The Owl women’s cross country team placed second in Friday’s meet hosted by Thomas College in Waterville, but Valentine Degiovanni, a freshman from Nice, France, was the individual winner. She ran the five-kilometer course in 20:24.2 for a 10-second margin of victory over Lindsey Joliat of Husson University. Emilia Churchill and Chenoa Jackson were the next fastest UMPI runners.
The UMPI men’s cross country team was led by Nino Manzella, a sophomore from Queensbury, New York. He has battled nagging injuries all season, but ran a strong race and finished sixth overall in 17:41.2 over five kilometers. Devon Maynard, Hunter Dionne and Kyle Davis followed for the Owls, who placed third in the three-team event.
The North Atlantic Conference cross country championships are set for Sunday in Belfast.
Maddie Thweatt of the UMPI volleyball team picked up Defensive Player of the Week honors in the North Atlantic Conference for her play on the volleyball court.
Thweatt, a sophomore from Middleton, Idaho, helped UMPI win two of three matches this past week. Her aggressive play was instrumental in Owl victories. She finished with 13 kills, 39 digs, eight aces, two assists and 21 points in wins over Northern Vermont-Johnson and Northern Vermont-Lyndon and a loss to SUNY-Canton.
She posted double-digit digs in all three matches and got hot at the service line with all eight aces coming in Saturday’s match against Northern Vermont-Lyndon.
The Owls are now 9-15 on the season overall and 2-1 in conference play. Devine Hoskie had eight kills and 12 digs in the 3-0 win over Northern Vermont-Lyndon and Laura Aroz chipped in with 19 assists.
Also on Saturday, in a 3-1 triumph over Northern Vermont-Johnson, Miranda Washinawatok had 13 kills and seven digs to go along with a block. Hoskie had nine kills, seven digs and three assists and Thweatt picked up 16 digs and Aroz 28 assists. Ashlon Stroub added nine digs.
UMPI will next square off against Husson University in Bangor Saturday at 11 a.m. and will play Maine Maritime at the same venue at 1 p.m.
The women’s soccer team dropped matches to UM-Farmington Saturday, 7-1, and UM-Fort Kent Sunday, 5-0, to fall to 2-12 overall. The only UMPI goal was scored by Jordi Legassie. UMPI hosts Husson University on Tuesday at 2 p.m. on Senior Day. Hannah Williams, Emma Kinney, Legassie, Megan Seward and Mikayla Churchill will all be playing in their final game.
The UMPI men’s soccer team was shut out by UM-Farmington on Saturday, 2-0, before falling to the Bengals of Fort Kent Sunday, 7-0. The Owls’ record fell to 4-12-1.
