VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Five personal best times by the nine UMPI competitors made for a strong 10th-place finish at the USCAA Nationals Friday.
SUNY Delhi won the team title by placing four runners in the top 10 of the 171-man field. Their score of 46 was 14 better than that of second-place Berea College, which featured the individual champion, Isaiah Dobson, whose winning time was 25 minutes and 15 seconds for the eight-kilometer course.
Sully Jackson, a senior from Wilton, competed in his final collegiate meet for UMPI, posting a personal best time of 27:52.
“Sully is a superior big meet runner,” said Owl coach Chris Smith. “He always runs well when it counts the most. His 32nd-place finish with his [personal record] attests to the strength of this national championship field.”
Jackson was followed by Trevor Levesque, a junior from Presque Isle, who was the second of five Owls posting personal bests on the day. He came in at 28:58, good for 52nd place. Levesque was followed by Saul Nunez, a junior from Mapleton, who was 75th in 30:50.
Jake Welch and Cameron Mathies were the other UMPI scorers, placing 76th and 78th, respectively.
The UMPI women capped off their season with a 20th-place finish in their meet.
One hundred and fifty nine females completed the six-kilometer course, with Julie Johnson of Florida College leading the way in 22:07. Cleary College posted a score of 59 to grab the team championship.
The Owls were led by freshman Brianna Lesperance of Embden, who came in at 27:35 and 69th position overall. Her time translates to a personal best 22:46 5K performance, 80 seconds better than her high school best and well below her low posting of the 2016 season.
Chenoa Jackson, a sophomore from Wilton, was in at 28:42 (94th place) and was followed by teammates Elise Gudde, a sophomore from Caribou (129th in 32:53), Lauren Chapman, a freshman from Mapleton (151stt, 36:57) and Brynn Staples, a freshman from Presque Isle (159th, 42:26).
“This was a true national caliber course with superior direction and timing,” Smith said. “A great course and favorable weather conditions made this venue one to be returned to in subsequent years.”
He also said that the banquet featuring soccer and volleyball awards presentations as well as those for cross country, made for “a very positive experience for the athletes.”
