Saturday, Nov. 1, 2014
LITTLE EAST FALL CHAMPIONSHIP CENTRAL
MEN'S ALLIANCE RESULTS | MEN'S LITTLE EAST RESULTS
WOMEN'S ALLIANCE RESULTS | WOMEN'S LITTLE EAST RESULTS
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. – The Little East Conference again maintained its stronghold on the New England Cross Country Alliance on Saturday, as the Keene State College men's and women's teams both claimed victory in the Alliance and Little East meets at Mount Greylock Regional High School. Senior Lee Cattanach (New London) of Eastern Connecticut and junior Samantha Goldsmith of Keene State raced to the top times individually in both Alliance and Little East scoring.
In what will be the final New England Cross Country Alliance Championship, the Owl men totaled 24 points, with the women notching a near-perfect 18 to extend their title streaks in the conference. Saturday's win marked the third-straight and 15th overall for the Keene State men, while the women picked up their 15th-consecutive crown.
In the Alliance scoring, Westfield State finished second in both the men's and women's races, while Southern Maine took runner-up in both races in the Little East meet, with the Husky men recording 58 points to the women's 60.
Cattanach became Eastern Connecticut's first individual Little East champion in program history, running to a 26:24.44 finish on the hilly, blustery 8K course. The New London, Conn. native has made a strong comeback in his final year as a Warrior after being sidelined last season with an injury.
The Little East All-Conference team, consisting of the top seven finishers, included four Keene State Owls at the second, third and fourth places. Junior Hayden Patterson took second in 26:39.74, and was followed closely by last year's individual champion Ryan Brady in third (26:49.17) and freshman Phil Parent in fourth (26:49.91).
Rounding out the men's All-Conference were Southern Maine's Chris Dunn in fifth (27:25.84), UMass Dartmouth's Michael Vaz in sixth (27:26.14) and KSC's Mark Rabasco in seventh (27:26.44).
In the women's race, Goldsmith reclaimed her crown, repeating as Little East and Alliance champion with an 18:54.33 finish on the 5K course. The junior from Derry, N.H. was joined by four of her teammates on the Little East All-Conference team; senior Kait Wheeler finished third overall and second in the conference with her 19:16.94 time.
Eastern sophomore Mariah McPhee (Bristol) also ran to All-Alliance honors with an overall finish of 17th in a time of 20:46.05.
Southern Maine's Hannah Damron finished third in the Little East in 19:22.18. Following Damron were KSC's Lindsay Szuch (19:33.73), Lauren Maroke (19:52.60) and Kaley Mientkiewicz (19:53.22). UMass Dartmouth's Katie Sheehan completed the All-Conference finishers, placing seventh in 19:54.95.
The top 20 men's and women's finishers in Alliance scoring were awarded with All-Alliance honors.
The New England Cross Country Alliance, consisting as a partnership between the Little East and Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC), will dissolve next year after 17 years with each conference hosting its own solitary championship.
Little East Conference
2014 Men's Cross Country All-Conference
1. Lee Cattanach (New London, Conn.), Senior – Eastern Connecticut
2. Hayden Patterson (Dover, N.H.), Junior – Keene State
3. Ryan Brady (Durham, N.H.), Junior – Keene State
4. Phil Parent (Haverhill, Mass.), Freshman – Keene State
5. Chris Dunn (Kennebunk, Maine), Junior – Southern Maine
6. Michael Vaz (Dartmouth, Mass.), Junior – UMass Dartmouth
7. Mark Rabasco (Pittsfield, Mass.), Junior – Keene State
Little East Conference
2014 Women's Cross Country All-Conference
1. Samantha Goldsmith (Derry, N.H.), Junior – Keene State
2. Kait Wheeler (Exeter, N.H.), Senior – Keene State
3. Hannah Damron (Windham, Maine), Junior – Southern Maine
4. Lindsay Szuch (Stratford, Conn.), Sophomore – Keene State
5. Lauren Maroke (Lagrangeville, N.Y.), Junior – Keene State
6. Kaley Mientkiewicz (Hanson, Mass.), Senior – Keene State
7. Katie Sheehan (Scituate, Mass.), Senior – UMass Dartmouth
