Topalis Leads Way With Third Place Individual Finish As 24th-Ranked Women's Cross Country Takes Top Team Honors For Second Straight Week At Bryant Invitational

September 30, 2006

STONEHILL CROSS COUNTRY

Bryant Invitational

Saturday, September 30, 2006

Smithfield, R.I.

SMITHFIELD, R.I.-- The 24th-ranked Stonehill women's cross country team captured its second straight team title on Saturday afternoon, as the Skyhawks took top honors at the Bryant Invitational with a score of 32 points to best runner-up Merrimack. The 11th-ranked Stonehill men, which also rested its regular lineup, finished third in the competition with a team score of 79 points, as Merrimack won the event with 20 points and Bryant was second with 58 points.

Freshman Andrea Topalis (Simsbury, Conn.) paced the Skyhawk women by placing third overall in covering the 5K layout in a time of 20:31, while freshman Christine Doherty (Canton, Mass.) and sophomore Jackie Oates (South Easton, Mass.) placed fifth and sixth, respectively, with times of 20:47 and 20:58. Sophomore Jenny Gardynski (Everett, Mass.) and junior Marissa Lapointe (Ludlow, Mass.) rounded out the Stonehill scoring by placing eighth and 10th, respectively, with times of 21:16 and 21:20, while sophomores Katie Brague (Mansfield, Mass.) and Alicia Sousa (Dartmouth, Mass.) finished 12th and 13th, respectively, for the Skyhawks with times of 21:39 and 21:41.

On the men's side, junior Kyle Sousa (North Dighton, Mass.) led the way with a fourth place individual finish for Stonehill, as he covered the 8K layout in a time of 28:22. Junior Ryan Gattoni (East Sandwich, Mass.) was next in seventh place with a time of 28:32, while juniors Khalid Abdi (Brockton, Mass.) and Andy Schaalman (North Andover, Mass.) placed 17th and 18th, respectively, with times of 29:04 and 29:05. Freshman Mike Prisby (Agawam, Mass.) closed out the Skyhawk scoring by placing 37th with a time of 30:35.

Both Stonehill squads will compete for their respective New England Championships next Saturday afternoon at Franklin Park in Boston, as the women's race begins at 12:30 p.m. followed by the men's race at 1:00 p.m.