Posted: Jun 03, 2017

Top Five Flashback: Men's Cross Country #5

NEWPORT, R.I. - Salve Regina University athletics resumes its summer series with a daily flashback to the top five moments of 2016-17 for each of its 19 varsity sports. Beginning with Memorial Day (Monday, May 29, 2017) and finishing with the final day of August, 95 moments (19 x 5) will be shared to relive the most exciting happenings of the most recent Seahawk season.

Freshman Chandler Da Cruz (Middletown, R.I.) hit his stride during the 2016 racing campaign, dropping nearly three minutes from his 8,000-meter time and playing a varsity role in two postseason championship meets.

Da Cruz first raced 8,000 meters at UMass-Dartmouth on Sept. 17, where his time was 32:43.83. His performances improved in October, with 8Ks in the low 31s at Connecticut College and Western New England University. He earned a spot in the lineup at the ECAC Division III Cross Country Championship. But it was at the NCAA Division III Regional Championship that he made a breakthrough.

Racing as an alternate in place of an injured Brett Jutras, Da Cruz cruised over the course at Westfield State University, breaking 30 minutes for the first time (29:59) and running in the No. 6 spot for Salve Regina.

"Chandler was a bit of an unknown when he joined the team. I wasn't sure of what to expect from him, but he quickly proved himself to be a hard working, highly capable runner," said head coach Rob McGuinness. "I'm eager to see him take on a role as one of our regular varsity contributors in the future."

Salve Regina University
Salve Regina athletics sponsors 19 NCAA Division III varsity sports for men and women. The Seahawks compete in the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC - baseball, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's cross country, field hockey, football, men's ice hockey, men's and women's lacrosse, men's and women's soccer, softball, men's and women's tennis, women's track and field, women's volleyball), New England Hockey Conference (NEHC - women's ice hockey), New England Intercollegiate Sailing Association (NEISA - sailing). Beginning in 2017-18, Salve Regina will also sponsor equestrian as a varsity sport, and adds junior varsity programs for baseball and men's lacrosse.