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Charity to benefit Be The Match is combined with Team IMPACT

WILLIMANTIC, Conn. - The Eastern Connecticut State University men's soccer team and alumni will sponsor a Goal-a-Thon to benefit the Be The Match National Marrow Donor Program Saturday, April 20 at 9 a.m. at the Mansfield Outdoor Complex.

All proceeds from the Goal-a-Thon will benefit the Be The Match program in the name of Eastern soccer senior Jon DeCasanova, who was diagnosed with aplastic anemia this past fall and has spent most of the past eight months in the hospital.

The Goal-a-Thon involves Eastern players and alumni divided into teams of 4-6 and will play timed, small-sided games until a combined total of 100 goals are scored.The minimum sponsorship is 5 cents per goal.

Prior to the Goal-a-Thon,  15-year-old Tyler Belfleur of Canterbury will be outfitted in a team uniform and will join team members during official introductions as part of the Team IMPACT! Program.  In June of 2012, Tyler was involved in an ATV accident and sustained brain injury. Since then, he has advanced from a wheelchair to a walk and now needs only a crutch. Prior to the injury, Tyler was active in soccer and basketball, among other sports.

Team IMPACT is a non-profit organization chartered to improve the quality of life for children facing life-threatening illnesses. The goal of the organization is to harness the power of teamwork by matching those courageous kids with college athletic teams. Team IMPACT children are "drafted" onto local college athletic teams and to the greatest extent possible, become "official" members of the team for the duration of their treatment, and beyond.

Tyler will be "drafted" by the Eastern soccer team prior to the Goal-a-Thon.

To support the Goal-a-Thon through a financial contribution, contact Eastern head men's soccer coach Greg DeVito at  860-465-4334 or at devitog@easternct.edu.

 By Jonathan Mizger/Sports Information Staff

The National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA) has designated the month of March as National Athletic Training Month.

The theme of the second annual NATA month is Every Body Needs an Athletic Trainer. From the NATA  toolkit, the goal  is "to continue to reach those individuals and organizations that can help make a difference for athletic trainers when it comes to legislation, employment and public health."

At right: Athletic trainer Julie Alexander works recently with baseball catcher Ben Richards, who is rehabbing from Tommy John surgery. (Daniela Marchitto photo)

Promoting the awareness of athletic training to people who do not know what athletic trainers do is a key goal that the NATA looks to achieve. Educating people of the importance of athletic trainers and establishing relationships between student-athletes and athletic trainers are things to consider in promoting the awareness.

Eastern Connecticut State University has athletic trainers who work hard without needing any recognition or high praise. The athletic trainers at Eastern are people who are helpful to the student-athletes and make sure each are cleared to play based on the guidelines on handling a specific injury.

Below (from left): Eastern athletic trainers Julie Alexander, Stevie Clines, Tom Holton, Jarrett Sorge.

Athletic trainer Julie Alexander, who graduated from Eastern with a B.S. in Psychology and went on to earn a M.S. in Athletic Training at Old Dominion University, expressed her feelings on the importance of this month and beyond.

"I think that we will carry out our day-to-day functions the same way we always have," said Alexander. "Any athlete that comes in with an illness or an injury that's athletically-related, we care for the same way regardless of whether it's March, April, May, August or September.  I think this month of March is more to promote the field of athletic training to people who don't understand what it is that we do. A lot of people think athletic trainer, they think personal trainer, a strength coach, and while we do have some function in teaching strength and conditioning and techniques, we're also on the field emergency care, injury evaluation, treatment rehabilitation, returning to play concussion management, the list goes on and on."

Alexander, who was hired at her alma mater this past summer after many years at Division I Sacred Heart University, has been proud of helping out the people she has met in her field.

"After 20 plus years, I can tell you that anytime we have an injured athlete, the best day is the day that they return to their field of play," said Alexander.  "That is probably the most exciting thing about what we do, especially if it's an athlete that's been injured, had surgical interventions, has gone through post surgical rehabilitation in our room; returning to play is those days I look forward to. I enjoy every day but those are the days that are special."

As there are upsides, there are downsides for being an athletic trainer. Athletic trainer Tom Holton, who earned a B.S. in Physical Education from Eastern and an M.S.S. in Sports Medicine from the U.S. Sports Academy, noted that he loves his job but dislikes when he lets the student-athlete know the bad news.

"I love doing my job it's just part of the job you hate saying 'you can't play'," said Holton. "I really wish I could come into work every day and not have to do that.. The reality of the fact is that  there's people we have to hold out and tell them 'you're season's over, you got to have surgery' and deal with the emotions of that athlete and how they're going to handle 'my career is over'."

