Men’s Cross Country Finishes Fourth at Bruce Kirsh Cup

Drace crossed the finish line 16th overall and as the first Skyhawk


Demeule was the second Skyhawk across the finish line taking home 20th place

HOPKINTON, New Hampshire (October 20, 2018) – The Stonehill College men's cross country team, ranked No. 1 in the East Region and No. 20 in the nation in the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches poll, finished fourth with 102 points at the Sixth Annual Bruce Kirsh Cross Country Cup Saturday afternoon at the Hopkinton State Fairgrounds.

Southern Connecticut State University took home the title with 29 points, while Southern New Hampshire University place second with 73 points. Merrimack College finished in third place with a combined effort of 79 points, while the Skyhawks finished fourth with 102 points and Assumption College rounded out the top five with 113 points.

Senior Christopher Drace (Franklin, New Jersey/Pope John XXIII) was the first Skyhawk across the finish line, taking home 16th place with a time of 26:06.6. Five Skyhawks also finished in the top 25 including Alexander Demeule (Merrimac, Massachusetts/Pentucket Regional), Jeff Pichie (Burriville, Massachusetts/Burriville), Nickolas McNamee (Plymouth, Massachusetts/Plymouth North), Lucas Taxter (Readville, Massachusetts/Xaverian Brothers), and Kevin Wheelock (Melrose, Massachusetts/Melrose). Demeule finished 20th with a time of 26:31.2 in the eight-kilometer race out of 106 competitors, while Pichie was next in 21st place with a time of 26:31.5. McNamee was next with a time of 26:31.8, followed by Taxter who clocked in at 26:32.1, and Wheelock finishing in 26:32.5.

Sophomore Sean Conlan (Melrose, Massachusetts/Melrose) was the next Skyhawk across the finish line with a time of 26:58.4 and junior Chris Gendron (Lowell, Massachusetts/Lowell) placed 48th with a time of 27:25.3. Freshman Evan Kennedy (South Windsor, Connecticut/East Catholic) and Christopher Kelly (Westwood, Massachusetts/Westwood) were the next Skyhawks across the finish line, taking 51st and 53rd, respectively with time of 27:27.4 and 27:30.5.

The Skyhawks return to the Hopkinton State Fairgrounds on Sunday, November 4 for the Northeast-10 Conference Championships after taking a week off from competing.

For the latest on Stonehill Athletics, follow the Skyhawks via social media on TwitterFacebook and Instagram. Fans can also download the Stonehill Skyhawks "Front Row" mobile app, powered by PrestoSports, on iTunes and the Android Market.