Sophomore Antonio Xelhua finished 49th in 26:21 to lead Stonehill today at the BAA Mayor's Cup. |
Sophomore Antonio Xelhua paces Skyhawks with 49th place finish in 26:21
BOSTON, Mass. (October 26, 2014) – The Stonehill College men's cross country team, receiving votes in this week's U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Division II poll, and ranked third in the East Region, turned in a sixth-place finish today at the 24th Boston Athletic Association Mayor's Cup held at Franklin Park in Boston, Massachusetts.
Sophomore Antonio Xelhua (Arlington, Massachusetts/Arlington) led Stonehill with his 49th place finish in 26:21 on the eight-kilometer course, marking the first time this season he has been the first Skyhawk to cross the finish line. Xelhua posted the second-best finish among collegiate entries, behind only Bentley University's Cullen McHale, who placed 45th in 26:04.
Senior Paul Cina (Pembroke, Massachusetts/Pembroke) registered a time of 26:36, good for 64th overall, while sophomore Joe Santo (Newburyport, Massachusetts/Newburyport) placed 69th and clocked in at 26:43.
Sophomore Adam Rego (Rumford, Rhode Island/La Salle Academy) and junior Nick Kirkpatrick (Carmel, Indiana/Brebeuf Jesuit Prep) finished back-to-back in 71st and 72nd place, respectively, with matching marks of 26:45.
Rounding out Stonehill's seven entries today were freshman Alex Southiere (Cumberland, Rhode Island/Cumberland) and senior Seamus McEvoy (Longmeadow, Massachusetts/Longmeadow), who finished 89th and 105th, respectively. Southiere earned a time of 26:59, while McEvoy clocked in at 27:28.
Stonehill finished sixth overall out of 14 teams with 214 points, but the Skyhawks posted the best score among collegiate teams competing. The Boston Athletic Association team won the meet with 30 points, followed by The Manhattan Project (58 points) and New Balance Boston (69 points). Northeast-10 Conference members Merrimack College, Bentley University, and Southern New Hampshire University finished 7-9, respectively.
Former Skyhawk Steve Polito, '12, who was a three-time All-East Region performer at Stonehill from 2008-11, placed 34th overall with a time of 25:38 for New Balance Boston.
Stonehill will be off next weekend before returning to action on Sunday, November 9th, when the Skyhawks will attempt to capture their fourth consecutive NE-10 Championship in Rindge, New Hampshire.
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