Wildcats Run Away with GNAC Championship

STANDISH, ME – Johnson & Wales University won the Great Northeast Athletic Conference Men's Cross Country Championship for the third consecutive year with 18 points in the 8K event hosted by Saint Joseph's College on Saturday afternoon.

Five Wildcat runners placed in the top seven overall including individual winner James Vance '11 (Newton, MA), who set a new SJC course record with a 26:49 effort. St. Joe's alum Ryan Prescott '09 held the previous mark with a 26:53 performance in the 2008 GNAC Championship meet.

Emmanuel College finished as the runner-up program with 62 points and Norwich University placed third with 78 points. Emerson College (79 points), Saint Joseph's College (159), Lasell College (172), Suffolk University (206), Rivier College (235), Mount Ida College (250) and Albertus Magnus College (300) rounded out the field of participating programs.

Individually, Johnson & Wales sophomores Jeff Hartman (Osseo, MN) (27:11) and Greg Redfield (Penfield, NY) (27:11.5) finished second and third, respectively, Abdi Ibrahim '12 (East Boston, MA) placed fourth (28:01) and Wildcat's freshman Brian Dinan (Geneva, NY) (28:02) placed fifth overall.

Ibrahim was the top first-year finisher and collected GNAC Rookie of the Year honors for his efforts, while Vance garnered GNAC Runner of the Year accolades as the top overall finisher.

Emmanuel College Head Coach Tony DaRocha was selected as the GNAC Coach of the Year as a result of a poll voted on by all GNAC head coaches prior to the meet.

For the Monks, Eric Friend '11 (Portland, ME/Cheverus) toured the 8K course in 29:08 to place 12th and Jeffrey Letellier '12 (Biddeford, ME) finished in 33rd place with a 31:38 effort. Jake Kostik '14 (Durham, ME) (44th, 33:06), Bryndon Page '14 (Windham, ME) (46th, 33:10) and Andrew Mockler '12 (Saco, ME) (53rd, 34:34) rounded out the top five for the Royal Blue.

Johnson & Wales, a six-time winner of the GNAC men's title, came within one point of tying the GNAC conference meet record for fewest points. The Wildcats set the meet record with 17 points in the 2009 event.

2010 GNAC Men's Cross Country All-Conference Team (Top 10 Finishers):

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