WESTFIELD, Mass.- The Lesley University men's cross country team bring the New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) Men's Cross Country Champion Cup home for the fifth straight time after achieving a near perfect team score of 16 with their top five runners taking first through fourth place and sixth place today at Stanley Park for the 2013 NECC Cross Country Championship 8K race. Sophomore harrier Nick Green (Stoughton, Mass.) christened the chute for the Lynx capturing the individual title along with the honor of being named the 2013 NECC Runner of the Year for the top time of 27:07.00 for the day.
Southern Vermont University were the runners-up with a team score of 65 placing their top five runners in the top 20 of the 8K. Mitchell College was third with a team score of 72, while newcomer Regis College placed fourth with an 87 team score placing two runners in the top ten. Regis freshman Matt Norton (Weymouth, Mass.) finished first for Regis and fifth overall with a time of 29:13.03 as the first rookie crossing the line being named the 2013 NECC Rookie of the Year. The fifth place finishers were the Blazers of Elms College with a team score of 149. Newbury College rounded out the team scoring with a 151 in 6th place. Daniel Webster College, who is the only other men's team to win a championship cup back in 2008, did not receive a team score.
Green's teammates were close behind for the Lynx with sophomore Ian Barber (Westhampton, Mass.) placing second with a time of 28:33.85. A pair of Lesley seniors Andy Scott (Brattleboro, Vt.) and Chris Conforti (Brattleboro, Vt.) placed third and fourth, respectively, with times of 28:54.76 and 29:04.58. Norton rounded out the top five runners.
Another Lynx senior Dillon Simmons (Middleboro, Mass.) placed sixth with a time of 29:17.27. Regis notched the seventh place runner in sophomore Jonathan Paul (Medford, Mass.) finishing at 29:18.51 on the clock. Lesley freshman Kilton Webb (Wayne, Maine) was eighth with a time of 29:38.08, while the Mountaineers of Southern Vermont placed their first runner at ninth in junior Victor Velasquez (Los Angeles, Calif.) with a time of 29:53.83. Rounding out the top ten was the Mariners' sophomore Spencer Daniel (Litchfield, Conn.) with a time of 30:01.06 for Mitchell.
Four members were represented on the All-Conference team including Lesley, Regis, Southern Vermont and Mitchell. Regis head coach Dan Flynn was named the 2013 NECC Men's Coach of the Year, his fourth time winning this honor on the men's side. The Mountaineers of Southern Vermont under head coach Kathleen Newton were voted the Team Sportsmanship Award recipients.
Men's Runner of the Year
Nick Green, Lesley
Men's Rookie of the Year
Matt Norton, Regis
Men's Coach of the Year
Dan Flynn, Regis
Men's Team Sportsmanship
Southern Vermont
Men's All-Conference First Team
Nick Green, Lesley
Ian Barber, Lesley
Andy Scott, Lesley
Chris Conforti, Lesley
Men's All-Conference Second Team
Dillon Simmons, Lesley
Jonathan Paul, Regis
Kilton Webb, Lesley
Victor Velazquez, Southern Vermont
Spencer Daniel, Mitchell