WESTFIELD, Mass. – The Southern Vermont College women's cross country team finished in fifth place at the New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) Championship Saturday afternoon at Stanley Park in Westfield, Massachusetts. The team brought home the league sportsmanship award while a pair of runners were honored with all-conference team placements.
The champion of the 5000 meter race hosted by Lesley University was SVC sophomore Shelby Whitman (Bennington, Vermont) who broke the ribbon at the 20:26 mark. She received an NECC All-Conference First Team honor for her effort, along with the 2014 NECC Runner of the Year laurel. Whitman's time is a new personal best for the sophomore, moving her up to second on the all-time SVC record list.
Sophomore Schyler McGuire (Mechanicville, New York) was the next Mountaineer to cross the finish line with a time of 21:55, nabbing a Second Team All-NECC bid with her seventh-place finish; this is her second all-conference honor after making her way to the 2013 All-NECC First Team.
Senior Emily Freling (Schenevus, New York) came through next for Southern Vermont with a 23:43 finish, shedding more than a minute and a half off of her previous personal record. Senior Tenzin Dhekyong (Amherst, Massachusetts) finished at the 24:40 mark, a new personal best by over a minute, while sophomore Mallory Cano-Scribner (East Montpelier, Vermont) rounded out the Southern Vermont top five with a 28:00 showing; Cano-Scribner's time was a new personal best by 3:13.
Senior Sarah Lampro (Otis, Massachusetts) took 16 seconds off of her personal record for a 30:55 championship finish, and sophomore Victoria Cotter (Yonkers, New York) crossed the line on Saturday with a time of 30:55 to finish off the scoring for the Mountaineers, smashing her previous personal record by over five minutes.
Lesley University was the overall team champion while Elms College and Regis College placed second and third, respectively.
The next race for the Mountaineers is the Eastern College Athletic Conference Championship, a 6000 meter race taking place Saturday, November 8, at 12 p.m. back at Stanley Park.
PHOTO GALLERY
Southern Vermont College
1st – Shelby Whitman (20:26) PR
7th – Schyler McGuire (21:54)
21st – Emily Freling (23:43) PR
30th – Tenzin Dhekyong (24:40) PR
43rd – Mallory Cano-Scribner (28:00) PR
47th – Sarah Lampro (30:01) PR
49th – Victoria Cotter (30:55) PR
2014 NECC Women's Cross Country Runner of the Year
Shelby Whitman, Southern Vermont College
2014 NECC Women's Cross Country Rookie Runner of the Year
Sarah Tatgenhorst, Elms College
2014 NECC Women's Cross Country Coach of the Year
Jonathan Alizio, Lesley University
2014 NECC Women's Cross Country Team Sportsmanship Award
Southern Vermont College
2014 NECC Women's Cross Country First Team All-Conference
Shelby Whitman, Southern Vermont College
Siobhan McLaughlin, Regis College
Sarah Tatgenhorst, Elms College
Emilia McGrath, Lesley University
Alex Dimauro, Lesley University
2014 NECC Women's Cross Country Second Team All-Conference
Torri Plank, Wheelock College
Schyler McGuire, Southern Vermont College
Sarah Backholm, Regis College
Rachel Lehouillier, Elms College
Arianna Thomas, Lesley University