Nov. 22, 2008
SLIPPERY ROCK, PA - Senior Ruben Sanca (Boston, MA) placed 37th among scoring runners and 45th overall as the UMass Lowell men's cross country team finished 13th at the NCAA Championship at Cooper's Lake Campground Saturday afternoon.
The finish matched last year's result for UMass Lowell, which scored 338 points (37, 55, 75, 84, 87 - 106, 142) and was the top finishing school from the East Region.
Adams State won the team title with 67 points (2, 5, 14, 21, 25) while Western State (88) placed second, Chico State (120) third, Abilene Christian (128) fourth and Grand Valley State (190) fifth.
Sanca ran the 10K course in 32 minutes, 22 seconds, a 5:13-per-mile pace in the frigid 28 degree conditions, while freshman Jeff Veiga (Lowell, MA) placed 65th overall/55th among scoring runners in 32:42.
"Jeff ran particularly well," said UML Head Coach Gary Gardner. "With Jeff finishing in the 60s, that's a huge race for him. Ruben got out well and was in the top 15 after two miles. He just didn't have a good day. We had a couple guys who just got out too slow and couldn't make up the ground."
Sanca, who missed All-American honors by one place, and Veiga were the top two individual finishers from the East Region.
Senior Scott Bauhs of Chico State won the individual title in 30:23. The meet drew 152 runners representing 24 colleges.
Sophomore Angus MacDonald (Methuen, MA) placed 75th overall in 33:01 while junior Rex Radloff (Dedham, MA) placed 84th in 33:15 and junior Steve O'Brien (Groton, MA) 87th in 33:18.
"We were particularly happy with Steve," Gardner noted. "He is usually our seventh or eighth runner and today he ran really well for us."
Senior Jason DeDonato (Nashua, NH) took 106th in 33:38 while senior Jack Kilcommons (South Boston, MA) rounded out UML's contingent, placing 142nd in 34:51.
"Everyone had to deal with the same conditions," said Gardner. "We didn't run bad, we just ran mediocre as a team. But part of that can be attributed to the level of competition. This was definitely the most competitive year I've seen."
UMass Lowell opens the indoor track and field season Saturday, Dec. 6 at the Northeastern Husky Carnival.
