• Westerly RI sr Andrew Springer 15:03 over Brookline MA sr David Wilson 15:10 for individual title; Mansfield MA niped MSIT MA, 72-73, in the team battle
• Roslyn NY jr Emily Lipari 17:35 over Hopewell NJ sr Clare Buck 17:49 for girls individual crown. US#12 NE#1 Lincoln-Sudbury MA rolls to team title with 38 to Northport NY's 82.

                            Girls - Saratoga (NY)        127:10    18:10.0   2003

 WINNERS TABLE (Click on race name for full results)  

Results courtesy of Platt Systems       

 XC rookie takes first major title

The pre-meet hype centered on a few match-ups that did not happen, but that did not dampen the final results of the 26th Brown University Cross Country Invitational.  The meet was highlighted by the first major win by a cross country rookie, a Footlocker finalist making her season debut, a close team battle on the boy’s side and a dominating win on the girls.  

Boys Championship -  The race was supposed to be a show down between one of New York’s best runners and teams against New England rivals, but Shoreham Wading River (NY) ended up in the Varsity Division I race which they won with ease behind the individual win by Bobby Andrews.  The absence of SWR left the Championship race mostly a New England affair with both individual and team titles going to the northern schools.  Right from the gun Andrew Springer (Westerly, RI) and David Wilson (Brookline, MA) jumped to the front and pulled away from the field.  Together through the first mile it was then that Springer would start applying pressure.  A fast 2nd mile would be like body blows to Wilson as when the pair approached the 800 to go post, Springer had a few strides lead that would grow all the way to the finish.  Springer who played soccer prior to giving cross country a try this season, looked smooth and under control all the way over the finish line stopping the clock at 15:02.4 = to the #2 time run in the history of the meet and just shy of the meet record.  

Behind the two leaders a tight team battle was shaping up between Mansfield (MA) McKee States Island Tech(NY) and Amherst(MA).  After each team had 2 runners over the finish line McKee held a 5 point lead over Mansfield with Amherst another 4 points back.  As runners streamed over the finish the scores began to tighten up.  After 3 runners McKee’s lead over Mansfield had been cut to 3 which would be further reduced to 1 after each team had 4 runners in.  When Mansfield’s Brendan Boyle was able to beat McKee’s Mike Caputo by 2 places the team title would belong to Mansfield.

While Mansfield was walking home with the trophy for the Championship race, it would be Shoreham Wading River’s win in the Division I race that would be the top team time of the day.

Girls Championship – In 2007 Emily Lipari (Roslyn, NY) finished off her season with a New York Federation title and a surprise 6th place finish at the Footlocker Nationals.  Planning on having her season again go into December, Lipari had put off getting her season off to a start until today.  Going right to the front, Lipari was  able to control the race and was never really under threat.  Lipari’s 17:34.8 clocking is the 11th fastest time in meet history and was good enough for a 14 win over Clare Buck (Hopewell Valley, NJ).  Lipari’s win was expected in the build-up to the weekend, but the team battle was to be a close battle between NE #1 Lincoln Sudbury and #4 New York Saratoga Springs.  The two schools had been 5th and 6th at last weeks Eastern States Championship race at the Manhattan Invitational, but Saratoga would decide to pass up the race leaving Lincoln Sudbury alone to dominate the field.  With all 5 of its runners in the top 20, which included runners not part of full teams, Lincoln Sunbury easily outdistanced runner up Northport(NY) by 44 points.

