year. He was also one of four Mariners on the men's side to earn all-conference recognition. On the women's side, freshman Bridget Burns finished eighth overall to earn all-conference distinction and was named NECC Rookie of the Year.
Lesley University captured both the men's and women's titles. The Lesley women scored a perfect 15 points and were followed by Mitchell (74), Wheelock College (97), Elms College (99), Bay Path College (130), host Daniel Webster (153) and Southern Vermont College (164), while Newbury College and Wheelock College did not score. The Lesley men came in with 23 points, followed by Mitchell (34), Daniel Webster (81), Southern Vermont (88), and Elms (138), while Newbury and Wheelock did not score.
Ali ran a calculated race to become the first Mitchell runner to ever win the conference's individual crown. He covered the course in 27:04 with a 5:25 pace, edging out defending champion Kyle Casiglio from Lesley. Ali stayed on Casiglio's shoulder throughout the entire race and made his move over the final 300 meters, passing him with a final sprint to the tape that saw him win by six seconds.
Lesley's Evan Reseska took third while teammate Chris Conforti was fourth and Mitchell freshman Evan Garrity (28:17) took fifth. The top five finishers earned automatic first team all-conference honors.
The second team all-conference squad, for those who placed 6th through 10th, respectively, included Lesley's Max Bulger, Mitchell sophomore Drew Castagna (29:36), Lesley's Dillon Simmons, Daniel Webster's Josh Cosgrove and Mitchell freshman Jake Ustjanauskas (31:16).
The Lynx dominated the women's race to capture their fourth consecutive title, the only program to ever win the crown since the NECC began four seasons ago. The Lynx took the first seven spots paced by individual champion Leah Miller, who completed the 5k course in 19:07 with a 6:10 pace.
Lesley's Elise McKelvey, Anastassia Lutkevich, Keryn Thorvaldsen, and Noa Kupfer finished out the top five, respectively, to take automatic first team all-conference honors.
Burns (21:28) earned all-conference second team honors by virtue of an eighth-place finish and was the first rookie across the finish line. Joining her on the second team were Lesley's Kat Vacino, Jacqueline Rosa and Elissa May and Newbury's Solange Thomas.
Rounding out the scoring for the Mitchell women were sophomore Katie Buchanan (23:30), freshman Tierney Caulfield (23:42), freshman Breanna Poirier (24:19) and senior Juliana Huber (25:46).
The Mitchell men have finished as NECC runner-up for four straight seasons, while the women's runner-up finish was their best ever.
NECC Championships at Mines Falls Park, Nashua, NH
Men's Runner of the Year: Sherif Ali, Mitchell
Men's Rookie of the Year: Sherif Ali, Mitchell
Men's Coach of the Year: Amy Lane, Elms
Men's Team Sportsmanship Award: Newbury
Men's First Team All-Conference
Sherif Ali, Mitchell
Kyle Casiglio, Lesley
Evan Reseska, Lesley
Chris Conforti, Lesley
Evan Garrity, Mitchell
Men's Second Team All-Conference
Max Bulger, Lesley
Drew Castagna, Mitchell
Dillon Simmons, Lesley
Josh Cosgrove, Daniel Webster
Jake Ustjanauskas, Mitchell
Women's Runner of the Year: Leah Miller, Lesley
Women's Rookie of the Year: Bridget Burns, Mitchell
Women's Coach of the Year: Amy Lane, Elms
Women's Team Sportsmanship Award: Bay Path
Women's First Team All-Conference
Leah Miller, Lesley
Elize McKelvey, Lesley
Anastassia Lutkevich, Lesley
Keryn Thorvaldsen, Lesley
Noa Kupfer, Lesley
Women's Second Team All-Conference
Kat Vicino, Lesley
Jacqueline Rosa, Lesley
Bridget Burns, Mitchell
Elissa May, Lesley
Solange Thomas, Newbury
