XC's Ali, Burns Named Rookies of the Week
ATTLEBORO, Mass. – Mitchell College freshmen Sherif Ali and Bridget Burns were named New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) Rookie of the Week for the sports of men's and women's cross country, as announced by the conference on Monday morning.
It marked the fifth time this season that Ali has earned rookie of the week distinction and the second time for Burns. Both runners led their respective squads to runner-up finishes over the weekend at the 2011 NECC Championship.
Ali became the first Mitchell runner to win the men's 8k race at the event and finished with a personal-best time of 27:04. He was named both NECC Runner and Rookie of the Year and earned all-conference first team honors.
On the women's side, Burns earned all-conference second team status and was also named NECC Rookie of the Year. She was the first rookie to cross the finish line in the women's 5k race in a personal-best time of 21:28 for an eighth-place showing.
The Mariners will close out the season at the NCAA Regional Championship on November 12 at Pickard Field in Brunswick, Maine.