Full Results

St. ALBANS, Vt. – A very young UMass Lowell women's cross country team turned in a solid performance, Saturday afternoon, at the season opening Vermont tri-meet at the Hard'Ack Recreation Area in St. Albans, Vermont.

"We wanted them to compete and gain experience," according to UMass Lowell Head Coach Gary Gardner.  "It's a good start to the season, for the most part everyone ran well."

The coach held most of the upper classmen out of the race.  The River Hawks put three freshmen, three sophomores and a senior on the starting line.  This was a day for the least experienced to get some race experience.

UMass Lowell finished third accumulating 74-points (12, 14, 15, 16, 17 - 19, 20.)  Vermont topped the leader board with 28-points (3, 4, 6, 7, 8 - 10, 11.)  Albany finished second with 30-points.

Sophomore Jenna Solimine (Haverhill, Mass.) was the top River Hawk finisher.  She ran the 5k course in a time of 18-minutes, 59.4-seconds, a full 50-seconds faster than she ran the course a year ago.  The time was her best at a 5k cross country event.  Solimine was 13th overall and 12th among scoring runners.

"Jenna ran great," said Gardner.  "In high school she played basketball and now she's been able to turn her full attention to running and that's making a difference."

Freshman Olivia Sheffield (Lowell, Mass.) was the second UMass Lowell runner to cross the finish line.  She clocked in at 19:26.3 good for 14th among scorers.

"She struggle a bit in the middle mile, but finished up strong," said Gardner.  "She and Jenna are in a position to contribute this year."

Running on one another's heels freshman Izzy Giesing (Bradford, Vt.) and sophomore Laura Flagg (Woburn, Mass.) crossed the finish line less than three-seconds apart.  Giesing, a middle distance runner, competing in her first cross country event put up a time of 19:34.2.  It was the longest race of her career.

Flagg also bettered her time on the same course a year ago.  She posted a time of 19:36.8, 36-seconds quicker than a year ago.

"She had an up and down freshman season and this shows that she's making progress," according to Gardner.  "When you gain some experience it makes a difference.

Freshman Sarah Burns (Billerica, Mass.) was the last of the River Hawk scorers.  She slotted 17th with a time of 19:48.2.  Senior Rachel Eatherton (Tewksbury, Mass.) and sophomore Amanda Baptiste (Taunton, Mass.) were the final two UMass Lowell runners across the finish line.  Eatherton finished with a time of 20:12.1 and Baptiste, 20:25.3.  For Baptiste the time was her best at the distance.

UMass Lowell, next Saturday, will host the Pre-Conference Meet at Mine Falls Park in Nashua, N.H.  It is the first time the River Hawks have hosted a cross country meet since making the move to Division I more than five years ago.