WESTFIELD, Mass. –The Lelsey Women's Cross Country team finished in second place at the NECC Cross Country Championhsip race Sunday afternoon at Stanley Park in Westfield, Mass. Elms College earned first place crowning them the 2018 Women's Cross Country Champions.
The Lynx had three runners place in the top 10 to claim the second place finish. Nicole Footer (Lewiston, Maine) took second overall for the Lynx in 21:34 while Anne Cooper (Harvard, Mass.) finished fifth in 22:17 and Kayla Ranere (Danbury, Conn.) finished seventh in 22:44. All three runners earned a spot on the All- Conference First team for their performaces in the championship race, and Footer was also awared on the Del Malloy Sportmandship team.
Four Blazer women finished in the top 12 of the 40-woman race to lead Elms to the championship. Tyana Medina (Springfield, Mass.) led the Elms pack with a fourth-place individual finish, running the 5k course in 22:14. Emily Guillerault (East Granby, Conn.) took sixth in 22:26, Keara Moulton (Ashburnham, Mass.) finished 10th in 23:12 and Julia Trezza (Wilbraham, Mass.) took 12th in 23:23. First-year coach Jill Bigos earned NECC Women's Cross Country Coach of the Year recognition for her efforts.
Newbury took third, led by an eighth-place performance from Averie Greeley (Ledyard, Conn.) who ran in 22:51. The nighthawks were followed by Eastern Nazarene, which boasted the NECC Women's Cross Country Runner of the Year Rodelina Kingsley (Lawrence, Mass.), who won the women's race in 21:10. Kingsley also claimed Rookie of the Year honors among NECC women.
Bay Path finished fifth, highlighted by a third-place individual finish from Briana Serrato (Chicopee, Mass.), followed by Mitchell and Dean.
NECC Women's Cross Country Major Awards
Runner of the Year: Rodelina Kingsley - Eastern Nazarene
Rookie of the Year: Rodelina Kingsley - Eastern Nazarene
Coach of the Year: Jill Bigos - Elms
NECC Women's Cross Country All-Conference Performers:
First Team All-NECC
Kayla Ranere – Lesley
Emily Guillerault – Elms
Anne Cooper – Lesley
Tyana Medina – Elms
Briana Serrao – Bay Path
Nicole Footer – Lesley
Rodelina Kingsley – Eastern Nazarene
Second Team All-NECC
Hamido Hassan – Newbury
Mary Jok – Newbury
Julia Trezza – Elms
Shakira Henriquez – Newbury
Keara Moulton – Elms
Kathryn McCormack – Mitchell
Averie Greeley – Newbury
Del Malloy Sportsmanship Team
Megan McKenna – Bay Path
Nicole Romero – Dean
Rodelina Kingsley – Eastern Nazarene
Emily Guillerault – Elms
Nicole Footer – Lesley
Victoria Shalko – Mitchell
Dominic Thoroughgood – New England College
Shakira Henriquez – Newbury
Maddy Main – Southern Vermont