BRONX - Sophomore Addie DiFrancesco (Waterbury, Conn.) finished second overall to lead the Marist women's cross country team finish second at the 2009 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Women's Cross Country Championship, held at Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx on Friday. The Red Foxes' second place finish is the team's highest since 2006, when it also finished second.
DiFrancesco, who finished third overall at the MAAC meet as a freshman last year, ran a time of 22:51.8 as Marist's top finisher. Senior Brittany Burns (Watertown, N.Y.) placed eighth overall in a time of 23:53.2. Sophomore Kathryn Sheehan (Wading River, N.Y.) was right behind her, finishing ninth in 23:54.6. Freshmen Jackie Gamboli Stony Point, N.Y.) and Erin O'Reilly (East Patchogue, N.Y.) rounded out the scoring pack and helped put Marist in second place. The duo charged hard in the last 1,000 meters to finish 16th and 22nd respectively. Gamboli ran a time of 24:38.6 while O'Reilly covered the course in a time of 24:48.4.
Four other Marist runners finished in the top-50 in Friday afternoon's race. Julie Hudak (Pearl River, N.Y.) placed 30th overall in a time of 25:02.3. Jillian Corley (New London, N.H.) ran a time of 25:14.8 to finish in 34th place. Sophomore Briana Crowe (Bayville, N.J.) finished 46th overall, running a time of 25:36.2. Kelley Hanifin (Long Valley, N.J.) placed 50th in a time of 25:42.3.
Marist finished the meet with 56 points, 29 points behind champion Iona which had 27. Canisius finished third with 66 points, followed by Loyola and Rider. Iona's Anna Holm-Jorgensen was the individual winner of the meet, covering the course in 22:40.9.
The Red Foxes now have two weeks to prepare for the NCAA Northeast Regional, which will be run at Franklin Park in Boston, Mass. on Saturday, Nov. 14.
2009 MAAC Women's Cross Country Championship
1. Iona 27
2. Marist 56
3. Canisius 66
4. Loyola 94
5. Rider 144
6. Fairfield 157
7. Manhattan 214
8. Niagara 243
9. Siena 258
10. Saint Peter's 261
Marist Individual Results
2. Addie DiFrancesco 22:51.8 - All-MAAC
8. Brittany Burns 23:53.8 - All-MAAC
9. Kathryn Sheehan 23:54.6 - All-MAAC
16. Jackie Gamboli 24:38.6
22. Erin O'Reilly 24:48.4
Julie Hudak 25:02.3
Jillian Corley 25:14.8
Brianna Crowe 25:36.2
Kelley Hanifin 25:42.3
Sarah Keating 25:42.6
Kara Lightowler 25:52.8
Sarah Parsloe 26:03.1
Laura Lindsley 26:05.2
Katie Topalian 26:19.9
Dayna McLaughlin 26:32.2
Allyson O'Brein 26:47.9
Rebecca Denise 27:00.1
Shannon Farrell 27:02.3
Dana Boscarino 27:25.1
Kelley Gould 27:48.6
Rachel Lichtenwalner 28:04.1
Elizabeth O'Brien 28:15.5
Rachel Bremer 28:21.9
Colleen Smith 28:48.7
Meaghan Lass 29:45.7
Daria Kowalik 30:46.1
