Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

CROSS COUNTRY | Teams Earn Top-7 Finishes at Mid-Atlantic Regional

The Georgetown men’s and women’s cross country teams competed in State College, Pa., last Friday in the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional Championships, battling tough weather conditions and earning top-seven finishes.

The men’s squad placed third overall out of 24 teams in the 10K race, finishing behind Princeton and Villanova. The Hoyas were led by senior Nick Wareham, who finished in second place overall with a time of 31:08.

Following Wareham was junior Jack Van Scooter, who earned a sixth-place finish with a time of 31:19. Juniors Matthew Bouthillette and Jack Salisbury also recorded top-20 finishes, Bouthillette with a time of 31:45 and Salisbury with a time of  31:48.

Men’s Head Coach Brandon Bonsey praised the performances of his front four runners, especially Bouthillette and Salisbury.

Our front four guys ran their best cross country races of the whole fall. If you look at where all four of those guys were last year, they are so much better than they were,” Bonsey said. “I am really proud of them. Nick and Jack have been very consistent and good all season, but Matt and Jack really came through when it mattered the most.”

Wareham and Van Scooter individually qualified for the 2018 NCAA Cross Country Championships after their strong performances at the Mid-Atlantic Regionals.

Bonsey said that Wareham and Van Scooter are prepared for the challenge.

“I think they both have a shot at being All-American. But more than anything, [our goal is] them executing the plan and running tough, then we’ll just let the result fall where it may,” Bonsey said. “They are both really, really good and are in great shape. I’m devastated the team isn’t going with them, but I’m very excited for their races.”

The women’s team finished in seventh place out of 30 teams in the six-kilometer race.

Despite the top-10 finish, Director of Track and Field and Cross Country Julie Culley said that the Hoyas hoped to perform better.

“Seventh was a disappointment, as we were hoping to be inside of the top five,” Culley said in an interview with The Hoya. “We are a better team today than we were when we started in September, and we’ll return next year with a ton of experience and a chip on our shoulder to perform to our capabilities.”

Junior Paige Hofstad led the Hoyas with a time of 21:37, earning the 16th overall spot.

GUHOYAS | Junior Paige Hofstad recorded a time of 21:37 in the women’s NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional Championships, finishing 16th overall.

Hofstad did not qualify for the NCAA championship race, which Culley said was Hofstad’s goal for this season.

Paige narrowly missed making NCAA’s by one spot. That was certainly a disappointment for her as her season goal was to make the NCAA meet,” Culley said. “She has grown immensely as an athlete, and she will learn and make gains from this experience.”

Junior Margie Cullen finished 11 seconds behind Hofstad in 26th place with a time of 21:48.  Freshmen Sami Corman, who placed 49th, and Katie Dammer, who finished 62nd, closed out their strong first cross country seasons for the Hoyas.

Culley was satisfied with the efforts of the two freshmen, especially Corman, who was not expected to race this season.

“We weren’t planning to race Sami this season, but she was training so well it didn’t make sense to keep her on the sideline. She stepped in during championship season at the Big East meet and contributed immensely to our second-place finish,” Culley said.

The 2018 NCAA Cross Country Championships will take place in Madison, Wis., on Saturday, Nov. 17.

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