LINCOLN, R.I. – Eastern Connecticut State University senior Kelly Labanara (Chaplin) and sophomore Maria McPhee (Bristol) finished among the top ten in the women's race and senior Lee Cattanach (New London) and freshman Cooper Goslin (South Windsor) did the same in the men's race Saturday at the Tri-State Invitational on the Community College of Rhode Island campus.
Both Eastern teams placed second overall, the men competing in a field of nine teams and the women among seven competing teams. Wentworth Institute of Technology had little trouble winning the men's 8,000 meter race and Salve Regina University eased to the women's title over 5,000 meters.
Wentworth runners captured four of the top seven spots and all five of Salve's scoring runners crossed the line within the first eight places.
Labanara returned to the women's team after missing five weeks with a foot injury. She averaged a 6:50 mile and claimed tenth place in a field of 72, with McPhee headlining the women's team again with an overall finish of fourth, averaging a 6:35 mile. All 12 runners on the women's roster finished the race.
Also scoring points for the women were sophomore Kelsey Nixon (Ledyard), junior Courtney Magario (Voluntown) and sophomore Sofia Amaral (New Milford), who ran as a pack and took the 15-through-17 spots. Nixon averaged a 6:53 mile, Magario was a half-second back of her teammate and Amaral was less than three second behind Magario.
Cattanach was first in a men's field of 104 in a time of 26:42, outrunning freshmen Patrick Hopkins and Daniel McSolla, who followed in 27:20. Cattanach averaged a 5:22 mile. Goslin was eighth overall, averaging a 5:44 mile, with sophomore Joe Rainville (Montville), junior Steven LaFlamme (Moosup) and sophomore Chris Armstrong (Bolton) completing Eastern's scorers. Rainville was 13th (5:51 mile), Laflamme 19th (5:57) and Armstrong 23rd (6:01).
Eastern competes at the Western New England University Invitational October 18 at 10:30 a.m.