Holton, a staff member since 1999, noted how being able to get the student-athlete to get back in his or her field of play and watching him or her succeed is one of his proudest moments as an athletic trainer.

Eastern director of athletics  Dr. Jeff Konin, another Eastern alum,  has been an athletic trainer and a physical therapist. Konin mentioned how the importance of athletic trainers is not just for the collegiate level, but for all levels of competition.

"The purpose is to bring awareness to the general public, to bring awareness to the public of the importance of athletic trainers and the injury prevention care of the numerous student-athletes that participate in sports in all levels," said Konin. "At the high school level, less than 50 percent of high schools have an athletic trainer, and when every high school has programs but less than half of them have proper ways to care for the kids, that's why an awareness month is there to inform people of what they should be doing to provide appropriate programs. You wouldn't put them out there if you didn't have the fields, you wouldn't put them out there if you didn't have the coaches and you really shouldn't put them out there if you don't have the appropriate medical care for them."

As the spring season is starting to get into full-swing, so are the athletic trainers at Eastern working hard to make sure every student-athlete is evaluated and cleared to play. The month of March will be busy at Eastern with lacrosse, baseball, softball, and track & field. The Eastern athletic trainers will be the unsung heroes in helping our student-athletes,  not only during national NATA month, but every month of the academic year.

"I have the best job in the world," said Alexander. "In this job, you don't sit behind a desk or do the same thing every day . Every day is different , and you get to work with amazing people who you want to see get better when they get injured.. What's better than that?"

Girls and Women in Sports Day and Title IX  to be recognized this week

By Jonathan Mizger/Sports Information Staff

WILLIMANTIC, Conn. -- Female athletics will take center stage this week with the celebration of two major milestones in the advancement of athletic opportunities for women.

Eastern Connecticut State University will be celebrating the 40th anniversary of Title IX as well as  the 27th annual National Girls and Women in Sports Day in a two-day celebration this week.

On Tuesday, Feb. 5, women's basketball will host Western Connecticut State University in a Little East Conference game at 5:30 p.m. at Francis E. Geissler Gymnasium. In recognition of National Girls' and Women in Sports Day, youth, elementary and middle school girls' basketball are invited  to attend the game wearing their team uniform and receive free admission.

The next day, Wednesday, Feb. 6,  the 40th anniversary of Title IX legislation is officially celebrated nationwide.  The legislation which became law on June 23, 1972 changed the landscape of collegiate athletics and reads: "No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance."
At 11 a.m. at the Student Center Wednesday, Eastern will showcase the film Hero for Daisy, which is a documentary about two-time Olympian Chris Ernst and her 1976 rowing team at Yale University, which protested the lack of proper facilities for women.

At 3 p.m. in the Paul E. Johnson Room in the J. Eugene Smith Library Wednesday, Eastern is hosting a Title IX forum as part of the University Hour program.

To get more into Title IX, I was given the chance to read a study on how Title IX has made an impact in our nation. From The Status of Women in Intercollegiate Athletics as Title IX Turns 40 by Amy Wilson (Instructor, Education Department of Illinois College and PhD Candidate, Heath and Sports Studies at University of Iowa) stated: "Title IX consists of 37 words that mandated change in American education by making discrimination based on sex illegal thereby expanding access and opportunities for the underrepresented sex, which historically has been women."

Wilson described how Title IX should be supported and considered for continued process. Wilson stated: "The law's 40th anniversary offers us an appropriate occasion to reflect on our own philosophies of intercollegiate sport. If we value sport for young people and champion its many benefits, then we will strive for comparable participation opportunities and treatment for all student-athletes. Title IX's promise is that it serves as a powerful tool and a potent reminder that it takes much effort and diligence to bring about a model of intercollegiate athletics that is equitable and fair to all."

The guest panelists at Eastern's Title IX Forum are: Christina Amato, Dr. Jennifer Bruening, Tom Farrey, Theresa Grentz, and Carolyn Vanacore.

Amato played basketball at Eastern from 2005-2009, where she served as a senior captain, was a recipient of the prestigious Holly Zimmerman Memorial Award, and graduated with a degree in Sport and Leisure Management. The Marlboro, MA native is currently the Director of Recreation and Chair of Physical Education at Colgate University.

At right: Christina Amato

Bruening is the Director of the Laboratory for Sport Management at the University of Connecticut and has been part of the University's Sport Management Program since January 2002. Bruening spent eight years as an athletic administrator and volleyball coach at Kenyon College, as well as two years as an athletic director.

