The men’s and women’s cross country team continued their dominance of the NEC Saturday evening at the Quinnipiac Invitational, with both teams finishing in first place. While there were spectacular individual performances on both squads, it was a solid team effort all around that led the men and women to the victory.
The women placed seven runners in the top 15 spots. They were lead by sophomore Kristen Stevens who placed first overall in the race with a time of 18:08. Stevens was the leader of a pack of Bobcats who followed right behind her. Sophomore Lindsay Pierret placed second, junior Chelsea Bollerman placed third and senior Susan Ashe was right behind her, finishing with a time of 19:00. It was a particularly hot day but the Bobcats didn’t let the heat slow them down.
“It was a little hot out there which made it tough,” Ashe said. “But I think we held up pretty well”.
In sixth place following Yale’s Allyson Rinderle was Ashley Reichelt. Reichelt, a senior, finished strong with a time of 19:14.
Rounding out the top 15 were Abbey Gosling who came in eighth with a time of 19:19 and Kelley Sorrell, a freshman, who put forth one of her best performances of the season, placing eleventh with a time of 19:22. Head Coach Shawn Green could not be happier at the way the girls have been running.
“I’m thrilled,” Green said. “It’s the second meet in a row we’ve won. We’ve got a nice little win streak going.”
The men had an equally impressive performance, also placing seven runners in the top 15. They were led by Senior captain and three time All-NEC selection Jacob Gurzler, who finished second with a time of 27:06. While Gurzler led the way for the Bobcats, he admitted that the victory was more of a team effort.
“Overall it was a good team victory,” Gurzler said. “We all worked together very well.”
Gurzler had some company at the top. Junior Jack McDonald was literally inches behind him, finishing with a time of 27:07. Sophomore Tyler Dinnan followed placing fourth, and senior Keith Bushey finished fifth with a time of 27:23.
The Bobcats were coming off an impressive first place victory at the CCSU invitational, and a second place finish at the Seawolves Invitational at Stony Brook, N.Y.
Rounding out the top 15 were junior Terrence Moriarty, who placed eighth, junior Daniel Martin, who came in tenth, and freshman John Greenlaw, who finished strong with a time of 28:04, good enough for a thirteenth place finish. Head Coach Ed O’Connor has been very satisfied with the way the team has been handling the loss of nine seniors from a season ago.
“We have only 2 seniors this year,” O’Connor said. “We’re not as deep as last year, but we have a bunch of great guys.”
While the loss of seniors is tough, O’Conner is confident that the men will repeat as Northeast Conference champions, which is the main goal for his squad.
“Our goal is to repeat as NEC champions,” O’Conner said. “And right now we look like were on track to do that.”
Finishing in twenty-first was junior Steve Pilch with a time of 28:38. James Pellerano and Kyle Audet, both freshmen, finished twenty-fifth and twenty-sixth, respectively.
The Bobcats will continue action on Saturday, Oct. 6, where they will compete in the New England Championships held at Franklin Park in Boston, Mass. The Women are set to start at 12:45 p.m. while the men will follow at 1:30 p.m.
