WESTFIELD – University of New England juniors Brittney Sorbello and Tiana Thomas finished fourth and sixth, respectively, among more than 400 collegiate runners, leading the Nor’easters to a first-place team finish at the 20th annual James Earley Invitational women’s cross country meet at Stanley Park Saturday.
Sorbello finished the five-kilometer course in 18:26, while Thomas crossed the finish line three seconds later.
Owls’ Ashley Monahan (left) and Jessie Cardin (right) lead the pack at the 2015 James Earley Invitational at Stanley Park.
New England College junior Abby Shafer won the event with a time of 18:04. Anna Harleen, a sophomore at Williams College, came in second place, completing the course in 18:16.
Westfield State sophomore Jessie Cardin took home third place, traversing the course in 18:18 and improving on her time from last year by seven seconds. Junior Ashley Monahan finished in 11th place with a time of 19:03, as the Owls placed fourth in the team competition.
Williams College (2nd), Saint Anslem College (3rd), and Smith College (5th) rounded out the top five.
Westfield State placed nine runners in the top 100. In addition to Cardin and Monahan, senior Michelle Kelleher (68th), sophomore Katie Leahy (69th), senior Megan Erickson (71st), freshman Lauren Isabel (79th), senior Shannon Grossman (81st), junior Taylor Surrette (93rd), and sophomore Bethany McMeekin (100th) ran well for the Owls.
Westfield State will compete next Saturday, October 17 in the Western New England Invitational at 10:30 a.m.
OWLS MEN GARNER BRONZE: Union College junior Justin Zorn and senior Jesse Coull finished first and fourth, respectively, among more than 350 collegiate runners to lead the Dutchmen to a first-place team finish at the 20th annual James Earley Invitational men’s cross country meet at Stanley Park Saturday.
Westfield State Junior Chris Williams sprints to the finish at the James Earley Invitational at Stanley Park. (Photo courtesy of Westfield State Sports)
Zorn finished the eight-kilometer course in 25:53, while Coull crossed the finish line in 26:14. Damon Kilgore, a sophomore at Gordon College, took second with a time of 25:54. He was followed by Colby-Sawyer senior Benjamin Bunnell in third place at 26:03.
The College of Saint Rose placed three runners in the top 20 to secure second place as a team, while host Westfield State University finished third.
Senior Mike Skelly led the Owls with a sixth-place finish among eligible collegiate runners, traversing the course in 26:23.
Though Skelly led the pack, the Owls finished with six runners in the top 50, including junior Derik Noland (14th), junior Tevin Cintron (25th), senior Patrick Burns (47th), junior Chris Williams (49th), and freshman Tim Forrest (50th).
Westfield State will compete next Saturday, October 17 in the Western New England Invitational at 10:30 a.m.