Farrey is a reporter and journalist for television, print, and online media for ESPN and has won two sports journalism Emmy Awards for Outside the Lines. Farrey, a graduate of the University of Florida, has been with ESPN since 1996 when he was the deputy editor of ESPN.com. Farrey is the author of Game On: The All-American Race to Make Champions of Our Children, recognized among experts and universities like Oregon State and University of Florida as leading journalistic work on modern youth sports.

 Grentz was a former women's collegiate basketball player and coach and served as head coach for the United States at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. She was a member of the Immaculata College Mighty Macs and led the team to win three straight AIAW national championships from 1972 to 1974. Grentz coached for 32 years at Saint Joseph's University, Rutgers University, and the University of Illinois and is a member of the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame.

 Vanacore is a Professor Emeritus at Southern Connecticut State University, where she was an Assistant Professor of Women's Physical Education.

The event will be sponsored by the President's Office, the Office of Equality and Diversity, the Eastern Athletic Department, the Office of Institutional Advancement, the Health and Physical Education Department and the Women's Center, a Division of Student Affairs.

Spreading the growth of women's athletics is one of the key points that Eastern women's head basketball coach Denise Bierly stated. "Get the word out about women's athletics and where we've come from and where we are today in 2013 and where we still need to go," said Bierly. "The panel will do a good job of discussing where we've been, where we've come from, how far it's come and then where we still need to go."

Bierly had the good fortune playing and coaching with the help of Title IX, but there were obstacles that Bierly faced prior to the iplementation of Tite IX.

"I remember in fifth grade we didn't have any youth girls basketball where I grew up and if I wanted to play I had to play with the boys.  I remember even playing on a boys baseball team  because there was no girls softball," said Bierly. "For me, I kind of came when [Title IX] was getting started and I've been fortunate to have a lot of the rewards from it, especially in my coaching career.

"I've been at Eastern for 19 years and have been well-supported by our administration. I look at the people that came before me and all the fights they had just to get a uniform or just to get balls. It's a reminder to me of where the people that came before me that how much I try to think about how the battles they fought and to help all of us women and girls in sports have the opportunities to play."

Dr. Charlie Chatterton, Eastern's NCAA Faculty Athletic Representative and an Associate Professor in  the Department of Health and Physical Education, had insight on how Title IX affected his family.

"I think back to my own family and my experiences and I have five sisters," said Chatterton. "My older sister she was always playing sports and I use to often see how some of the opportunities I had and facilities that I had were often not on the same par with what she had. When she was going up and she was in high school in the late 70s early 80s and even in middle school, junior high and late elementary, I remember going to the different games and contests and didn't think twice about it. I was just going to watch her game. Thinking about it now in retrospect, we had the boys' gym and there was the smaller girls' gym and we typically played our games at night in high school and my sister's were usually in the afternoon.  What's neat [from Title IX] is now I see the many of the opportunities are available for my children and it's terrific. There's always room to improve but I see quite the contrast."
Both Bierly and Chatterton agree on educating the students at Eastern, the community around Eastern, and nationally about the importance and significance of Title IX.

"It's a very important piece of legislation and it's something that I think all of us, myself included, need to continue to learn about it, be more educated about it, and understand all that's part of it," said Chatterton. 

We look forward to hearing from pioneers of the Title IX movement as the panel will talk about the past, present, and future of Title IX.

Back at home, Eastern uses two scoring streaks to post 66-44 LEC win

WILLIMANTIC, Conn. - Sophomore forward Shannon McCourt (New Fairfield) recorded her 15th career double-double in two years with game-highs of 20 points and 16 rebounds and freshman guard Victoria Pfohl (Trumbull) came off the bench for a career-high 12 points as the Eastern Connecticut State University women's basketball team won its first Little East Conference game of the year with a 66-44 victory over Plymouth State University Saturday afternoon at Francis E. Geissler Gymnasium.

At right: Victoria Pfohl

Returning home after six straight road games, Eastern (3-9, 1-2 Little East) ended a four-game losing streak with its 19th victory over Plymouth (1-10, 0-3 Little East) in the last 20 decisions.

McCourt, named to the all-tournament team earlier this week at Springfield College, was 10-for-24 from the floor and also came up with four steals en route to her second double-double in the last three games.

Eastern never trailed in the game after scoring the first six points, scoring 24 points off Plymouth's 23 turnovers and using 17 offensive rebounds to score 21 points over 40 minutes.

Eastern used a run of 11 straight points in the first half to build a 14-point lead and another streak of 12 straight after Plymouth had cut a 13-point deficit to five eight minutes into the second half to expand the lead to 17 with eight minutes left.

