Ramirez Leads Women's Cross Country to Fourth at CSI Invite; Willis Takes Top 10 Finish

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Senior Rebecca Ramirez (Woodhaven, N.Y./St. Francis Prep) set a personal best for the second straight race to lead the women to a fourth-place finish and senior Alec Willis (Staten Island, N.Y./St. Joseph by the Sea) earned a top 10 place in his first collegiate race to guide the men to a ninth-place for the St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) cross country teams at the College of Staten Island Invitational on Saturday morning at Clove Lakes Park. 

Women's Highlights

• Senior Rebeca Ramirez continued to lead the Bears with a new 6K best time of 28:29 that put her just outside the top 10 in 11th place overall.
• Junior Shannon Doherty (Brooklyn, N.Y./Churchill) was the second Bear across the line again with a time of 31:09, good of 23rd overall.
• In her first 6K race, Joselyn Guaman ran a time of 32:14 that was 28th overall.
• Tammarre Phajou (38:22) and Maya Bayliss (38.23) both had personal-best times—Bayliss shaving off over 10 minutes—to round out the scoring five and post the best team finish for the Bears—4th of 9 teams—this season.

Men's Highlights

• Alec Willis covered the course in his home borough in 32:21 for a ninth place individual finish.
• Freshman Danny Zhang (44:24), Denellio Bennet (47:43), Jeffery Leone (51:18) and CJ Bunnecelli (51:30) all crossed the line to complete a scoring team for the men for the first time this season.

Next up for the Bears

• SJC returns to Van Cortlandt Park to compete in the York College Invitational on Sunday (Oct. 8) starting at 10 a.m.