The cross country team raced in the Patriot League Championships hosted by Lehigh University last Friday. The men’s team took ninth out of 10 teams in the 8K, while the women’s squad finished sixth out of 10 in the 6K.
Seniors Liz Borah and Justin Brown led the way for the Leopards, each claiming 28th place overall in their respective races, competing against fields of over 100 runners.
On the women’s side, Borah clocked in at 21:43.3 to secure her top-30 finish.
“I didn’t start the race where I hoped to be, but I focused on staying calm and relaxed,” Borah said. “As the race went on, I gradually moved up. I think I passed around six runners per mile.”
Junior Ava Severino followed closely, placing 38th (22:00.2). Sophomore Anya Kazemi crossed the line at 40th (22:05.4), while freshmen Hazel Calway and Zoe Cimo finished 54th (22:26.0) and 61st (22:35.5), respectively, to complete the team’s top five.
“I’m just so proud of all our girls,” Borah said. “It was hands down our best team effort of the year so far. Every single person showed up and made a huge impact.”
On the men’s side, Brown posted a time of 25:36.6 to earn his 28th-place finish, jumping up 21 places from 49th in last year’s championship.
“I’ve been racing with a lot more confidence this year,” Brown said. “I knew I had a shot at the top 30, so I was really happy to make that happen.”
Just like the women’s runner-up, senior Cole Chukoskie came through in 38th (25:48.5). Sophomore Cole Scattergood landed in 79th (26:53.6) and senior Titan Casey finished just behind in 80th (26:57.0). Rounding out the top five for the Maroon and White was freshman Ethan Buck, crossing the line in 91st (27:21.0).
“It wasn’t a perfect day for us as a team,” Brown said. “The group was a little disconnected, but it was a tough day conditions-wise, and we’re a younger group, so there’s a ton of room to improve.”
Army claimed gold in the women’s race, while Navy secured the victory in the men’s competition.
Select individual runners will compete at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional Championships on Nov. 14, also being held at Lehigh.
“I’m looking forward to it, it’s not as pressure-packed as leagues,” Borah said. “There’s a bit of sadness too, since it’s my final cross country race.”