Men Take First, Women Take Second at Mitchell XC Invitational
NEW LONDON, Conn. – The Newbury College women and the Mitchell College men each claimed victories at the 2016 Mitchell Cross Country Invitational on Saturday morning.
The Mitchell men placed four runners in the top 10 and finished with 40 points, besting Newbury (48), Wheelock College (58) and Dean College (73). On the women's side, Newbury (44) edged Mitchell (46) by just two points while Wheelock (58) and Dean (63) rounded out the field.
Wheelock produced both individual winners on the day. Emma Wilson dominated the women's 5K race, finishing in a time of 21:19.23 that was more than two minutes faster than her nearest competitor. In the men's 5K race, Christ Genty outkicked Mitchell's David Still down the stretch to finish in a time of 18:26.30.
In the women's race, the Mariners looked to be in good shape after Kathryn McCormack, Francesca Pinard and Caelin Hetherman all crossed the finish line. McCormack (23:28.96) finished as runner-up to Wilson, and Pinard (24:38.87) and Hetherman (25:09.24) placed fourth and seventh, respectively, as Mitchell was the first team with three runners across the line.
Strong efforts from Samantha Libby and Destiny Spears put Newbury in position to win. The two placed sixth and seventh with times of 25:02.16 and 25:03.94. The Nighthawks scored their final three runners before Mitchell's final two, with Brittany Beals sealing the team win with a 15th-place finish.
In the men's race, each team placed a runner in the top four as Dean's Ross Rubin and Newbury's Tim Brown followed Genty and Still across the line. However, the Mariners placed three more runners inside the top 10, with George Sykes, Nick Lebron and Axel De Jesus helping to lead the team to victory. A 15th-place finish by Blessing Keaton provided the clinching points for the Mariners.
Saturday marked the first time in Mitchell's history that it hosted an on-campus cross country race. While the Mariners have hosted the event in previous years, the lack of an on-campus course had forced the program to utilize Stenger Farm Park in Waterford. However, with recent renovations to Alfred Mitchell Woods, race planners were able to plot a course that began and ended on campus while utilizing sections of the Woods.
Prior to the race the Mitchell teams gathered for a special ribbon-cutting ceremony, where Mitchell President Janet Steinmayer spoke about the College's strong commitment to the community. "Both the College and the Woods grew out of the generosity of the Mitchell family and belief in the value of community. That's a tradition we are proud to continue," she said.
An endowed land trust, the Woods is 26 acres of park and woods that includes Little League fields, tennis courts, a cottage and natural trails with a pond, wetlands, meadow and woodland features. It sits adjacent to the College and is utilized by members of both the Mitchell and New London communities alike.
Mitchell College, trustee of the Woods, developed a master plan in 2015 and completed work this spring on improvements to the trails for running and walking, a central pedestrian walkway with a brick gateway, a "Green Monster" in the Fenway Park Little League field, a natural elements playground and improved traffic control with a new driveway.
Up next in the plan is work on the pond, the meadow and the gateway on Ocean Avenue. Dominion Energy has been a strong supporter of the Mitchell Woods renewal with grants funding investigation and work on the pond, along with a full complement of volunteers who built a boardwalk to protect a wetland area.