Three career-best marks place Stonehill as number two Division II team

BETHLEHEM, Pa. (October 1, 2016) – After taking a two-week hiatus, the Stonehill College women's cross country team, ranked ninth overall in the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Association (USTFCCCA) Division II poll, tallied a 27^th-place finish out of 45 teams at the 43^rd Annual Paul Short Invitational, hosted by Lehigh University. The Skyhawks recorded 830 points in the gold division, finishing in front of University of Connecticut (29^th-846) and Tufts University (40^th – 1055).

Stonehill completed the race as the second Division II team to finish, as No. 2 Adams State was the first, tallying seventh with 218 points.

Senior Nicole Borofski (Plymouth, Mass./Plymouth North) was the first Stonehill runner with a career-best time of 20:51 in the six-kilometer race, placing 45^th of 405 competitors. The next Skyhawk was junior Emily Knox (Worcester, Mass./Notre Dame Academy) who came in 151^st with a time of 21:43. Senior Alexandra Buonfiglio (Lynnfield, Mass./Lynnfield) wasn't far behind, as she clocked in at her career-best of 22:11, tallying 224^th.

Senior Aisha McAdams (North Kingstown, R.I./North Kingstown) and sophomore Mackenzie Cyr (Douglas, Mass./Douglas) crossed the finish three seconds apart as McAdams tallied a career best 22:23 (248th) time and Cyr finished with a time of 22:25 (251st). With a time of 22:39, sophomore Jillian Caiazzi (Marlborough, Mass./Marlborough) and freshman Danika Wayss (Warwick, R.I./Pilgrim) finished 283^rd and 284^th, respectively.

The last three Skyhawks included freshman Anna Lastra (Bridgton, Maine/Fryeburg Academy), sophomore Jackie Cutillo (Foxboro, Mass./Bishop Feehan) and freshman Jordan Callahan (Plymouth, Mass./Plymouth North). Lastra recorded a time of 22:43, good for 292^nd, as Cutillo tallied 365^th (23:25) and Callahan 367^th (23:28).

Eight Skyhawks competed in the Paul Short Invitational in the open division where they each placed above 200 out of 405 runners. The first to finish was sophomore Elizabeth Hannon (Franklin, Mass./Bishop Feehan) with a time of 22:43, good for 71^st place. Freshman Kacie Higgins (Weymouth, Mass./Weymouth) placed 105^th clocking in at 23:19, while sophomore Isabel Baker (Charlestown, R.I./Chariho) finished 115^th crossing the finish line at 23:30.

Finishing 128^th, junior Abby Hersom (Rockland, Maine/Oceanside) tallied a career-best time of 23:37, while freshman Alyssa Freeman (Billerica, Mass./Billerica Memorial) wasn't far behind as she placed 149^th clocking in at 23:50. Sophomore Anna Devitto (Pembroke, Mass./Pembroke), freshman Alana Johnston (Littleton, Mass./Littleton), and sophomore Taylor Landers (North Andover, Mass./Pingree School) were the last three Skyhawks across the finish. Devitto placed 167^th with a time of 24:07, while Johnston ran a time of 24:20, finishing 189^th. Landers was right behind Johnston with a 191^st mark, clocking a time of 24:23.

Stonehill continues competing as it travels to Franklin Park in Dorchester, Massachusetts for the New England Championships on Saturday, October 8.

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