Cross Country Has Strong Showing at NCAA Regionals
Leopards score the second-best team score in program history (463) to finish 17th; Senior Alex Robbins records the program's first-ever top 10 finish and awaits possible selection to the NCAA Championships
GORHAM, Maine – The Wentworth Institute of Technology cross country team notched its fourth top 20 finish in as many seasons as the Leopards placed 17th out of 54 teams at the NCAA Division III New England Regional Meet, which was run at the Gorham Country Club. The Leopards had a team score of 463, the second-best in the program's four-year varsity history.
Senior Alex Robbins (Mansfield, Mass.) highlighted the event with a 10th-place nod at 25:43, marking the first time a Leopard has finished in the top 10 at the NCAA Regionals. Robbins ran the eight-kilometer race in under 26 minutes for the third time this season, running his second-fastest time of the season. With his 10th-place finish, Robbins, who finished at the same time as Gordon College senior Damon Kilgore, is all but a lock to be one of 56 individuals (seven from each of the eight regions) to qualify for the NCAA Championships next weekend. Those selections will be announced on Sunday, November 12.
Seniors Patrick Hopkins (Lansdale, Pa.) and Dan McSolla (Bridgewater, Mass.) were next to cross for the Leopards, as each wrapped up their outstanding cross country careers with a finish in the top 100. Hopkins placed 42nd overall with a time of 26:18.1, while McSolla was 90th at 27:02.9.
Junior Josh Gangemi (Norton, Mass.) had a time of 28:09 to finish 151st, followed by the freshman trio of Tom Caruso (Mahopac, N.Y.), Anthony Maida (Peabody, Mass.), and Tyler Cosma (Center Moriches, N.Y.). The trio rounded out the scoring for the Leopards, with times of 28:55.3 (177th), 29:26.8 (212th), and 30:14.6 (243rd), respectively.
MIT was crowned as the New England Regional Champions for the second straight year, finishing with a team score of 81, followed by Amherst at 91, and Middlebury at 124. MIT and Amherst will advance to next weekend's national championship as the two regional finishers.
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