Cross Country Opens Season at Western New England University

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – The Elms College men's and women's cross country teams opened their 2012 campaigns at the Western New England University Invitational in a mixed gender 5-kilometer race on Saturday afternoon in Springfield, Mass.

On the men's side, Western New England finished first with 25 points and Anna Maria College finished second with 34 points. Elms did not score as a team.

The Blazers' women's team totaled 46 points and finished second behind host Western New England (16 points), and in front of Anna Maria College (78).

Elms' junior Devon DeGrazia (Westport, Mass.) kicked off her cross country career in grand fashion, placing fifth overall with a time of 23:47.25 and led for a majority of the race. Sophomore Rachel Lehouillier (Belchertown, Mass.) finished seventh overall in a time of 24:15.75, while juniors Kerry Ashe (Springfield, Mass.) and Gabrielle Calvanese (Agawam, Mass.) made significant strides with respective times of 27:15.15 and 28:21.50.

On the men's side, junior Jesse Zina (Ludlow, Mass.) placed eighth overall with a time of 20:25.97, followed by freshman Adam Kuzdzal (Chicopee, Mass.) who clocked a time of 21:56.41 in his first collegiate race.

Elms returns to the trail on Saturday, Sept. 8 at the Smith Invitational with the women's race beginning at 11:00 a.m. and the men's race starting at 11:45 a.m.