The Boston University women’s and men’s cross country teams finished second and fourth out of nine teams, respectively, at the America East Cross Country Championships last Saturday in Oregon Ridge Park, Md.’
Fifth-year senior Andrea Walkonen blew away the field with her second consecutive first-place finish in the conference championships.’
Walkonen ran the 5k in 16:48.2, 34 seconds ahead of the second-place finisher in a field of 76 runners.
She has now finished first in her last three races and boasts two New England Cross Country Championship victories along with her two America East victories. On Oct. 14, she was named America East Performer of the Week.
BU coach Bruce Lehane called Walkonen ‘one of the better runners in the country.”
Junior Erin Lagasse cruised to a fourth-place finish for the Terriers.’
‘Erin has really come on in the last few months,’ Lehane said. ‘It has been a lot of fun to watch her move up through the ranks.’
Junior Sarah Mosser ran ‘her best race yet,’ according to Lehane, finishing eighth.’ ‘
Sophomore Kathleen Davies, who missed all of last season with a foot injury, ran to a 12th-place finish.
Freshman Katie Matthews (16th), senior Mollie Zapata (33rd) and freshmen Molly James (38th), Sarah Healy (45th) and Madeline Steiner (46th) rounded out the scoring for the Terriers.’ ‘ ‘
BU finished behind Stony Brook University, which captured its second consecutive America East Championship title.
The men’s team came away with a fourth-place finish in the Championship.’
Freshman Elliot Lehane, son of coach Lehane, recorded the Terriers’ best time and placed 20th.’
Lehane finished one second ahead of teammate and 21st-place finisher Ken Haltom.’
Only three seconds separated the Terriers’ top three runners, while 15 seconds separated their top four.’ ‘
‘We have to keep working to get these young guys to improve,’ Lehane said.
‘ Senior David Proctor (23rd), junior David Polgar (27th) and freshman Peter Gilmore (31st) were the only other scorers for the Terriers.’
BU’s other finishers included sophomore James Weidler, senior Tom McLean and freshman Chris Mercurio.’ ‘
‘[James Weider] is two minutes faster than last season,’ Lehane said. ‘I like our spirit and I like the way we competed.”
The University of New Hampshire won its third straight men’s America East Championship, while Stony Brook and Binghamton University placed second and third, respectively.’
Both the men and women will compete in the NCAA Northeast Regional at Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx, N.Y., on Saturday, Nov. 15.
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