WOMEN WIN ELEVENTH AMERICA EAST CONFERENCE TITLE

The women's team put forth its best race of season while winning its eleventh America East Conference title.

Heavy favorites going into the race, the team's focus was on starting hard and pressing the up's and down's of UMaine's rolling hills. Michelle Palmer of Vermont had much the same idea in mind and grabbed the lead right from the gun, appearing determined to build an early lead. By the mile mark, Palmer had opened up a five second gap over our own Sherida Bird, with teammates Jennifer Kehoe, Rachel Felton, and Kathryn Ireland a few strides back. Another ten seconds back, our fifth runner, Lauren Matthews, was heading up the next pack of tightly bunched runners.

After the runners climbed a medium grade 400 meter hill and powered down a comparable descent on the other side taking them to the two mile mark, Palmer had opened up a few more seconds lead over Sherida Bird. Three seconds further back came Rachel Felton, then five more seconds came Kathryn Ireland, followed closely by Jennifer Kehoe. By that point Lauren Matthews had seperated herself from the following pack and had a clear claim on sixth place in the race, virtually putting a lock on the team win. It was clear that the team was victory was in hand. Even if one of the front five faltered, Emily Hawkins was having a great run for herself and would finish tenth, with Dina Mijuskovic just two spots behind her in twelfth.

The big question remaining was whether Palmer of Vermont could be caught, as she was storming to the finish, with less than a mile to go, with an eight second lead. Sherida Bird surged several times closing the gap by small amounts. With less than 500 meters remaining, Rachel Felton made a surge of her own to draw even with Sherida and then took off in chase of Palmer, catching her with 250 meters remaining. The finish of the race was on the track and once she got on that surface Rachel opened up, pulling away to win by 35 meters in 17:11. Palmer finished strongly in second, while Sherida Bird clocked in at 17:22 for third. Team co-captain Kathryn Ireland finsihed up next in 17:32, with Jennifer Kehoe next in at 17:42. Co-captain Lauren Matthews closed out our team scoring by placing sixth in 17:55. Emily Hawkins finished tenth in 18:15, Dina Mijuskovic finished twelfth in 18:27, Tara Johnson finished eighteenth in 18:41, while Julia Hincman placed twenty fifth running 18:59.

All in all, this was the team's best race of the season. The team's intensity is increasing just as it moves into the culmination of the year - the regional qualifying round, followed by the NCAA Championships.

                            Early in the race, (right to left) Rachel Felton, Sherida Bird, Jennifer Kehoe, Kathryn Ireland

10/27/01 12:02 PM America East Cross Country Championships Page 1
University of Maine - Orono - Saturday 10/27/01
Event 1 Women's 5,000 Meter Run WOMEN'S TEAM SCORES
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1 Boston University 19 1 3 4 5 6 10 12 Total time: 1:27:46.1 Average: 17:33.2
2 Univ. New Hampshire 74 11 13 15 17 18 21 24 Total time: 1:32:53.1 Average: 18:34.6
3 University of Maine 98 8 16 20 22 32 37 42 Total time: 1:33:45.2 Average: 18:45.0
4 Univeristy at Albany 115 7 23 26 29 30 33 35 Total time: 1:34:28.1 Average: 18:53.6
5 University of Vermont 135 2 28 31 36 38 39 41 Total time: 1:34:38.0 Average: 18:55.6
6 Stony Brook University 140 9 19 27 40 45 49 52 Total time: 1:36:03.6 Average: 19:12.7
7 Binghamton University 213 14 43 44 55 57 60 Total time: 1:41:47.9 Average: 20:21.5
7 Northeastern University 213 25 34 50 51 53 54 58 Total time: 1:41:36.3 Average: 20:19.2
9 University of Hartford 256 46 47 48 56 59 61 Total time: 1:46:41.5 Average: 21:20.3

