Men’s Team Finishes 5th, Women’s Team 4th at NECC Cross Country Championship

Men's Results
Women's Results

NASHUA, N.H. – Elms College senior Benjamin Kronlund (Longmeadow, Mass.) finished with a time of 35:24 in the men's 8-kilometer race while freshman Rachel Lehouillier (Belchertown, Mass.) powered to a time of 21:57 in the women's 5-kilometer race in Saturday afternoon's New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) Championship hosted by Daniel Webster College at Mines Falls Park.

On the men's side, Ali Sherif of Mitchell College clocked a time of 27:04 and earned NECC Runner of the Year honors with the best individual finish in the 38 runner field.

Lesley University won the event as a team with 23 points, followed by Mitchell (34), Daniel Webster (81), Southern Vermont College (88) and Elms (138). Newbury College and Wheelock College did not register team scores.

On the women's side, Lesley's Leah Miller surged to a time of 19:07 to earn top individual honors and become NECC Runner of the Year.

Lesley also won top team honors with 15 points, followed by Mitchell which garnered second place honors with 74 points. Wheelock edged the Blazers for third place as the Wildcats totaled 97 points, followed by Elms' 99. Bay Path College finished fifth with 130, followed by Daniel Webster (153) and Southern Vermont (164). Newbury did not register a team score.  

Elms' eight-year head coach Amy Lane was named NECC Coach of the Year for both the men's and women's teams.

Freshman Jessie Murray (Springfield, Mass.) notched a time 37:43, while senior Yonalvy Acosta  (Holyoke, Mass.) notched a time of 37:50 in his first collegiate race. Freshman Nicholas Green (Ware, Mass.) finished with a time of 49:06, while senior Michael Desmond (Nashua, N.H.) clocked a time of 49:14.

Lehouillier finished 11^th overall in the field of 50 runners and turned in the seventh-best performance on any 5-kilometer course in program history.

Sophomore Kerry Ashe (Springfield, Mass.) followed with a time of 24:39, while freshman Meghan Sullivan (Springfield, Mass.) registered a time of 24:50 to cross the line third for Elms.

Freshman Emily Taylor (Ludlow, Mass.) (25:42), senior Jennifer Cicero (Chicopee, Mass.) (25:59), sophomore Gabrielle Calvanese (Agawam, Mass.) (26:00), freshman Madison Boehm (Sutton, Mass.) (28:29), sophomore Stephanie Konstantinidis (Holyoke, Mass.) (29:35), sophomore Sarah Jane Dyer (Hinsdale, Mass.) (33:31) and freshman Emily Murphy (Sturbridge, Mass.) rounded out the Blazers' squad.

Men's All-Conference Teams
Runner of the Year: Sharif Ali, Mitchell
Rookie of the Year: Sharif Ali, Mitchell
Coach of the Year: Amy Lane, Elms
Team Sportsmanship Award: Newbury

First Team All-Conference
Sharif Ali, Mitchell
Kyle Casiglio, Lesley
Evan Reseska, Lesley
Chris Conforti, Lesley
Evan Garrity, Mitchell

Women's All-Conference Teams
Runner of the Year: Leah Miller, Lesley
Rookie of the Year: Bridget Burns, Mitchell
Coach of the Year: Amy Lane, Elms
Team Sportsmanship Award: Bay Path