Cross Country Battles in NCAA New England Regionals

MASON OSGOOD ’17
MANAGING EDITOR
The Men’s and Women’s Cross Country teams finished their last race of the season this past weekend on Nov. 12. This race ends a season of ups and downs for both teams.
The men were lucky to gain Ace McAlister ’20, who proved to be a valuable asset as he consistently placed in the top three on the men’s team. The women’s team was lead by a solid sophomore class with Lauren Barrett, Anna Barnes, and Caroline Sullivan always finishing within a minute of each other.
NCAA Division III New England Regional Championships took place at Westfield State University on a course than many Bantam runners have seen before. The men’s team finished 15th out of 56 teams overall. Most top teams were fellow NESCAC teams, all fighting for a spot to qualify for the NCAA Division III National Championship.
McAlister placed 25th with a time of 25:17 for 8k. The next Trinity runner, Zach Joachim ’19, placed 67th with a time of 26:00, followed by Luke Duros ’19 placing 115th with a time of 26:46. McAlister narrowly missed qualifying for an individual spot at the National Championship’s next weekend in Kentucky. However as a freshman, McAlister will have many more opportunities to prove himself.
Coming off of a 10th place finish at the NESCAC championship, the women placed 13th out of 56 teams at NCAA regionals. Caroline Sullivan ’19 placed 47th with a time of 22:25 for 6k. Next on the team was Lauren Barrett ’19 who placed 72nd with a time of 22:69. Rounding out the top three was Brianna Daly ’18 who placed 94th. This 13th place finish is an improvement on their finish last year by 10 spots.
Both teams have a small break during Thanksgiving but begin their indoor track season with their first meet on Dec. 3 at Smith College. This first meet is a chance for the runners to rely on their fitness from the cross-country season, and for the Class of 2020 to get a first taste of college track & field.