MXC PREVIEW
BIDDEFORD, Maine – The 10 Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) women's cross country teams will make the trip to Western New England on Saturday, Oct. 30 to compete for the 2021 CCC Women's Cross Country Championship. The six-kilometer race is scheduled to start at 12 p.m. before the men's race.
When the conference last came together in 2019 to crown a CCC Champion, it was Roger Williams claiming the league title. There has been a lot of turnover for the Hawks since then, but they still have the veteran presence of Amanda Naylor (Glastonbury, Conn.) who has led her team in every race so far this year. She was even named CCC Runner of the Week once this season. Sophomore Caitlin Boufford (Londonderry, N.H.) has been Roger Williams' second-best runner this year and earned the CCC Rookie of the Week honor once.
The University of New England will be looking to return to CCC Championship status after seeing its streak of seven-straight CCC titles snapped in 2019. The team has had some success on the course this year finishing third at the Suffolk Short Course Classic and winning both the Ron Ouellette and Western New England Invitationals. Leading the way for the Nor'easters will be graduate student Jasmine Syed (Canterbury, N.H.) who has been UNE's top runner the entire year and was named CCC Runner of the Week twice. Kelsee Gladu (Woonsocket, R.I.), Sarah Kohl (Sidney, Maine), and Nina Parziale (Williamsburg, Va.) have also been consistent scorers for UNE this year. 2019 All-CCC performer Dani Jewell (Dover, N.H.) has also made contributions.
The third place finisher at the last CCC Championship, Salve Regina, returns two All-CCC honorees from that race in Cate Norton (Sandy Hook, Conn.) and Christina Moran (Oceanside, N.Y.). The Seahawks have won three of the five events in which they competed, including the Endicott Invitational, the Pop Crowell Invitational, and the Tri-State Invitational. They also finished second in the Western New England Invitational. In addition to their returning All-Conference winners, the Seahawks have also gotten major contributions from freshman Bre Shipman (New Canaan, Conn.) and sophomore Heather McKee (Churchton, Md.)
Suffolk will be running the CCC Championship race for the first time since joining the conference. The Rams will be counting on freshman Gwen Koziara (Philadelphia, Pa.) to lead them at this year's meet as she has for most of the year. The first-year competitor has already earned one CCC Runner of the Week honor and been recognized as the CCC Rookie of the Week three times. Katelynn Brunt (Hopedale, Mass.) and Sydney Fogg (York, Maine) have also been major scorers for Suffolk.
After a fourth place finish at the last CCC Championship, Endicott will be looking to improve in this year's race. Leading the way for the Gulls all year has been sophomore Cassandra Cosma (Center Moriches, N.Y.). In addition to being Endicott's top runner in all five of its races this year, Cosma was named CCC Runner and Rookie of the Week once. Michaela Kenney (Springfield, Mass.) and Brianna am Ende (East Lyme, Conn.) are also expected to factor into the scoring for Endicott.
Gordon has gotten some impressive performances out of sophomore Rachel Brennan (Lynn, Mass.) this year. She finished in the top-five of four out five races she competed in and won three of them outright. She was also named CCC Runner of the Week twice. Brennan was joined by 2019 CCC Rookie of the Year Abigail Baier (Truckee, Calif.) and Carolyn Day (Wolfeboro, N.H.) as the top three for the Fighting Scots.
Western New England, which is serving as this year's host, has gotten strong performances from first-year Emily Kowal (East Granby, Conn.) this season. She has finished as WNE's top runner in every event she has competed in and will be looking to continue that trend on in Saturday's meet.
Wentworth will be competing in its first CCC Women's Cross Country Championship this year. They are led by freshman Ashley Perry (Londonderry, N.H.). Meanwhile, Victoria Carleton (Whitman, Mass.) and Jayme Dowd (Spencer Mass.) have been the top runners for Curry and Nichols, respectively.
The CCC Championship is one of the final tune ups for cross country teams before the NCAA Division III New England Regional race which will be held on Saturday, Nov. 13. The Regional will be hosted by Suffolk at Franklin Park in Boston.
Courtesy of Rob McGuinness
NEWPORT, R.I. – Several women's cross country teams stand a legitimate chance of winning the Commonwealth Coast Conference Championship on Saturday. Salve Regina University is one of them.
The Seahawks have fared well in competition with their CCC rivals this fall, earning hard-fought victories over Endicott College, Gordon College and Roger Williams University. Salve Regina won three invitational meets, marking the program's most successful season since 2017.
Consistent pack running and depth in the scoring roles have been the keys to success for this group of Seahawks. Each of the aforementioned victories – at the Endicott College Invitational, Pop Crowell Invitational and Tri-State Invitational – were the result of sheer perseverance.
Senior captain Cate Norton (Sandy Hook, Conn.) has been the team's top harrier this fall, running in the No. 1 spot in four of five invitational meets. Norton, an All-CCC honoree in 2019, is a fierce competitor who is used to setting the tone for her teammates.
Freshman Bre Shipman (New Canaan, Conn.) and sophomore Heather McKee (Churchton, Md.) have been steady performers in the No. 2 and No. 3 roles for Salve Regina. Shipman has made a gradual return to top form over the course of the fall campaign, while a much-improved McKee has established herself as one of the top runners on the team.
Senior captain Christina Moran (Oceanside, N.Y.) is again among the team's varsity regulars. Moran, an All-CCC honoree in 2018 and 2019, has played a critical scoring role in each of the last four meets. She brings an unassuming, dependable presence to the lineup.
Freshman Delaney Marek (Northampton, Mass.) has been a reliable performer, most often providing displacement points at No. 6 or No. 7. Classmate Avery Braccia (Bristol, Conn.) also made meaningful scoring contributions this fall.
The Seahawks will look to junior Izabella Kuczorski (Simsbury, Conn.) and sophomores Olivia Forbes (North Attleboro, Mass.), Lindsey Sirois (Washington Twp., N.J.) and Kaelyn Fidrocki (Weymouth, Mass.) for help in completing their score and displacing opponents on Saturday.
"This meet has the potential to be very close. If the regular season has been any indication, there is little room for error. Every spot counts. It should make for an exciting, interesting race," said head coach Rob McGuinness. "We know this will be a battle. We're ready to race, and we'll bring our best effort."
