McGuinness names four captains for women's cross country

NEWPORT, R.I. (August 30, 2019) -- Seniors Olivia Owen (Weymouth, Mass.), Cianna Lynch (Cranston, R.I.), Rachel Sandri (Marlboro, N.Y.) and junior Sydney DeCesare (Johnston, R.I.) have been appointed as captains of the women's cross country team for the 2019-2020 season.

Owen, who also served as a captain in 2018-2019, is one of the most decorated distance runners on the team. She earned a spot on the All-Commonwealth Coast Conference Team last fall with a fourth-place finish in the CCC Championship. Owen is also a former All-New England honoree at 10,000 meters on the track. She shared the team's Runner of the Year award in 2018.

"Liv is an amazing teammate and training partner. She sets ambitious goals and demonstrates exactly what is required to be successful at this level. No one on our team is better at leading by example," said head coach Rob McGuinness. "We are so fortunate to have Liv at Salve Regina."

Lynch has played a vital role in some of the most memorable meets in program history. She is part of the lineup that holds the school record for combined team time at 6,000 meters and has been a varsity contributor in numerous invitational victories. Lynch ranks among the 10 fastest Seahawks of all time at 6K.

"Cianna adds so much to our team. The entries on our all-time list tell only part of the story," McGuinness said. "Cianna is a natural at making her teammates feel welcome and at ease. Her wonderful sense of humor keeps the mood light, even when we are doing very challenging work in practice."

Sandri has been an important presence, both on the trails and behind the scenes, for the Seahawks. She represented the program in major invitationals, including the Purple Valley Classic and the Connecticut College Invitational. Sandri also serves as the team's rep on Salve Regina's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.

"Rachel is an incredibly bright, hard-working individual. She always brings her best effort and encourages her teammates to do the same," McGuinness said. "We appreciate the important work that she does with SAAC, both in terms of visibility for our team and in the initiatives that benefit our student-athletes."

DeCesare has been a regular varsity contributor in each of her two seasons on the team. She represented Salve Regina in two NCAA Division III New England Regional Championships and has scored in multiple invitational victories. DeCesare was the team's Rookie of the Year in 2017 and the team's Most Improved Runner in 2018.

"It was encouraging to see Syd take ownership of her group in workouts last fall. She was clearly invested in her training partners and was determined to help them meet their goals," McGuinness said. "That was a leadership move. Syd does so much to make our team better, and it is a pleasure to work with her."

The Seahawks open their season at the Battle of the North Shore in Wenham, Mass., on August 31.