ALBANY, N.Y. — On Friday, Oct. 30, the University of Maine men’s and women’s cross-country teams competed in the America East Championship at the University at Albany. The women’s team placed second behind the University of Vermont, while the men’s team placed fifth overall.
The women’s team was the first to race, kicking off at 11 a.m. with a 5-kilometer race. Second-year Evelyn Wool placed ninth individually with a time of 17:43.0 and was the only Maine runner to place within the top 10. Individual first place went to University of Massachusetts Lowell fourth-year Mary-Kate Finn, who finished in 17:05.7.
Vermont was able to secure first place overall with two runners in the top three. First-year Zoey McNabb placed second individually with a time of 17:16.8, while third-year Siena Stanley placed third individually with a time of 17:29.8. They had seven runners finish in 18:35.2 with a total score of 61.
Third-year Kennedy Taylor was the next Black Bear to finish, doing so in 17:47.6 for 12th place. Third-year Veselja Treacy finished in 17:55.1, and fellow third-year Katelyn Macnamara finished in 18:00.0 for 15th and 16th place, respectively. Second-year Lauren Hamilton was the final Black Bear to finish in the top 20 with a time of 18:00.6 for 17th place.
The Black Bears had seven runners finish in 18:14.0 for a final score of 69.
The men’s race kicked off following the women’s at noon with an 8-kilometer race. While the race was extremely close, there was not a runner on the men’s team to place within the top 20. The first Black Bear to finish was second-year Ethan Keller, who placed 24th in 24:47.9.
Individual first place went to Binghamton University third-year Robert Mayclim, who finished in 23:59.7. Overall first place went to UMass Lowell, which had seven of its runners finish in 24:46.0, with a final score of 49.
The next Black Bear to cross the finish line did so just seconds after Keller, as fourth-year Logan Ross placed 25th in 24:49.1. The next runner for UMaine to finish was fourth-year Kyle McClellan, who did so in 25:12.9 for 36th place. To round out the top 50, three Black Bears finished one after another. Second-year Dan Knight had a time of 25:19.1 for 40th place, first-year Kai Morrow placed 41st with a time of 25:19.8 and fourth-year Adam Bendetson placed 42nd with a time of 25:22.7.
The Black Bears had seven runners finish in 25:49.2 for a total score of 154.
For their overall seasons, both teams have placed similarly, with the women’s team slightly outperforming the men’s. Both teams won their meet against the United States Military Academy at West Point. In the Maine State Meet, the women’s team placed first and the men’s placed second. For the Paul Short Run, the women’s team placed 29th and the men’s placed 32nd. Then, in the IC4A/ECAC, the women’s team placed 12th and the men’s placed 17th.
Following this race, both teams will go on to the NCAA Division I Cross Country Northeast Regionals on Friday, Nov. 13, at Hofstra University.
