Waterford, Conn. – The Southern Vermont College women's cross country team grabbed a fourth-place finish at the New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) Championship Saturday at Harkness Memorial State Park in Waterford, Conn. It ties the best finish for the program in NECC Championships, as the 2008 team also placed fourth.
Lesley University won the Championship, placing five of the top-six finishers. Senior Keryn Thorvaldsen (Sayville, N.Y.) took the top placing, coming in at 19:25.
Southern Vermont was only seven points out of third place and 15 points off of second-place Mitchell College. The team's finish was 78 points better than that in the 2011 NECC meet.
The Mountaineers were led by freshman Alice Lala (Biddesford, Maine) who earned an All-NECC First Team placement with a fifth-place finish at 21:29. That is the best conference finish for a Mountaineer since school record holder Kathleen Newton's third-place result in the 2003 Great Northeast Athletic Conference Championship.
Freshman Haley Omasta (Danbury, Conn.) made her way into the All-NECC Second Team with a seventh place finish, coming in with a time of 21:56, just 13 seconds slower than her personal-best.
Lala and Omasta became the first SVC runners to land positions on the All-NECC teams.
The flat water-side course proved to be mentally difficult for the Mountaineers who have become accustomed to those with more hills. Head coach Maria Stuber stated that, "Ironically, our team was challenged by the lack of hills. We rarely see anything so flat; I think everyone was surprised by how difficult it is to stay focused without much change in terrain."
Senior captain Loni Masiero (Wallkill, N.Y.) came in 19th with a 24:03, just three seconds off her best 2012 time. Freshmen Casey Geary (Bradford, R.I.) and Zanobia Leigh (Schenectady, N.Y.) rounded out the SVC top-five; Geary placed 34th with a 27:14 finish, and Leigh crossed in 27:24 for 35th.
"The women's team turned heads today," said Stuber. "Every one of them gave 110 percent."
Select members of the team will compete in the NCAA Regional Championship at Westfield State University in Westfield, Mass. on November 12.
Individual Results
Team Results
Men's Story/Results
Women's Runner of the Year
Keryn Thorvaldsen, Lesley
Women's Rookie of the Year
Emilia McGrath, Lesley
Women's Coach of the Year
Todd Peretz, Mitchell College
Women's Team Sportsmanship
Elms College
Women's All-Conference First Team
Keryn Thorvaldsen, Lesley
Leah Miller, Lesley
Emilia McGrath, Lesley
Jackie Rosa, Lesley
Alice Lala, Southern Vermont
Women's All-Conference Second Team
Noa Kupfer, Lesley
Haley Omasta, Southern Vermont
Sheilah Newcity, Mitchell
Elena Pereira, Lesley
Devon DeGrazia, Elms