MANCHESTER, Conn. – Junior Kelly Labanara (Chaplin), the team's No. 5-6 runner a year ago, finished among the top 13 percent of the field as the team leader for Eastern Connecticut State University, when the women's cross country team opened the 2013 season at the Trinity College Invitational Saturday at Wickham Park.
On the men's side, newcomers comprised six of the team's nine finishers, with first-year sophomore transfer Taylor Flynn (Old Saybrook) placing among the top third finishers with an overall place of 28th in a field of 85.
The Eastern women totaled 124 points in a fifth-place finish among seven full teams, with the men checking in in seventh place among ten teams with 188 points.
Salve Regina won the women's event by pushing their five scoring runners among the first 11 for a 30-point win over host Trinity College. Division I Siena College placed its five scorers within the top nine for an easy victory in the men's race.
Labanara took 12th place in a field of 93 in a time of 18:03 over the 4,000 meter layout and was followed by freshmen Sofia Amaral (New Milford) and Julie Trifone (Cheshire), who placed 17th and 32nd overall, respectively. Rounding out the Eastern women's top five were senior Alexa Palasky (Griswold) and freshman Mariah McPhee (Bristol). Palasky was 42nd overall, McPhee 44th.
For the men, Flynn was timed in 18:08 over 5,000 meters and freshman Joe Rainville (Montville) placed 45th. Completing Eastern's scoring five were senior Evan Glaude (East Hampton) and freshmen Dustin Plourde (Norwich) and Michael Underwood (Farmington). Glaude was 50th, Plourde 52nd and Underwood 56th.
Eastern is home Saturday for a 10 a.m. meet at Mansfield Hollow State Park.
