CASTLETON, Vt. – Senior Ryan Escoda (Newtown) led the men's team at the finish for the 12^th time in 13 career races, and four women's runners crossed within five seconds of each other as the Eastern Connecticut State University cross country teams opened the 2021 season by winning the Castleton University Invitational Friday afternoon.
 
By placing their five scoring runs among the top six in the 8,000 meter race, the men nearly recorded a shutout, totaling 17 points to easily out-distance the four-team field. Western Connecticut was second (51 points), SUNY Canton third (71) and host Castleton (99) fourth.
 
For the women, two freshmen were among the team's top four finishers and contributed significantly to Eastern's 43-point win over runner-ups Western Connecticut and Castleton. The Warriors totaled only 26 points, with Western and Castleton each amassing 69 and SUNY Canton 71.
 
Eastern junior Kelsey Zator (Scotland) was third overall across the 5,000 meter layout and led a group of four runners who finished consecutively and within five seconds of each other. Zator, who led her teammates at the finish for the first time in her career, was timed in 22:17, freshman Alison LeClerc (Wolcott) and sophomore Elisabeth Rodil (Milford, NH) in 22:20 and freshman Iris Bazinet (Pomfret) in 22:22. Senior Maggie Santacroce (Bristol) closed out Eastern's scoring by placing eighth overall.
 
Escoda topped a field of 30 competitors to claim the second invitational championship in his career (he bested a field of 64 at the CCRI Tri-State Invitational as a freshman in 2018). Escoda, sophomore Jake Haddad (Vernon) and senior Jorich Swift (Mansfield) commanded the top three spots, and sophomore Thomas Stone (Glastonbury) and freshman Liam Stafford (Alexandria, VA) closed it out at 5-6 overall. Escoda was timed in 27:17 in a 41-second win over Haddad (27:58), with Swift clocking 28:12, Stone 29:37 and Stafford 29:54.
 
Eastern's five scoring runners were among only six in the race to break 30 minutes.
 
Both Eastern teams had captured last fall's Little East Conference virtual championship but the men lost senior Tyler Wright (Westport) to a pre-season injury and were without senior John Walker (Westerly, RI), last year's No. 2 runner.
 
Eastern hopes for identical results when it returns to Castleton in two months (Oct. 30) for the Little East Conference Championship.
 
The Warriors compete at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Invitational Sept. 18.
 
     

1. EASTERN CONN. 17; 2. Western Conn. 51; 3. SUNY Canton 71; 4. Castleton U. 99.

   

1. Ryan Escoda 27:17; 2. Jake Haddad 27:58; 3. Jorich Swift 28:12; 5. Thomas Stone 29:37; 6. Liam Stafford 29:54; 10. Thomas Engle 31:36;
2. 14. Kyle Smith 33:39

 

1. EASTERN CONN. 26; 2. Castleton U. 69; 2. Western Conn. 69; 4. SUNY Canton 71

   
3.Kelsey Zator 22:17; 4. Alison LeClerc 22:20; 5. Elisabeth Rodil 22:20; 6. Iris Bazinet 22:22; 8. Maggie Santacroce 23:02; 10. Keara Fontaine 23:29;
11. Jill McGahan 24:18.