The Lions raced to a strong finish at the East Coast Athletic Conference (ECAC) championships on Saturday, Nov. 7 at Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts. The men’s cross country team placed ninth overall out of 43 teams, while the women’s team was not far behind, gaining the 13th spot out of 39 teams at the meet.
Both the men’s and women’s teams finished in the top half of the race, competing against more than 250 athletes from along the East Coast.
Junior Brittany Erickson led the Lions in the 6000-meter race, placing 58th out of 275 runners with a time of 25:48.
“It felt awesome to lead the team,” said Erickson. “The ECAC championships is a very competitive race and being able to cross that line first for the College was such an adrenaline rush.”
For the men’s team, it was sophomore Alex Yersak who led the way for the Lions, running a time of 28:11 in the men’s 8000-meter race, placing 48th out of 296 runners.
Freshman Matt Hernberg and sophomore Nick Bond were not far behind, placing in the 51st and 52nd spots overall. Hernberg finished with a time of 28:14, with Bond right behind him with a time of 28:15.
“The team was confident,” said Hernberg. “I think we have a solid pack that will work together and do well our next meet, the Atlantic Regional championships.
The Lions had two more runners finish in the top 100 for the men’s race. Junior Aleksandrs Erins had a time of 28:34, putting him in 68th place. Freshman Alex Matteson gained the 71st spot with a time of 28:35.
The women’s team had four more athletes competing in the race, as well. Sophomores Noelle Gotthart posted a time of 26:16 for 75th place and Abbey Wallach finished in 85th place, running a time of 26:29. Meghan Bruce, a sophomore, also finished in the top 100 with a time of 26:45 for the 98th spot. Sophomore Casey Valdes finished in less than a minute behind Bruce with a time of 27:08 for the 119th spot.
The Lions will compete in the Atlantic Regional Championships next Saturday, Nov. 17, at SUNY Geneseo in Morris, N.Y.
