Skyhawks win eighth title in 10 years
Lastra, the current NE10 Athlete of the Year, finished as the runner-up collecting her second All-East Region honor |
BETHPAGE, New York (November 17, 2018) - The Stonehill College women's cross country team, ranked No. 1 in the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association East Regional Rankings (USTFCCCA), captured its eighth NCAA Division II East Regional Championship in 10 years, its 15th overall East Region Title, and 18th-consecutive ticket to the NCAA Division II Championships Saturday afternoon at Bethpage State Park, hosted by Adelphi University.
The Skyhawks combined for 58 points for the title, as Roberts Wesleyan College wasn't far behind with its 63 points taking home the runner-up mark. Northeast-10 Conference foe Merrimack College totaled 111 points, good for third place, as Assumption College and the College of Saint Rose rounded out the top five teams with 177 and 204 points, respectively.
Junior Anna Lastra saw her best finish at the East Regional this season with her runner up mark, clocking in a time of 22:17.40, seven seconds behind individual champion Kendall Fitzgerald from Post University. Lastra earned her second All-East Region honor, as she finished 13th her freshman year.
Classmate Alyssa Freeman also collected her second All-East Region accolade as she was the second Skyhawk across the finish line, taking home ninth place out of 184 competitors with a time of 22:38.90. In her fourth East Regional Championship, senior Makenzie Cyr crossed the finish line in 22:45.20, finishing 12th overall in the six-kilometer race and earning her fourth All-East Region recognition.
Freeman also collected her second All-East Region honor with her ninth-place finish |
Sophomore Sam Curtin, in her second East Regional Championship, finished 17th overall, good for her second All-East Region honor clocking in a time of 23:06.80. Freshman Rebecca Erhard crossed the finish line as the fifth Skyhawk, finishing in 18th place with a time of 23:11.10, five seconds behind Curtin as she tallied her first-career All-East Region honor.
Junior Jordan Callahan and freshman Siobhan O'Keefe each tallied their first-career All-East Region honors. Callahan finished 19th with a time of 23:13.30, while O'Keefe placed 21st with a time of 23:15.80, rounding out the seven Skyhawk runners.
With their top-three finish, the Skyhawks will now appear in their 18th-straight NCAA Division II Cross Country Championships. The race will take place on Saturday, December 1 at the Bob O'Connor Golf Course at Schenley Park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
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