The Roger Williams University men and women’s cross country teams finished in third and fourth place, respectively, at the CCC Championships on Saturday, Oct. 28. (Photo: Anthony Chasse)
By Britney Dixon | Sports Manager
The Roger Williams University cross country teams traveled to the University of New England for the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) Championship on Saturday, Oct. 28 where the men placed third and women received fourth.
“There were a few guys who could barely make it across the line—the ladies, too—you could tell they were spent. I didn’t look at one person and think they had more in them,” said Head Coach Sean Livingston.
Wentworth Institute of Technology showed up with targets on their backs ready to compete against RWU. Placing three men in the top 10 of the 8K race, the Leopards were able to take home the CCC title, surpassing the Hawks by 5.32 seconds.
Throughout the roster, the men did not produce times that properly showcased their regular season work ethic. However, when the pressure got the best of them, some of the men sensed the struggle and stepped up to the best of their abilities.
“Our top two didn’t have their best races,” said senior captain Kevin McManus. “But I think our team is so deep that we have those guys who can come in and pick up some ground.”
According to McManus, two teammates that stuck out to him were sophomore Kyle Wrynn and freshman Everett Henderson. Wrynn and Henderson both placed in the top 20 with times of 28:33.7 (12th) and 29:12.4 (20th).
The women were challenged with a longer course than they were used to. The RWU team spent the entire season running 5K races, but at UNE, they were presented with a 6.1K run. According to senior captain Makayla D’Urso, this was a first for most of the freshmen.
“I know I personally like shorter races, so it’s always harder for me to do that,” D’Urso said. “The course is definitely tough, but we’ve been training for it all year.”
Livingston geared their training leading up to Saturday towards a longer course, which he says is not too big of a difference to run.
“You can be tired after a 5K or tired after a 6K,” Livingston said.
The top runners for each side will continue to prepare for the New England Championship meet in the upcoming weeks. Livingston is prepared to take senior Luke Emby, senior captain Nicholas Malone, junior Nick Sasso, freshman Tyler Marchioni, freshman Connor Hayden, and senior Andrei Safontchik for the men. On the women’s side D’Urso, sophomore Sarah Mawdsley, sophomore Hannah Kaplan, junior Piper Wilber, freshman Maya Kreidwise, and freshman Emmaline Mason will make the trip to University of Southern Maine.
With only one meet left, the seniors look towards the spring season.
“Cross country is definitely my favorite season. I still love track, but there’s just something about cross country that it feels like a lot more of a team sport and it’s sad to see the end of my running career,” McManus said.
“It’ll definitely be sad to put on my uniform and my spikes one last time, but then we have track,” D’Urso said. “I’m excited to beat Salve Regina. It’s not the end yet.”
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