By Bailey Knecht, sports editor

The Northeastern cross country team returned to the grueling Franklin Park course on Saturday to compete in the New England Championships.

With a score of 247, the men’s team finished in sixth place. Once again, senior Zachary Fraielli proved just how essential he is to the team, with a time of 24:43.30 in the 8k, averaging under five minutes per mile.

“This is more of a mental sport,” Fraielli said, “so [I’ve remained consistent] just by staying positive and trusting the training I’m doing with my coaches and fellow athletes.”

Freshman Christian Stafford followed Fraielli with a time of 25:17.44 and a 45th place finish.

The women’s team had similar success in the race, finishing in 12th after a 21st place finish in 2013.

Like Fraielli, Lucy Young, former Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Rookie of the Year, followed up consistent performances with another strong finish. The sophomore earned second place with a 5k time of 17:34.73. Fellow sophomore Jordan O’Dea ran a 17:49.28 race, good enough for seventh place.

Following the race, Young and Fraielli were named CAA Runners of the Week.

The Huskies have a three-week break to prepare for the CAA Championships on Nov. 1 in Franklin Park.

“I’m staying focused on the goals, both on an individual and team level,” Fraielli said. “I’m going to adjust my training throughout the next few weeks and prioritize recovery to make sure I’m in the best shape possible come race day.”

Photo courtesy Northeastern Athletics