SAINTS OPEN 2016 SEASON HOSTING 7TH ANNUAL FENS CLASSIC

BOSTON, Mass. – The Emmanuel College Men's and Women's Cross Country Teams kicked off the 2016 season by hosting the 7^th Annual Fens Classic, which featured five teams in both races.  The women ran a 2-mile course and the men ran a 5k trek through Boston's historic Back Bay Fens area, finishing with a lap of the track circling Roberto Clemente Field. 

Brandeis University took first place in the women's race for the third consecutive Fens Classic, while the Judges' men also made it three in a row, cruising to the top team spot in the men's race.

In the women's two mile race, Brandeis combined for a perfect team low score of 15 points to lead the five team field.  The Judges were followed by Simmons College (50), Husson University (95), Emmanuel College (99), and Lasell College (131).

On the men's side, the Judges tallied 16 team points to earn the win over the four other men's teams in the 5k event.  The Judges were trailed by the host Saints in second (72), Thomas College (74), Husson University (96), and Lasell College (106).

Brandeis sophomore Emily Bryson (Quincy, Mass.) earned the individual win in the women's race. Her speedy time of 11:09 shattered the previous Fens Classic course record of 11:46 set back in 2012.  The Judges had the top five runners to sweep the scoring as senior Kate Farrell (Windham, N.H.), sophomore Julia Bryson (Quincy, Mass.), sophomore Meaghan Barry (Marlborough, Mass.) and senior Ashley Piccirillo-Horan (North Granby, Conn.) rounded out the top five.

Simmons senior Kata MacLean (Braintree, Mass.) was the top Shark to cross the finish in sixth place overall with a time of 12:31. Husson freshman Heidi Ntengeri (Nashua, N.H.) paced the Eagles with a 12^th place finish at 12:53. Emmanuel sophomore Jordyn Gonsor (Springfield, Mass.) was just behind her in 13^th place as the top Saint in the books with a 12:56 time. Lasell freshman Stephanie Amato's (Westford, Mass.) 23^rd place finish at 13:31 bested the Lasers field.

Following Gonsor for the Saints were sophomores Rachel Nazzaro (Amesbury, Mass.) and Mimi Duncan (Portsmouth, N.H.) finishing in 21^st and 23^rd place, with times of 13:29 and 13:35, respectively. Newcomer Jackie Schneider (Weymouth, Mass.) grabbed the 25^th spot with her 13:45 finish and junior Jacqueline Mosko (Woburn, Mass.) rounded out the EC top five with a 28^th place finish in 14:01.

On the men's side, Brandeis saw the top four finishers led by junior Mitchell Hutton (Villa Park, Calif.) with a first place time of 15:53. Juniors Liam Garvey (West Springfield, Mass.), Brian Sheppard (Whitman, Mass.) and Russell Santos (Marshfield, Mass.) finished 2-4 with times of 16:10, 16:17 and 16:19 before Thomas freshman Jarrod Ottman (No. Billerica, Mass.) rounded out the top five with a 16:25 finish.

Emmanuel senior Ian Chamenko (Beacon Falls, Conn.) paced the Saints with a seventh place finish coming in at 16:32, improving his Fens Classic PR course time by 1:07 from the last time he ran (2013). Husson senior Andrew Balsamo (Lewiston, Maine) topped the Eagles with a 13^th place finish at 17:05 while Lasell sophomore Ryan Dalaba (North Granville, N.Y.) paced the Lasers with a 14^th place showing at 17:17.

The Saints had a strong showing by the rookie trio of Patrick Carty (Sweden, Maine), Erik Brobst (Freeport, Maine) and Phillip Malm (Worcester, Mass.) in their collegiate debut. Carty and Brobst finished in ninth and 10^th with times of 16:43 and 16:49 while Malm placed 20^th at 17:59. Rounding out the EC top five was sophomore Jefferson Zannoni (Merrimack, N.H.) with a time of 19:35, goof for 39^th in the field.

The Saints are idle until Saturday, September 17 when they travel to Brunswick, Maine for the Bowdoin College Invitational. The women's race is scheduled to begin at 1:00 PM followed by the men's race at 1:45 PM.