After senior Katie Seraikas dropped in her only three-pointer of the game to pull Plymouth to within three points eight minutes into the game, the Panthers missed seven straight shots as the Warriors scored 11 straight to move out to 14-point, 24-10 lead with seven minutes left. Pfohl and classmate Erin Brooks (Billerica, MA) combined for the first nine points of that run, which was capped by sophomore guard Taylor McBride's (Willimantic) driving layup off a Plymouth turnover.

Brooks hit one of two free throws to ignite the first-half run, then grabbed an offensive rebound and put it back to make it 16-10. Pfohl then pulled down a rebound and swished a three-pointer on the other end of the floor, sank one of two free throws following a Panther turnover moments later, then stole the ball and scored again to make it 22-10 with just over seven minutes left in the first half.

In Eastern's 12-0 run which expanded its least to an insurmountable 17-point  with eight minutes left, McCourt contributed two jumpers and Pfohl her third three-point field goal of the game. On eight possessions over that five-minute span, Plymouth turned the ball over four straight times, then missed four straight shots.

Junior Meghan Faretra led Plymouth with ten points and Seraikas led her team with six rebounds.

Eastern hosts Massachusetts Dartmouth Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. in a Little East Conference game.

By Jason Tierinni/Sports Information Staff

Since its inception in 1927, the Manchester Road Race has become a Connecticut tradition on Thanksgiving morning, with upwards of 15,000 runners competing in the 4.7 mile race which is the third-largest distance race in New England.

At left: Ryan Franklin directs the youngsters during the Little Manchester Road Race.

Many groups have benefited from the popularity of nationally-renowned race, most notably the Muscular Dystrophy Association , the major benefactor - along with nearly 20 local charities.

In recent years, many area  youngsters have enjoyed an association with the race through the creation of the Little Manchester Road Race, which is staged the Saturday before the Big Manchester Road Race.

And this year, members of the Eastern Connecticut State University track and field and cross country programs were there to ensure that the youngsters enjoyed themselves.

The Little Manchester Road race was started in conjunction with the Manchester Road Race.  It is a free race held for kids 12 and under and it helps give back to the community. The course run by the kids was developed in Charter Oak Park in Manchester. 

Over 500 children ages 12 and under were involved and it required many people lending a helping hand to make this day a success -- not the least of whom were members of the Eastern running program who were there to perform numerous tasks so that  this event run smoothly. 

The Eastern athletes helped assist other volunteers with showing the kids around the trail.  They also helped out with registration and distributed  food and handed out medals.

Senior Ryan Franklin from Glastonbury was dressed as a rabbit and helped lead the way for the youngsters as he guided them through the course.   Eastern first-year track and field and cross country coach Kathy Manizza said, "This experience is something they can be really proud of. It was a fun time and I know that our student-athletes enjoyed being part of something bigger."

Eastern's contribution to the race went beyond the day of the event. In the weeks prior to the race, the entire Eastern cross country team helped with shirt packaging and mailing. 

The event also allowed the members of the team to bond away from practice.  Manizza explained, "In track you have many different type of track members with sprinters, jumpers, throwers and distance runners. They don't all practice together , so this is something where they interact and get to know each other better outside of track practice."
Added Manizza, "This race is going to continue to grow and we are going to continue to grow with it."

Members of the track program who donated their time, in addition to Franklin, were Tim Callahan, Ariel Dupont, Katie France, Alexa Palasky, Kylie McCartney, Sam Lew, Samone Jones-McCarthy, Alex Maciolek, Chelsea Morsey, Emily Sniffin, Sherry Gilronan, Chris Brown, Kyle Bolden, D'Vonte Chambers, Fred Hewett, Dylan Kruppa, Steven LaFlamme, Andre Reynolds, and  Luis Rosado.

In the month of giving, we should give thanks to these student-athletes who volunteered their time and efforts to this event. Eastern is proud of all of you.

A total of 23 Eastern Connecticut State University intercollegiate athletes were named to the Little East Conference's 2012 All-Academic Team for the fall season. That total gives Eastern 401 such honorees in the history of the award, which began in the fall of 2007. Since the fall of 2009, student-athletes must have reached sophomore academic and athletic status and have accumulated an overall grade-point average of 3.30 to earn a spot on the team. Listed below are this year's recipients. In parentheses is the total number of times they have achieved All-Academic status, including this fall.

