SPRINGFIELD, Mass.- Kim Shepherd (Essex, Conn.) and Erin Haynes continued to be the top runners for the Gulls as both runners finished in the top 20 to lead Endicott to a fifth place finish as a team. Shepherd finished in a time of 24:26 as Haynes crossed in a time of 24:51 to finish in 13th & 19th place respectively. Jillian Mendes (Waterbury Center, Vt.) finished 20th as the junior was just a half-second behind Haynes with a time of 24:52.
University of New England captured the team championship today at the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) Championships that were held on Western New England's campus.
Holly Davis (Guilford, Conn.) and Jocelyn Kane (East Longmeadow, Mass.) finished in 30th and 32nd to round out the top five for the Gulls. Davis finished in a time of 25:50 as Kane crossed with a time of 25:52.
Roger Williams sophomore Hannah Zydanowicz (Newington, Conn.) bested the entire field to earn runner of the year honors with a 6K time of 22:36. Zydanowicz also earned the rookie of the year award, as this is her first year of racing as a college student-athlete.
All-CCC recognition was given to the top-10 finishers, while Runner of the Year honors is awarded to the top finisher, and Rookie of the Year to the top "freshman" runner.
Salve Regina freshman Aubrey Palmquist (Bristol, Conn.) finished behind Zydanowicz with a time of 23:19 to place second, while Hawk junior teammate Ema Waldschmidt (Verbank, N.Y.) finished just one tick behind at 23:20.
University of New England freshman Michaela Moran (Atkinson, N.H.) finished fourth (23:37), while two of her teammates, junior Colleen Ahern (Salem, Conn.) and sophomore Annelise Donahue (South Portland, Maine) took fifth and sixth with times of 23:46 and 23:51, respectively.
Rounding out the top-10 CCC Championship Runners for All-CCC recognition were Eastern Nazarene senior Ami Curtis (East Montpelier, Vt.) (23:52), University of New England sophomore Natalie Hardman (Kalona, Iowa) (23:53), Salve Regina freshman Joelle Ross (Simsbury, Conn.) (23:59), and Gordon freshman Leanna Beedle (Bethany, Conn.) (24:08).
Salve Regina and University of New England earned the conference's team sportsmanship award while the coach of the year honor went to UNE head coach Ron Ouellette.
The senior scholar-athlete award went to Katie Hakanson-Stacy (East Longmeadow, Mass.) from Gordon. Hakanson-Stacy is a secondary education major who holds a 4.0 grade point average.
TEAM SCORES
1. University of New England - 38
2. Salve Regina - 47
3. Roger Williams - 64
4. Gordon - 99
5. Endicott - 114
6. Western New England - 172
7. Eastern Nazarene - 196
8. Curry - 237
INDIVIDUAL FINISHES
1. Zydanowicz, Hannah - So., Roger Williams - 22:36.41
2. Palmquist, Aubrey - Fr., Salve Regina - 23:19.03
3. Waldschmidt, Ema - Jr., Salve Regina - 23:20.09
4. Moran, Michaela - Fr., U. of New England - 23:37.62
5. Ahern, Colleen - Jr., U. of New England - 23:46.22
6. Donahue, Annelise - So., U. of New England - 23:51.28
7. Curtis, Ami - Sr., Eastern Nazarene - 23:52.50
8. Hardman, Natalie - So., U. of New England - 23:53.84
9. Ross, Joelle - Fr., Salve Regina - 23:59.72
10. Beedle, Leanne - Fr., Gordon - 24:08.03
