ROCHESTER, N.Y. – As Owen White passed the 5K mark in the East Coast Conference Men’s Cross Country Championships on Saturday he noticed a “mass of blue” cheering for him on the Matt St. James Cross Country Trail.
The Roberts Wesleyan University senior didn’t recognize the group at first, but soon realized that members of the Lockport High School cross country team had come out to show support for White and his Redhawkteammates. White, a 2020 Lockportgraduate, felt an extra jolt of adrenaline that helped carry him over the last three kilometers to lead Roberts to a 1-2-3 finish and its ninth straight ECC title.
White, who was runner-up in the race to teammate Blake Kasper last year. Teammate Jackson Doran finished second in 24:58.8 and Kasper placed in third in 25:01.0. Roberts won the team competition with 18 points while Daemen finished second with 38.
“I think that it is really nice that tradition is being passed on,” said Andrew Dorr, Roberts’ Director of Cross Country and Track and Field. “When you pass down tradition there is a culture and they push each other. It’s a nice repeat cycle to have.”
White, Doran and Kasper all set personal records while taking more than a minute off of their times from 2022.
“They are head and shoulders above where they used to be,” said Dorr, who was named ECC Coach of the Year for the 10th straight season. “The key for them has been consistent work and consistent improvement week after week.”
Junior Zachary Hall placed fifth in 25:44 and senior Theodore Pintabona was seventh in 26:03. 8 to complete the scoring for Roberts. Senior Ryan Karker (10th in 26:48.1) and junior Jaxon Bunting (14th in 26:48.1) also placed in the top 15 for Roberts.
“The team effort was great,” White said. “I think that almost everybody PR’d and it was a perfect day. The course was nice and fast.”
White was awarded ECC Runner of the Year honors while Doran, Kasper, Hall and Pintabona were recognized as first-team All-ECC. Karker and Bunting earned second-team All-ECC. Junior Landon Schreib (17th in 27:02.2) and freshmen Caleb Belanger (19thin 27:46.0), Vincent Ciraolo (28th in 28:42.6) and Micah Barber (29th in 28:43.8).
While White was pleased with Saturday’s results, he and his teammates are not satisfied and have turned their attention to their next race, the 2023 NCAA Division II East Region Championship on Nov. 4 in Hopkinton, N.H,
“It feels good to win it and know that I worked for it,” White said. “But the major goal is to win regionals.”
ROCHESTER, N.Y. – With less than 10 minutes remaining before the start of the East Coast Conference Women’s Cross Country championship race, Andrew Dorr wasn’t sure what kind of day his team was going to have.
A little more than a half hour later Dorr, the Director of Track and Field and Cross Country at Roberts Wesleyan University, was smiling as the Redhawks overcame illness and adversity to earn their ninth consecutive ECC championship.
Junior Acacia Barber won the 5K race in 18:30.4 as the host Redhawks were again victorious on the Matt St. James Cross Country Trails. Sophomore Rachel Horner-Richardson placed second in 18:41.6 and senior Kylee Odell placed third in 18:49.7 as Roberts swept the top three spots.
Strong efforts by senior Zoe Perkins, who placed ninth in 19:11.1 and sophomore Lydia Roselund, who was 14th in 19:46.7, allowed the Redhawks to hold off a strong push from Daemen. The Redhawks finished with 29 points, while Daemen had 49. D’Youville was third with 61.
“Acacia has been quietly and steadily making progress this fall and it was great to see her win today,” Dorr said. “Our fourth and fifth runners ran fast and our top three got the job done.”
Barber, who finished third last year, trimmed 39 seconds off her time in 2022.
“I definitely started out consistent and then I kicked it in with halfway to go,” Barber said. “It was a calm, steady progression to the race.”
Barber earned ECC Runner of the Year and Horner-Richardson and Odell were named first-team All-ECC. Perkins and Roselund secured spots on All-ECC second-team. Dorr was named ECC Coach of the Year.
Senior Julianna Lewis placed 18th (20:32.22), sophomore Gianna Tribotte finished 20th(20:40.6) and senior Emma Rath crossed the line 23rd for Roberts (21:06.8).
The Redhawks’ next race will be the NCAA Division II East Region Championships on Nov. 4 in Hopkinton, N.H.
“Our team time today was a minute faster than last year and our team time was a minute faster than earlier this year,” Dorr said. “I am encouraged by the progress that we have made throughout the year and we still have some goals to pursue.”