Seahawks go long to run Paul Short
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Salve Regina freshman Victoria Varone (Providence, R.I.) posted a personal best for 6,000 meters to lead the Seahawks in their debut at the Paul Short Run at Lehigh University. Running in unseasonably warm conditions that would later halt the meet, Varone covered the Goodman Cross Country Course in 24:12 to finish 177th of 483 in the women's open race.
The Seahawks were a late addition to the field at Lehigh, entering the open race when spots in the scored races were unavailable. The open race afforded an opportunity to run against the "B" teams from some of the nation's top cross country programs. Georgetown, Cornell, Harvard, Dartmouth and Indiana – among many others – had runners in the open field. La Salle alumna Meghan McGlinchey, running unattached, won the race in 20:45.
"The Paul Short Run is well known for attracting top caliber programs. It's one of the premier meets in the northeast," said head coach Dave Kraszewski. "Our athletes gained valuable racing experience, and I'm pleased that we had this opportunity."
Freshman Nicole Schafer (Manorville, N.Y.) was the Seahawks' second runner, crossing the finish line at 24:59. Senior Ema Waldschmidt (Verbank, N.Y.), senior Kayley Ryan (Portland, Conn.) and freshman Alannah O'Rourke (Rockville Centre, N.Y.) finished at 25:03, 25:30 and 25:51 to complete what would have been the Salve Regina scoring five.
Other Salve Regina finishers included:
- Jessica Graham (Lowell, Mass.) – 26:18
- Rachel Gedansky (Tolland, Conn.) – 26:20
- Andrea Ricci (Ashford, Conn.) – 26:21
- Jackie Ofria (Manchester, Conn.) – 26:21
- Shannon Holden (Hingham, Mass.) – 26:23
- Amy Irving (Bohemia, N.Y.) – 27:13
Click here for complete results of the women's open race.
The Seahawks return to action on October 19 at the Western New England Invitational in Springfield, Mass.
Courtesy of Rob McGuinness
# # #