Nov. 19, 2011

Team Results | Individual Results

Senior Greg Wilson (Chelmsford, Mass.) placed 57th overall and 49th among scoring runners to lead UMass Lowell to 20th place at the NCAA Division II Cross Country Championship Saturday afternoon at the Plante’s Ferry Athletic Complex.

UMass Lowell scored 476 points (49, 95, 103, 114, 115 – 128, 154) and led all East Region schools.

Western (Colo.) University won the team title with 27 points to defeat rival Adams (Colo.) State, the runner-up with 69 points. Grand Valley (Mich.) State took third with 100 points and was followed by Chico (Ca.) State (110) and Colorado School of Mines (134).

The field of 186 runners ran in blizzard conditions and temperatures that hovered around 25 degrees.

“We were within range of what I thought we would do,” said head coach Gary Gardner. “I got them as ready as best I could for the regional meet so that we could make it this far. I don’t think we ran bad, I think it was an average day for where we are right now.

“We didn’t quite hit what we were hoping for, but just competing here will help us down the road,” Gardner added. “Add Jeff (Veiga, senior) and Eric (McDonald, senior) for next year and it’s real exciting.”

Wilson ran the 10K course in 32 minutes, 32.0 seconds while sophomore Max O’Brien (North Andover, Mass.) placed 109th overall and 95th among scoring runners in 33.40.5.

Freshman Matt Cioe (Mansfield, Mass.) placed 117th/103rd in 33:48.6 while freshman Brendan Adams (Pembroke, Mass.) took 129th/114th in 33.56.9 and senior Danny Wang (Haverhill, Mass.) 130th/115th in 34:00.8.

Sophomore Chris Estrella (Lowell, Mass.) placed 145th/128th in 34:23.6 and sophomore Ben Pare (Methuen, Mass.) 172nd/154th in 35:36.4 to cap UMass Lowell’s effort.

“Greg Max and Matt ran pretty well, but Danny and Chris didn’t run their best races,” said Gardner. “I think we went after it so hard two weeks ago (when UMass Lowell won the East Region Championship). We put all or eggs in that basket, that today it just didn’t pan out for us.

“That happens,” he added. “I think they were a little cooked from two weeks ago.”

Sophomore Ryan Haabe of Western State won the individual title in 30:45.1, edging out senior teammate Tyler Pennel who placed second in 30:48.1.

Wilson finished third among East Region runners as American International College’s Glarius Rop placed 17th in 31:41.3 while Andrew Coelho of Adelphi took 29th in 31:54.6.

“Max and Matt were the top underclassmen from our region,” Gardner noted. “I’d say they’re the second and third-best returning guys from the region. I think we’re in good shape going forward.”