Posted: Nov 09, 2013

Salve Regina’s highest team placement in its last 10 ECACs

Kayley Ryan fights to place fourth in the Seahawk lineup on Saturday.

BRISTOL, R.I. – Freshmen Victoria Varone (Providence R.I.) and Amy Irving (Bohemia, N.Y) led Salve Regina to an 11th place finish among 46 scoring teams in the ECAC Division III Cross Country Championship on Saturday. The finish marked Salve Regina's highest team placement in its last 10 appearances in the ECAC meet.

Varone and Irving took an aggressive approach to the 6,000-meter course at Colt State Park, tangling with runners from regional powers Williams, Middlebury and Tufts and working their way into the top 20 after the opening mile. Varone held on to place 31st of 327 runners, crossing the finish line at 23:46.54 – a time that stands at No. 9 on the Salve Regina all-time list for 6,000 meters. Irving finished 54th at 24:23.73.

Seniors Ema Waldschmidt (Verbank, N.Y.) and Kayley Ryan (Portland, Conn.) were the Seahawks' third and fourth runners, making well-timed moves in the final mile to place inside the top 100. Waldschmidt finished at 25:03.35, with Ryan not far behind at 25:06.87. Freshman Nicole Schafer (Manorville, N.Y.) rounded out the scoring, crossing the finish line at 25:16.14.

Freshmen Alannah O'Rourke (Rockville Centre, N.Y.) and Sam Gisonni (Hopewell Junction, N.Y.) were the Seahawks' sixth and seventh runners, finishing at 26:18.40 and 26:43.76.

Middlebury placed four runners in the top 10 on the way to winning the team title with a score of 30 points. Williams (54) and Tufts (111) finished second and third. Catie Skinner of Middlebury was the individual winner, finishing in 22:30.58.

The Seahawks return to action on Saturday, Nov. 16 at the NCAA Division III New England Regional Championship at the Narragansett School in Gorham, Maine.

# # #

Courtesy of Rob McGuinness