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SALVE REGINA UNIVERSITY SEAHAWKS

Demeo, Owen lead Seahawks at Connecticut College Invitational

Alex Demeo (Photo by Jen McGuinness)
Alex Demeo (Photo by Jen McGuinness)

WATERFORD, Conn – Junior Alex Demeo (Burlington, Mass.) and sophomore Olivia Owen (Weymouth, Mass.) were the top performers for Salve Regina against an elite field at the Connecticut College Invitational on Saturday.

The meet included several of the top programs in the northeast, with seven teams holding regional rankings and four holding national rankings in the most recent polls from the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.

Steady rain soaked the course at Harkness Memorial State Park, leaving runners to navigate puddles and mud along the loops that comprised the 6,000-meter course. Conditions worsened after the men's race, with sections of slick, shredded grass adding to the challenge of the championship layout.

Coast Guard Academy freshman Kaitlyn Mooney outpaced the rest of the field, cruising to the individual championship in 21:35.8. Tufts University senior Brittany Bowman finished second at 21:55.6.

Middlebury College, ranked No. 3 in New England and No. 9 in the national poll, placed all five scorers in the top 10 to win the team title with a score of 36. Tufts (No. 5, New England; No. 16, National) finished second with 48, and RPI (No. 2, Atlantic; No. 17, National) was third with 138.

The top teams also included Trinity College (No. 10, New England), SUNY New Paltz (No. 9, Atlantic), Brandeis University (No. 6, New England; No. 35, National) and SUNY Plattsburgh (No. 7, Atlantic). There were 21 complete teams in the field.

Demeo and Owen, the only Seahawks inside the top 100 in the field of 273, gained good position off the starting line and split the first mile at 6:03 and 6:07, respectively. The pace slowed considerably in the second mile and evened off during the third. Senior Alexa Cipkas (Granby, Conn.), sophomore Cianna Lynch (Cranston, R.I.) and freshman Sydney DeCesare (Johnston, R.I.) rounded out the scoring for the Seahawks.

Salve Regina performances included:

57. Alex Demeo – 24:11.2
78. Olivia Owen – 24:30.0
114. Alexa Cipkas – 25:08.4
174. Cianna Lynch – 26:15.4
179. Sydney DeCesare – 26:19.1
191. Kat Bruce – 26:47.8
198. Hannah Lussier – 26:53.1
199. Annie Mozzer – 26:54.7
202. Francesca Moore – 26:57.4
217. Ashley Schafer – 27:21.7
227. Rachel Sandri – 27:53.4
233. Emily Riley – 28:06.4
245. Jillian LeBeau – 28:55.1
251. Aoife Duffy – 29:11.4
260. Katie Gillespie – 29:42.7
271. Mabelitza Guzman – 31:30.4

The Seahawks will return to action at the Commonwealth Coast Conference Championship on Oct. 28.