The men’s and women’s cross country teams walked away with impressive second and third place standings, respectively, in the CAA Championships hosted in Lakewood, N.J., Oct. 31.
Leading the pack in the men’s 8K was freshman Dawson French, who placed fourth with a time of 23:41.9, almost a minute faster than his previous personal best. In the women’s 6K, junior Keira Gamily led the way for the Huskies in seventh place with a time of 21:18.5, also her new personal best.
French is a familiar name on the Huskies’ stats sheets this season. The team has been dominant, placing first in all three of its meets before the championships, and French found himself playing an important role in all three victories.
The Huskies also dominated the men’s standings at the championships, with senior Patrick Cantlon and sophomore Nico Boyle coming in hot behind French in fifth and sixth place, respectively.
Cantlon has been a standout performer for the Huskies after placing first at the IC4A/Eastern College Athletic Conference championships Oct. 17. Boyle has also had a breakout season, with the runner’s lowest placement being his seventh place finish at the Maribel Sanchez Invitational.
On the women’s side, the next two Huskies after Gamily were graduate student Stephanie Kriss and freshman Kirsten Melnik. In her final conference championship appearance, Kriss placed 19th with a time of 21:42.4. Melnik also contributed to the win, with a time of 21:52.2 in her 26th place finish.
Both teams walked away from the meet with strong performances. The men’s team earned 51 points and has had an outstanding season, the championships being the only meet where it has not placed first. The women’s team, which earned 100 points at the meet, has also had a steady season, placing no lower than sixth at any of its meets so far.
The Huskies will compete next at the NCAA Northeast Regionals in Hopkinton, N.H. Nov. 14.