Schedule:

Course walk-through Oct 17th @ 3:30 and 5:00pm

8:50 Race 1 Freshmen overflow Extra 9th graders Girls/Boys combined
9:20 Race 2 Freshmen 1-7 9th graders Girls
9:45 Race 3 Freshmen 1-7 9th graders Boys
10:10 Race 4 J.V. I Unlimited number Girls
10:40 Race 5 J.V. II Unlimited number Girls
11:10 Race 6 J.V. I Unlimited number Boys
11:35 Race 7 J.V. II Unlimited number Boys
12:00 Race 8 Varsity A - I 5-7 runners Girls
12:30 Race 9 Varsity A - II 5-7 runners Girls
1:00 Race 10 Varsity A - I 5-7 runners Boys
1:25 Race 11 Varsity A - II 5-7 runners Boys
1:50 Race 12 Championship 5-7 runners Girls
2:25 Race 13 Championship 5-7 runners Boys

Preview - Mass vs NY highlight team battle

Looking ahead to the end of the invitational portion of the cross country season, the Brown Invitational in Rhode Island each year provides an opportunity for teams from the Northeast to test themselves against top flight competition from the region before heading into league, county and state competition.  The 26th edition of the meet, to be held this Saturday at Goddard Park, just south of Providence, is shaping up with a showdown: Lincoln Sudbury (MA) and Saratoga Springs (NY) (#12 and #13 in the new Harrier National Poll)highlight the girls action.  The two schools recently placed 5th and 6th at the Eastern States Race at the Manhattan Invitational, separated by only 11 points.  Going into this weekend’s race, Lincoln Sudbury is ranked #1 in the Northeast NXN Rankings while Saratoga is # 4 in the New York NXN list   There was less than a 1-second difference between the two teams’ 5-runner average at Manhattan, so a close battle is anticipated this weekend.  While the team title looks like it could be a two-team race, the race for individual honors could be a solo affair, as dark horse Footlocker title contender and defending New York Federation champion, Emily Lipari (Roslyn NY) is scheduled to run.  Lipari has not been seen much in 2008, but with a 6th place finish at the 2007 Footlocker Nationals to her credit, she should be the class of the field.

The Girls Championship field includes:
Teams
Brookline(Ma)
Coventry(Ma)
Hopewell Valley (NJ)
Hopkinton (Ma)
Lincoln Sudbury (Ma)
North Shore (NY)
Northport(NY)
Saratoga Springs (NY)
St John’s Prep (Ma)
William Floyd (NY)

Individuals
Christine Conners (Acton Boxborough, Ma)
Sarah Bowhill (Framingham, Ma)
Emily Lanios (Hamilton Wenham, Ma)
Kristen Veit (Holyoke Catholic, Ma)
Rosa Morielli (Naugatuck, Ct)
Marissa Shogi (Noble & Greenough, Ma)
Randalle Boots (Providence Country Day School, RI)
Emily Lipari (Roslyn, NT)
Leah Tully (Shepherd Hill, Ma)
Ali Tyburski(Shepard Hill, Ma)

On the boys’ side, a trio of Massachusetts teams will face off with a top squad from New York. Mansfield MA currently #2, Amherst MA #3 and Brookline MA #6 in Massachusetts Division I, will square off against Shoreham Wading River, ranked as the #3 team in New York. The home state could have something to cheer about as Westerly’s Andrew Springer should be in the hunt for the individual crown, but could face a stiff challenge from Robby Andrews (Shoreham Wading River, NY), who captured the “G” race at the Manhattan Invitational, recording the 10th fastest time of the day among the 1836 varsity runners.

Boys Championship entries include:

Teams
Acton-Boxborough(Ma)
Amherst (Ma)
Barrington(RI)
Brookline (Ma)
Coventry (RI)
Delbarton(NJ)
Mansfield (Ma)
Millbury(Ma)
McKee Staten Island Tech(NY)
New Bedford (Ma)
Sachem East (NY)
Sachem (NY)
Saratoga (NY)

Individuals
Will Gibbons (Belmont Hill School,Ma)
Andrew Barao(East Providence, RI)
Phineus McGovern (Framingham, Ma)
Ben Noble (Horace Mann, NY)
Matthew Macdeo(Ponaganset, RI)
Cole McGuire (Ponaganset, RI)
Eric Jenkins (Portsmouth, NH)
Tim O’Loughlin(Westerly, RI)
Andrew Springer (Westerly, RI)



Entered teams (for the most up to date entry listing check Platt Timing Systems)