CROSS COUNTRY HOSTS 11TH ANNUAL SAINTS INVITATIONAL; NORWICH TOPS BOTH FIELDS
BOSTON, Mass. - Emmanuel College hosted the 11th running of the Saints Invitational on the historic cross country course at Franklin Park on Friday evening. Over 350 runners represented 22 colleges and universities, with 18 women's teams competing in the 5k and 22 men's teams in the 8k event. Norwich University finished in first place on both the men’s and women’s race to sweep the Invitational while the host Saints finished in fifth place in the women’s race and sixth in the men’s race.
BOSTON, Mass. - Emmanuel College hosted the 11th running of the Saints Invitational on the historic cross country course at Franklin Park on Friday evening. Over 350 runners represented 22 colleges and universities, with 18 women's teams competing in the 5k and 22 men's teams in the 8k event. Norwich University finished in first place on both the men's and women's race to sweep the Invitational while the host Saints finished in fifth place in the women's race and sixth in the men's race.
After Norwich, Plymouth State (96), Colby-Sawyer (112), Emerson (113) and Emmanuel (126) made up the top five team finishers in the event.
New England College senior Allison Granata earned the women's individual champion honors with a first place time of 19:37 to pace the women's field of 167 runners. Suffolk University freshmen Emily Manfra and Emma Weisse finished in second and fifth place while Colby-Sawyer College senior Kylee Parker and Regis College freshman Maddie Boucias rounded out the top five with third and fourth place finishes.
Junior Nicole Varca paced the host Saints with a ninth place finish, coming in at 20:25 followed by the sophomore duo of Jordyn Gonsor and Mimi Duncan who finished in 28th and 29th place overall.
NU took the men's race with 49 points followed by Wentworth (71), Colby-Sawyer (74), Fitchburg State (132) and Johnson & Wales (200).
On the men's side, Plymouth State University sophomore Warren Bartlett crossed the line in 25:52 for the individual win. After finishing third each of the past two years, Johnson & Wales University junior Adam Sachs improved to a second place finish with a time of 25:59. Wentworth junior Daniel McSolla came in third followed by Fitchburg State University junior Brian Amaral in fourth. Rounding out the top five was Norwich rookie Adam Saucier.
EC senior Ian Chamenko (Beacon Falls, Conn.) led Emmanuel with a 16th place finish at 26:58, improving from last year's time by over one minute. Freshman Patrick Carty was on his heels in 17th place while fellow rookie Erik Brobst crossed the finish line in 22nd overall.
The Emmanuel Men's and Women's Cross Country Teams returns to competition on Saturday, October 29th when the Saints co-host the GNAC Cross Country Championships with Lasell College and Simmons College at the same Franklin Park course. The women's championship will begin at 1:00 PM and the men will race at 2:00 PM.