Results by Order of Finish - Friday 10/26/01
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1 173 Felton, Rachel SR Boston University 5:32 17:11.80 1
2 265 Palmer, Michele SO University of Verm 5:33 17:16.80 2
3 172 Bird, Sherida JR Boston University 5:35 17:22.40 3
4 176 Ireland, Kathryn SR Boston University 5:38 17:32.70 4
5 178 Kehoe, Jennifer SR Boston University 5:42 17:43.50 5
6 180 Matthews, Lauren SR Boston University 5:46 17:55.70 6
7 162 Walton, Jessica SO Univeristy at Alba 5:48 18:03.90 7
8 201 Pelletier, Nicole FR University of Main 5:50 18:07.60 8
9 256 Payne, Jennifer SR Stony Brook Univer 5:50 18:09.90 9
10 174 Hawkins, Emily SR Boston University 5:52 18:15.60 10
11 222 March, Allison JR Univ. New Hampshir 5:55 18:24.30 11
12 181 Mijuskovic, Dina FR Boston University 5:56 18:27.90 12
13 218 Hayes, Caitlin SO Univ. New Hampshir 5:56 18:28.20 13
14 171 Tuchband, Lauren SR Binghamton Univers 5:57 18:31.60 14
15 230 Read, Leslie JR Univ. New Hampshir 5:58 18:33.50 15
16 200 Laverdiere, Kathryn FR University of Main 6:00 18:39.10 16
17 207 Biron, Suzanne SR Univ. New Hampshir 6:00 18:40.10 17
18 177 Johnson, Tara SO Boston University 6:00 18:41.30
19 234 Stokinger, Elizabeth FR Univ. New Hampshir 6:02 18:47.00 18
20 252 Hixson, Laura FR Stony Brook Univer 6:03 18:48.10 19
21 198 Hussey, Suzanne SR University of Main 6:03 18:48.60 20
22 237 Zitta, Michelle FR Univ. New Hampshir 6:04 18:52.80 21
23 193 Allen, Vanessa JR University of Main 6:05 18:55.90 22
24 161 Susser, Nicole FR Univeristy at Alba 6:06 18:59.20 23
25 175 Hincman, Julia FR Boston University 6:06 18:59.90
26 219 Hepp, Megan SO Univ. New Hampshir 6:08 19:04.80 24
27 247 Shaw, Meghan JR Northeastern Unive 6:08 19:05.80 25
28 154 Howell, Meghan JR Univeristy at Alba 6:08 19:06.10 26
29 249 Berman, Tessa JR Stony Brook Univer 6:09 19:08.00 27
30 258 Bolton, Margery SR University of Verm 6:09 19:08.30 28
31 159 Roeder, Megan SR Univeristy at Alba 6:09 19:08.60 29
32 157 Martinez, Zerinda JR Univeristy at Alba 6:10 19:10.30 30
33 262 Hill, Alexandra FR University of Verm 6:11 19:13.70 31
34 194 Brunton, Margaret SO University of Main 6:11 19:14.00 32
35 156 Kearns, Laura SR Univeristy at Alba 6:12 19:18.10 33
36 239 Cullen, Amber SR Northeastern Unive 6:13 19:19.90 34
37 158 Neinast, Trista SO Univeristy at Alba 6:13 19:21.60 35
38 261 Folk, Doretta SR University of Verm 6:15 19:25.40 36
39 203 Shepard, Janeen SO University of Main 6:17 19:32.90 37
40 259 Brodeur, Bethany SO University of Verm 6:17 19:33.80 38
41 257 Auwater, Tessa FR University of Verm 6:17 19:34.10 39
42 216 Garrity, Mary FR Univ. New Hampshir 6:18 19:36.60
43 253 Huggler, Tina SR Stony Brook Univer 6:21 19:43.80 40
44 266 Young, Elizabeth SR University of Verm 6:23 19:50.90 41
45 196 Hedlund, Ellen SR University of Main 6:24 19:53.70 42
46 165 Kline, Mandy SR Binghamton Univers 6:24 19:54.40 43
47 169 Nellenback, Anna JR Binghamton Univers 6:26 20:02.00 44
48 155 Juva, Theresa FR Univeristy at Alba 6:28 20:05.70
49 251 Gregory, Patricia SR Stony Brook Univer 6:30 20:13.80 45
50 160 Scoville, Sarah SO Univeristy at Alba 6:30 20:14.20
51 197 Howley, Charlotte FR University of Main 6:32 20:20.10

RANK COMP# ATHLETE NAME YR SCHOOL AVG MILE TIME SCORE
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52 263 Lloyd, Anna FR University of Verm 6:35 20:27.50
53 186 Goodwin, Mackenzie FR University of Hart 6:41 20:46.40 46
54 192 Phillips, Bethany FR University of Hart 6:41 20:47.80 47
55 191 McVeigh, Rebecca FR University of Hart 6:42 20:50.10 48
56 254 Marzella, Nicole SO Stony Brook Univer 6:42 20:52.00 49
57 248 Winsor, Elizabeth JR Northeastern Unive 6:44 20:55.70 50
58 244 Passalacqua, C. FR Northeastern Unive 6:45 21:00.60 51
59 250 Fausin, Karla JR Stony Brook Univer 6:48 21:09.60 52
60 241 Hector, Christina SR Northeastern Unive 6:50 21:14.30 53
61 246 Shaffer, Amanda SO Northeastern Unive 6:52 21:20.30 54
62 255 Paric, Manira JR Stony Brook Univer 6:56 21:32.90
63 170 Ruppert, Laryssa FR Binghamton Univers 6:56 21:33.10 55
64 187 Hegarty, Megan FR University of Hart 6:57 21:37.30 56
65 168 McCage, Jennifer FR Binghamton Univers 7:00 21:46.80 57
66 242 Martin, Shannon FR Northeastern Unive 7:03 21:54.30 58
67 188 Marshall, Rebecca FR University of Hart 7:17 22:39.90 59
68 164 Gordon, Kauren FR Binghamton Univers 7:18 22:43.50 60
69 190 McIntosh, Erin FR University of Hart 7:20 22:47.20 61
70 240 Daly, Melissa FR Northeastern Unive 7:29 23:18.00