Salve Regina ran on the same trail, albeit 5,000 meters, on the Gordon campus on September 27 in the Pop Crowell Invitational. (Photo by Jen McGuinness)
Salve Regina ran on the same trail, albeit 5,000 meters, on the Gordon campus on September 27 in the Pop Crowell Invitational. (Photo by Jen McGuinness)
Posted: Oct 29, 2014

Seahawks’ depth could make difference in CCC meet

NEWPORT, R.I. - Salve Regina will look for support from a deep lineup in a bid for the Commonwealth Coast Conference Championship on November 1 (12 p.m.). The Seahawks currently have 15 runners on the roster who have been a part of the team's top seven at some point in their collegiate careers.

Junior captain Aubrey Palmquist (Bristol, Conn.) and sophomores Amy Irving (Bohemia, N.Y.) and Victoria Varone (Providence, R.I.) will again lead the way for Salve Regina. Palmquist raced in every invitational this season, running in the No. 1 spot three times, while Irving and Varone both posted personal best times at 5K over the course of the fall.

Freshmen Olivia Wilson (Bethel, Conn.) and Alexa Cipkas (Granby, Conn.) have consistently placed among the Seahawk scorers, while juniors Shannon Holden (Hingham, Mass.), Jackie Ofria (Manchester, Conn.) and Rachel Gedansky (Tolland, Conn.) and sophomores Alannah O'Rourke (Rockville Centre, N.Y.) and Nicole Schafer (Manorville, N.Y.) have also played contributing roles this season.

"We're fortunate to have a big group of runners who are capable of making a significant impact on our scoring," said head coach Rob McGuinness. "That depth has served us especially well in the invitational meets. Now it's just a matter of putting it all together when it matters most."

The Seahawks finished third in the CCC in 2013. Improving on that placement will require a peak performance against the University of New England, the two-time defending conference champion, and Roger Williams University, the 2013 runner up. The Seahawks last saw UNE at Gordon College on Sept. 28, when the Nor'Easters had a 1-5 scoring spread of 43 seconds. Salve Regina also went head to head with Roger Williams at Western New England on Oct. 18.

"We're facing some formidable opponents. UNE is tough. Their scorers work in a pack and they communicate well on the course. Roger Williams is always a threat with Hannah Zydanowicz up front and a solid scoring pack to back her up," McGuinness said. "It's going to take everything we have to put up a low score."

Salve Regina won two invitational meets this season and placed second in two others. The lineup of Irving, Varone, Palmquist, Cipkas and Wilson also shattered the program record for combined team time for 5K at UMass-Dartmouth in September. Saturday's meet poses an opportunity to build on those earlier successes as the championship distance – 6K – comes into play.

"We're ready. We know what we need to do," McGuinness said. "If there's one thing I can count on, it's that every single runner, from No. 1 to No. 26, will give this race their absolute best effort. We'll fight it out to the very end."

The Commonwealth Coast Conference cross country championship is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 1 at Gordon College in Wenham, Mass. The women's race will start at noon.

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Courtesy of Rob McGuinness