CASTLETON, Vt. - The winds reached as high as 50 miles an hour and the rain soaked through the ground causing large puddles and extremely muddy trails.  These were the conditions that the Lesley University cross-country team ran in during the 2006 North Atlantic Conference Championships in Castleton, VT.  The first year program was competing in its first NAC Championships in the middle of a nor'easter.

Head Coach Dan Flynn didn't want to make excuses but knew that to ask his team to excel in these conditions was not realistic.  He wanted them to know before the race of how proud and impressed he was with all of the hard work they had put into the team this year.  He secretly knew that bad weather or not that this was a very strong team especially on the women's side and that they could make a real impact at the Championships.

How right Coach Flynn was.  Out of the eight teams that competed in the NAC Championships on Saturday Lesley blew away five of them finishing third overall.  A third place conference finish is always viewed as a positive accomplishment but for a first year team it is viewed as extraordinary. 

Caitie O'Donnell (Olympia, Wash.) and Sadie Lloyd (Brooks, Me.) were the front runners for the Lynx on Saturday.  O'Donnell finished 6^th overall earning first team all-conference honors and Lloyd finished 10^th overall earning second team all-conference honors.

Danielle Leonard (Hopkinton, Mass.) ran one of her best races yet and finished 20^th overall.  Ella Stiler-Cote (Kennebunkport, Me.) finished 29^th and Miriam Spradling (Vienne, AUSTRIA) rounded out the Lesley five finishing 38^th. 

The men's team hurt by injuries ran two.  Frannie Cusick (Lexington, Mass.) who finished 4^th overall and was honored as first team all-conference.  Bryan Hefner (Norwood, Mass.) also ran a very strong race and finished 37^th overall.

With the year concluded the team will look back and see what an amazing season they had and they will also look ahead to next year knowing that they will build on an already impressive team resume.

For more information on the Lesley University cross-country team please go to their website.