DORCHESTER, Mass. – Emmanuel College hosted the 7th Annual Saints Cross Country Invitational at Franklin Park on Friday evening. Over 300 runners represented 22 colleges and universities, with 17 women's teams competing in the 5k race and 16 men's teams in the 8k event. The meet featured repeat team champions in both races. Lesley University captured the women's team championship with a combined low score of 51 points.
The Sharks finished 7th out of 17, and 3rd among Great Northeast Athletic Conference schools. This was Simmons' first varsity race against a large number of GNAC schools. Freshman Michelle Potter (York, Maine) led the way for the Sharks in a gutsy performance, finishing in 21:40, only a few seconds behind Emmanuel's #1 runner.
Rain made for a sloppy course during the women's race, but the conditions only deteriorated as the meet progressed. Lesley University earned team honors for the second consecutive year with 51 points. Babson College placed three women in the top ten to take the second spot as a team with 61 points. Worcester State University finished just behind the Beavers in third place with 65 points. Emmanuel College picked up the fourth spot, the Saints' best finish in recent years, with 123 points. Wheaton College earned fifth place as a team with a combined score of 130.
Lesley University sophomore Leah Miller (Thomaston, Conn.) paced the field of 162 women with a speedy 5k time of 19:39. Finishing second and third were Babson College's Charlotte Margel (Ridgewood, N.J.) and Marina Capalbo (Gainesville, Va.), crossing the line in 19:55 and 20:15, respectively. Johnson & Wales University junior Laura Furfaro (North Warren, N.J.) ran fourth with a time of 20:47 and Lesley's Elize McKelvey (Baltimore, Ohio) took fifth place in 20:54.
The Sharks saw a lot of individual improvements from their last race, even despite the unfavorable weather conditions. Cara Coughlin (Chelmsford, Mass.), Catherine Mezynski (Burlington, Mass.), and Laura Biren (Brookline, Mass.) each improved their times from the Codfish Bowl in September.
The Sharks travel to Wellesley College Invitational on October 22nd at 12:00 p.m.