WOMEN TAKE 3RD, MEN SNAG 4TH IN SAINTS CROSS COUNTRY INVITATIONAL

DORCHESTER, Mass. – Emmanuel College hosted the 8th running of the Saints Invitational on the historic cross country course at Franklin Park on Friday evening. Over 320 runners represented 18 colleges and universities, with 15 women’s teams competing in the 5k and 16 men’s teams in the 8k event. Wheaton College took team honors on the women’s side, placing four runners in the top five and scoring 25 total points. Babson College won the men’s race with the Beavers sealing up the first three positions and five of the top seven, as the team combined for 18 total points.

WOMEN TAKE 3RD, MEN SNAG 4TH IN SAINTS CROSS COUNTRY INVITATIONAL
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October 18, 2013

DORCHESTER, Mass. – Emmanuel College hosted the 8th running of the Saints Invitational on the historic cross country course at Franklin Park on Friday evening.  Over 320 runners represented 18 colleges and universities, with 15 women's teams competing in the 5k and 16 men's teams in the 8k event. Wheaton College took team honors on the women's side, placing four runners in the top five and scoring 25 total points.  Babson College won the men's race with the Beavers sealing up the first three positions and five of the top seven, as the team combined for 18 total points.

Babson College junior Marina Capalbo (Gainesville, Va.), who finished third at this meet in 2011, tore up the course in 19:29, pacing the women's field of 154 to grab individual medalist honors.  Wheaton's Sonrisa O'Toole (Great Barrington, Mass.) and Georgia Crane (Greenwich, Conn.) both finished in 19:59, capturing second and third places, respectively.  Wheaton's Jordan Silva (North Kingstown, R.I.) and Shoshana Kruskal (Newton, Mass.) crossed the line just one second apart with 20:07 and 20:08 finishes to round out the women's top five.

Regis College rookie Sioban McLaughlin (Derry, N.H.) nabbed the sixth spot in 20:16.  University of New England solidified the seventh through tenth positions with Brittany Sorbello (Dover, N.H.), Annelise Donahue (South Portland, Me.), Natalie Hardman (Kalona, Iowa) and Tiana Thomas (Waterville, Me.) all earning top-ten honors to lead the Lyons to a second place team finish with 47 points.

Emmanuel College senior Molly Metivier (Keene, N.H.) cut two minutes off her 2011 Saints Invite time, finishing 14th overall in 20:51 and pacing the Saints to a third place team finish with 101 points.  Babson earned fourth place team honors, while Norwich University and Johnson & Wales University took home fourth and fifth place team finishes, with 113 and 147 points, respectively.

Following Metivier for the Saints was senior Meaghan Mauer (South Hadley, Mass.), who cut nearly three minutes off her 2011 time and ran her personal best, finishing 17th overall with her time of 21:01.  Sophomore Chloe Egan (Burlington, Vt.) placed third for Emmanuel and 20th overall with her PR 21:19 finish.  Classmates Janelle Winship (Prospect, Me.) and Chloe Pangonis (Keene, N.H.) rounded out the top five scoring for the Saints, also running personal record times, with 21:28 and 21:53 finishes respectively.

On the men's side, Babson's Ian MacLean (South Hamilton, Mass.) crossed the line just slightly in front of teammate Mark Gulesian (Miami, Fla.) to steal the individual win.  Both Beavers were clocked in at 26:56, pacing the field of 169 total men.  Babson's senior captain AJ Skains (Colorado Springs, Colo.) earned the third position, just three seconds behind the leaders with a time of 26:59.  University of New England sophomore CJ Vallie (Nashua, N.H.) ran fourth in 27:04 to help the Nor'easters to a second place team finish with 82 team points.  Babson senior Brian deLeon (Princeton, N.J.) placed fifth in 27:13, giving the Beavers four of the five top spots.

Wheaton College junior John Greene (Quincy, Mass.) ran a 27:18 8k, good enough for sixth place.  Babson senior Nathan Kolman (Long Grove, Ill.) capped the scoring for the Beavers with his seventh place finish in 27:26.  Emmanuel alum Abdi Ibrahim (East Boston, Mass.) raced representing Boston United and earned eighth place with his 27:27 finish.  After leading the field for the first mile, three-time Great Northeast Athletic Conference Runner of the Week Sean Colford (Epping, N.H.) led the host Saints with his ninth place personal record time of 27:28.  Wheaton junior Brendon Pickering (Merrimac, Mass.) rounded out the top ten individuals with his 27:33 finish, helping the Lyons to a third place team finish with 91 total points.

Emmanuel College combined for 124 points to earn fourth place.  Norwich University followed closely in fifth with 138 points.  The 2011 men's team champion, Johnson & Wales University, captured sixth place this year with 162 points.

Following Colford for the Saints were rookies Marco Caserta (Topsfield, Mass.) in 16th place with his PR time of 27:54 and Ian Chamenko (Beacon Falls, Conn.) in the 30th position with his personal best 28:46 finish.  Sophomore Max Bukowiec (York, Me.) ran fourth for the Saints, crossing the line in 29:05, while junior Christopher Connelly (Quincy, Mass.) earned Emmanuel's fifth scoring spot with his 29:21 race.

The Emmanuel Men's and Women's Cross Country Teams will return to competition on Saturday, November 2nd, when the Saints travel back to Standish, Maine to compete in the GNAC Cross Country Championships, hosted by Saint Joseph's College. The women's championship will begin at 1:00 PM and the men will race at 2:00 PM.