Cross Country Posts Personal Bests at HVIAC Championships

ANNANDALE-ON-HUDSON, N.Y. – Led by seniors Paul Milazzo (Port Jefferson, N.Y./Connetquot) and Kelly McNamee (Glendale, N.Y./Mary Louis), the St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) men's and women's cross country teams finished in 6th and 7th place, respectively, in the 2013 Hudson Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Championships held at Bard College on Sunday afternoon.

Milazzo placed in 6th overall in the men's championship, covering the 8-kilometer course in 27:41. Sophomore Thomas Rushin (Ocoee, Fla./Ocoee) was the second across the line for the Bears in 14th place, also taking home medalist honors, and stopping the clock in 29:47, his first career sub-30 minute time. Rounding out the scoring five for the sixth place Bears was senior Joe Mendez (37:07) (Glendale, N.Y./St. Francis Prep), senior John Moore (46:42) (Glendale, N.Y./Archbishop Molloy) and junior Dickson Tan (46:43).

McNamee shattered her career-best by over a minute-and-a-half, clocking in at 22:07 and finished in 21st place. Fellow senior Melissa Morrice (Middle Village, N.Y./St. Francis Prep) followed McNamee with a 5-kilometer time of 23:58 for 37th overall. Junior Kristin D'Chiutiis (27:03) (Brooklyn, N.Y./Scholars Academy), freshman Karen Hernandez (27:27) (Elmhurst, N.Y.) and junior Lauren Conter (27:42) (Glendale, N.Y./Archbishop Molloy) completed the scoring for the Lady Bears all setting personal bests.

Yeshiva University swept both men's and women's titles, the Maccabee men winning their 4th straight title, while the women captured their first title improving upon a 5th place finish in last year's event. The Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences took home runner-up honors in both men's and women's championship.

The Bears and Lady Bears harriers will conclude their 2013 campaign at the Nick Russo Halloween Collegiate Classic on Friday, November 1st, hosted by New Jersey Institute of Technology.