XC Completes Season at NECC Championship
WESTFIELD, Mass. – The Mitchell College men's and women's cross country teams competed at the 2014 NECC Championship on Saturday morning at Stanley Park. The men's team finished fifth out of six squads while the women placed sixth out of eight teams.
Men's Recap
Southern Vermont College placed seven runners in the top 10 to claim its first conference title in program history. SVC freshman Marc Brandmeyer covered the 8K course in 26:29 to secure a first-place finish, claiming NECC Runner of the Year and NECC Rookie Runner of the Year honors in the process.
Southern Vermont senior Herson Canta and sophomore Justin Ferguson followed Brandmeyer across the finish with times of 26:38 and 26:48, respectively, as the Mountaineers swept the top three slots.
Southern Vermont accumulated 20 points in the victory while Lesley University followed in second place with 55 total points. Regis College claimed third place with 87 points, ahead of Elms College who placed fourth with 96 points. Mitchell, Wheelock College and Daniel Webster College rounded out the field.
Lesley senior Kyle Casiglio claimed fourth overall with a time of 27:43 while junior Ian Barber placed fifth for the Lynx as he crossed at 28:11. Southern Vermont freshman Andrew Brandmeyer took sixth for the Mountaineers as he finished at 28:27. Regis freshman Sam Mildrum ran to a time of 28:36 for seventh overall while Southern Vermont sophomore Corey Barcomb finished eighth at 28:49. Southern Vermont's Victor Velazquez and Cameron Curtiss rounded out the top-ten with times of 29:01 and 29:15, respectively.
Southern Vermont head coach Kathleen Newton was named NECC Head Coach of the Year while Wheelock was honored with the NECC Team Sportsmanship Award.
2014 NECC Men's Cross Country Runner of the Year
Marc Brandmeyer, Southern Vermont College
2014 NECC Men's Cross Country Rookie Runner of the Year
Marc Brandmeyer, Southern Vermont College
2014 NECC Men's Cross Country Coach of the Year
Kathleen Newton, Southern Vermont College
2014 NECC Men's Cross Country Team Sportsmanship Award
Wheelock College
2014 NECC Men's Cross Country First Team All-Conference
Marc Brandmeyer, Southern Vermont College
Herson Canta, Southern Vermont College
Justin Ferguson, Southern Vermont College
Kyle Casiglio, Lesley University
Ian Barber, Lesley University
2014 NECC Men's Cross Country Second Team All-Conference
Andrew Brandmeyer, Southern Vermont College
Sam Mildrum, Regis College
Corey Barcomb, Southern Vermont College
Victor Velazquez, Southern Vermont College
Cameron Curtiss, Southern Vermont
Women's Recap
For the seventh consecutive season, the Lesley women's cross team claimed the NECC Championship. The Lynx had three runners finish in the top 10 and compiled a team score of 49 points, narrowly ahead of Elms which finished in second place with 55 team points.
Regis captured third place with 78 points while Wheelock earned 88 points to claim fourth place. Southern Vermont finished in fifth place overall with 102 points. Mitchell (167 points), Bay Path (191 points) and Newbury (222 points) rounded out the field.
Southern Vermont sophomore Shelby Whitman was named NECC Runner of the Year as she was the first runner to cross the finish. Whitman cruised the 5k course in a time of 20:26 to pace the Mountaineers.
Regis sophomore Siobhan McLaughlin came in second with a time of 20:35 while Elms freshman Sarah Tatgenhorst rounded out the top three as she crossed at 20:38. With her finish, Tatgenhorst was awarded NECC Rookie Runner of the Year. The Lynx were led by junior Emilia McGrath who registered a fourth place finish as she completed the course in 20:47 while freshman Alex Dimauro followed with a fifth-place finish with a time of 21:27.
Wheelock sophomore Torri Plank claimed sixth place as she came in at 21:30 while Southern Vermont sophomore Schyler Maguire followed at 21:54. Regis freshman Sarah Backholm registered an eighth place finish with a time of 21:57 before Elms senior Rachel Lehouillier crossed in ninth at 22:04. Lesley senior Arianna Thomas rounded out the top-ten finishers when she finished at 22:14.
Lesley head coach Jonathan Alizio was voted as the NECC Coach of the Year in his first year at the helm of the Lynx. Southern Vermont was award the NECC Team Sportsmanship Award.
2014 NECC Women's Cross Country Runner of the Year
Shelby Whitman, Southern Vermont College
2014 NECC Women's Cross Country Rookie Runner of the Year
Sarah Tatgenhorst, Elms College
2014 NECC Women's Cross Country Coach of the Year
Jonathan Alizio, Lesley University
2014 NECC Women's Cross Country Team Sportsmanship Award
Southern Vermont College
2014 NECC Women's Cross Country First Team All-Conference
Shelby Whitman, Southern Vermont College
Siobhan McLaughlin, Regis College
Sarah Tatgenhorst, Elms College
Emilia McGrath, Lesley University
Alex Dimauro, Lesley University
2014 NECC Women's Cross Country Second Team All-Conference
Torri Plank, Wheelock College
Schyler McGuire, Southern Vermont College
Sarah Backholm, Regis College
Rachel Lehouillier, Elms College
Arianna Thomas, Lesley University