Missett Earns All-Conference Honors at GNAC Championship
STANDISH, ME- Junior captain Meghan Missett (Lowell, MA) finished in eighth place at the Great Northeast Athletic Conference Women's Cross Country Championship at St. Joseph's College of Maine on Saturday, earning All-Conference honors for the first time.
STANDISH, ME- Junior captain Meghan Missett (Lowell, MA) finished in eighth place at the Great Northeast Athletic Conference Women's Cross Country Championship at St. Joseph's College of Maine on Saturday, earning All-Conference honors for the first time.
Missett finished the 5k course in 21:38.58, just three seconds behind her previous time on the course this season, and less than a minute behind the individual winner on the course. St. Joseph's of Maine sophomore Danielle Cusack (Portland, ME) won the individual Championship with a time of 20:53. With the individual effort, Cusack, a first-year runner, earned dual conference honors as Runner and Rookie of the Year. The awards are given annually to the individual champion and top first-year finisher respectively. She is the fifth individual in GNAC women's cross country history to collect both awards.
The top ten runners to complete the GNAC Championships automatically receive the All-Conference accolades. Missett is just the second Laser in history to receive All-Conference honors from the GNAC, the last time being in 2007 during Lasell's inaugural year in the league.
Following Missett in was first-year Laser runner Solange Carpenter (Gorham, ME) who came in 18th place overall in a time of 22:54.66. Junior Amanda Driscoll (Roslindale, MA) crossed the finish line third for Lasell with a time of 23:10.21 and in 25th place.
Christina Annicelli (North Easton, MA), Alexandra Smith (North Easton, MA), and Nora Ulias (Holyoke, MA) also scored for Lasell. Annicelli placed 39th with a time of 24 minutes, nine seconds, Smith ended in 51st place 49 seconds later, and Ulias clocked a time of 28:29. The Lasers finished in sixth place as a team.
Johnson & Wales University collected team honors with 54 points, 12 ahead of runner-up St. Joseph's (66 points). Emerson College placed third with 83 points, Emmanuel College was fourth (103) and St. Joseph (CT) finished fifth (124). Lasell College (136), Norwich University (143), Albertus Magnus College (221), Mount Ida College (237) and Suffolk University (259) rounded out field of competing programs. Rivier College and Pine Manor College also participated, but neither team scored in the event.
For Johnson & Wales, the women's team win is the program's fourth and first since the 2003 campaign. The Wildcats are now tied with Emerson for the most women's team titles (4) in GNAC meet history.
Cusack is just the second Monks' female runner to post a sub-21-minute time at the St. Joseph's course.
Emmanuel College Head Coach Tony DaRocha was selected as the 2010 GNAC Women's Cross Country Coach of the Year. The honor, which is DaRocha's second top coach award, was voted on by conference head coaches prior to the start of the meet.
2010 GNAC Women's Cross Country All-Conference Team (Top 10 Finishers):
1 Cusack, Danielle Saint Joseph's 20:53.91 1
2 Hoglund, Heather Emerson College 21:02.01 2
3 Furfaro, Laura Johnson & Wales 21:06.93 3
4 Clark, Mallory Norwich University 21:14.70 4
5 Pattyson, Julie Saint Joseph 21:24.55 5
6 Panny, Lindsay Johnson & Wales 21:34.61 6
7 Viglienzoni, Cat Emerson College 21:36.26 7
8 Missett, Meghan Lasell College 21:38.58 8
9 Murphy, Katie Saint Joseph's 21:50.37 9
10 DelSignore, Joslyn Emmanuel College 21:55.89 10