2007 Cross Country Season in Review
The Emmanuel Men's and Women's Cross Country Teams competed in seven meets during the 2007 season. The women's squad kicked off the year by winning the Travis Fuller Invitational at Massachusetts Maritime Academy. Emmanuel placed three runners in the top five, including junior Christine Gaspar's 2nd place finish. Gaspar (Attleboro, MA) racked up three 2nd place finishes this season and was named the Great Northeast Athletic Conference's Performer of the Week three times. The women's team then ran 3rd at Rivier College's Invitational meet.
In October, Emmanuel hosted the 3rd Annual Saints Invitational at Franklin Park. The meet featured 11 women's teams and 10 men's teams competing. The Saints faired well at the GNAC Championship Meet, which was held in Standish, ME at Saint Joseph's College. The Emmanuel women placed 4th and the men placed 7th. Gaspar's 3rd place finish in the championship earned her All-Conference honors. Senior Emily McCaffrey (East Greenwich, RI) tallied four top-five finishes during the season and was named All-Conference after her 4th place finish in the GNAC meet. McCaffrey was also named to the GNAC Weekly Honor Roll twice during the season.
Junior Cat Lariviere (Windham, NH) was consistently among Emmanuel's top five point-scorers, despite battling injuries throughout the season. Freshmen Dana Griffin (Walpole, MA) and Maureen Kellett (Westborough, MA) made statements early on in their collegiate careers, as both athletes finished in the top five for Emmanuel in several meets this year.
On the men's side, senior T.J. Griffis (Green Harbor, MA) was Emmanuel's top finisher in six of the team's seven meets this season. Senior Matt Hickey (North Attleboro, MA) closely followed Griffis in the majority of meets and placed 1st for Emmanuel in Gordon College's Pop Crowell Invitational on September 9th.
Freshman Ben Cleveland (Auburn, ME) received GNAC Rookie of the Week honors twice during the season. Cleveland was honored on September 9th after his opening collegiate performance at the Travis Fuller Invitational, as well as on October 14th following his performance at the Saints Invitational.
Sophomores Tim Flaherty (Mattapoisett, MA) and Joey Rugo (Grafton, MA) typically rounded out the top five for the Saints. Flaherty closed out the season with his personal best in the 8K race at the NCAA Division III Regional Championship. Sophomore Doug Gillum (West Boylston, MA) was also named to the GNAC Weekly Honor Roll after a strong showing at the Pop Crowell Invitational.
Both the men's and women's teams wrapped up the season by running in the highly competitive NCAA Division III Regional Championship at Connecticut College. Emmanuel's Head Coach Tony DaRocha was selected the 2007 Great Northeast Athletic Conference's Coach of the Year.
Coach DaRocha and Assistant Coach Alice Kramer will return in 2008 for their 8th seasons with the Emmanuel Cross Country and Track & Field programs. The Cross Country squad will lose six seniors (2 men and 4 women) to graduation, but the coaches will look to add some talented recruits to the solid group of 17 veterans returning in the fall of `08.