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LEESBURG, Va. – Dayton completed the championship sweep Saturday, when their men’s and women’s cross country teams both won team titles at Oatlands Plantation. Saint Louis junior Manuel De Backer won the men’s race and Massachusetts senior Heather MacLean won the women’s race for the second straight year.
It was the second consecutive A-10 men’s title for the Flyers, who had four runners finish inside the top 20, led by junior Chris Negri who finished third with a time of 25:22.7 and JP Flavin who finished fourth with a time of 25:23.6. UD junior Spencer Danielson and senior Tyler Adgalanis finished 13th and 14th overall with times of 25:37.3 and 25:42.3, respectively.
For the Flyers women’s cross country team, this was also their second cross country championship. Dayton had four runners place inside the top 10 and five inside the top 20. Junior Taylor Vernot led the way with a third-place finish with a time of 17:53.9 followed by her teammate who came in fourth with a time of 17:56.9. Sophomore Chloe Flora finished the course with a time of 18:04.2 to come in sixth-place and Emily Borchers took home ninth-place with a time of 18:14.9.
De Backer was named the Most Outstanding Performer after recording 8K time of 25:12.3. Massachusetts junior Heather MacLean was named the women’s Most Outstanding Performer for the second consecutive year finishing 28 seconds ahead of second place with a time of 17:22.2. La Salle’s Ryan James won the men’s Most Outstand Rookie award by completing the course in 25:54.4. Freshman Caroline Clark from Massachusetts took home the women’s Most Outstanding Rookie award with a time of 18:58.9.
Dayton coach Jason Ordway took home the men’s and women’s coach of the year awards. It was Ordway’s second consecutive men’s coach of the year award.
Coming in second this year in the men’s event was Saint Joseph’s with 84 points, led by senior Dan Savage who finished with a time of 25:17.3. Third place finisher George Washington was led by senior Matthew Lange (25:26.7) who helped the Colonials to 95 points. Duquesne and La Salle finished fourth and fifth with 146 points and 156 points, respectively.
Junior Colleen Carney (18:00.2) helped lead Richmond to a second place finish on the women’s with 61 points. Only six points behind them was Davidson who finished in third with 67 points and were led by senior Sarah Sears’ time of 17:50.6. Massachusetts finished this year’s event in fourth with 143 points, while Duquesne finished with 159 points to round out this year’s top five in the women’s 5K.
Men’s & Women’s Cross Country Championship Awards
Men’s Champion/Most Outstanding Performer
Manuel De Backer, Saint Louis
Women’s Champion/Most Outstanding Performer
Heather MacLean, Massachusetts
Men’s Coach of the Year
Jason Ordway, Dayton
Women’s Coach of the Year
Jason Ordway, Dayton
Men’s Rookie of the Year
Ryan James, La Salle
Women’s Rookie of the Year
Caroline Clark, Massachusetts
Men’s All-Conference Team
Manuel de Backer, Saint Louis
Thomas Slattery, Fordham
Chris Negri, Dayton
JP Flavin, Dayton
Johnny Hogue, Richmond
Matthew Lage, George Washington
Dan Savage, Saint Joseph’s
Rico Galassi, Duquesne
Ryan Kutch, Fordham
Dylan Carmack, Davidson
Carter Day, George Washington
Bryce Catlett, VCU
Spencer Danielson, Dayton
Tyler Adgalanis, Dayton
Zachary Michon, Saint Joseph’s
Women’s All-Conference Team
Heather MacLean, Massachusetts
Sarah Sears, Davidson
Taylor Vernot, Dayton
Emily Leonard, Dayton
Colleen Carney, Richmond
Chloe Flora, Dayton
Jenny Delsignore, Duquesne
Kylie Regan, Richmond
Emily Borchers, Dayton
Caroline Yarbrough, Davidson
Grace Mancini, La Salle
Laurel Sheffield, Davidson
Amanda Corbosiero, Richmond
Madison Yerke, George Washington
Maddie Hunter, Davidson