All-Time List.doc

Danielle Bourne (5), Sr., Women's Volleyball (Branford)

Lee Cattanach (1), So., Men's Cross Country (New London)

Jordan Clark (2), Jr., Men's Soccer (Manchester)

Christine DeFilippo (2), Women's Soccer (Ronkonkoma, NY)

Nicholas Demo (1), Men's Soccer (Brookfield)

Katie France (4), Women's Cross Country (Portland)

Nicki Gasch (1), Jr., Women's Volleyball (New Fairfield)

Kelly Gawron (2), Jr., Field Hockey (Ramsey, NJ)

Kaitlyn Kennedy (2), Jr., Women's Soccer (Burlington)

Kelly Labanara (1), So., Women's Cross Country (Chaplin)

Mackenzie MacLeod (3), Sr., Women's Soccer (Northfield)

Daniella Marchitto (5), Sr., Women's Soccer (Orange)

Erynn Miller (2), Jr., Women's Volleyball (Stratford)

Brittany Miskell (2), Sr., Women's Cross Country (Woodstock)

Jordan Munsell (5), Sr., Men's Soccer (Waterford)

Rochelle Normandin (3), Sr., Field Hockey (South Windsor)

Alexa Palasky (4), Jr., Women's Cross Country (Griswold)

Mike Radlbeck (2), Jr., Men's Soccer (Westbrook)

Sam Rossetti (1), So., Field Hockey (Shelton)

Rachael Skinner (1), So., Women's Soccer (Uncasville)

Cory Tobler (3), Sr., Men's Soccer (Portland)

Kelly Wallace (2), Sr., Women's Soccer (South Windsor)

Katie Wilson (2), Sr., Women's Volleyball (Pittsburg, CA)

He becomes men's first all-conference cross country runner in 17 years

WESTFIELD, Mass. - Eastern Connecticut State University's  Lee Cattanach (New  London) has been enjoying a strong season for the men's cross country team in 2012.

At right: Lee Cattanach

Saturday, this year's hard work was evident when the sophomore ran to a fifth-place finish in a field of 62 competitors involving six schools at the Little East Conference Championships over 8,000 meters at Stanley Park, in the process becoming the program's first all-conference performer since Todd Lohrman placed third as a senior in 1995 in a four-team competitive field.

In addition to all-conference honors, Cattanach also recorded the highest finish ever by an Eastern male runner and third-highest finish by an Eastern male or female when he placed seventh among 156 competitors in a 13-team field in New England Alliance scoring.

The first seven LEC runners across the line are accorded All-LEC accolades and the top 20 in the alliance scoring are recognized as All-New England Alliance.

Cattanach, who was 33rd in the conference and 57th in the alliance as a freshman last year at Massachusetts Dartmouth, was clocked in 26:21 Saturday. He was 11 seconds shy of third place in the LEC competition in a race won by Rhode Island College senior Conor McCloskey (25:37).

Based on last year's outcome Cattanach said that he would have been happy with a Top 20 finish this year, but re-assessed his prospects as this season progressed.  "After running down into the low and mid (26:00s), I realized that most of the other top runners in the conference weren't running times that were beyond what I was capable of and I decided that all-conference was a completely reasonable goal," noted the second-year runner. "I was happy to put Eastern back on the podium -- I think it disrupted the status quo of the conference. Hopefully, this will bring some attention to our program."

Cattanach indicated that he trained as hard as he ever had this past summer, and that his success this fall makes him optimistic as the indoor and outdoor track seasons loom. "This  race  showed me I can compete with anybody in the conference come track season, and that I also have an enormous amount of space to improve."

Cattanach's strategy during the race:
"I knew that I would have to stick with the pack of Keene guys who would likely follow (eventual winner)  McCloskey of RIC and USM's (Julian) Gazzelloni and try to throw down a fast last mile to break them. We were packed together pretty well up until about 2k when things started stringing out and I gradually lost contact with the top five guys. I stayed in about 7th place (in the LEC, 9th overall) from 3k until about 6.5k when I caught up to two Keene guys just after the fourth mile . I had a feeling they were slowing down, perhaps saving for a fast finish, so I tried to catch and pass them by the time we got back onto the big field for the finish with about 800 meters left.

''I knew that if I could get in front of both of them with half a mile to go they wouldn't catch me, especially when I was feeling as good as I was. I edged past both of them by the beginning of the field and made sure that if they wanted to beat me they'd have to really work for it. On the second to last turn with about 200 meters left I looked over my shoulder and saw them about ten seconds behind me and I knew they weren't catching me anymore. I tried to sneak up on the Bridgewater guy (David Phipps) a few seconds ahead of me,  but ran out of room and crossed the line in seventh place overall, fifth for the conference. I don't think anybody expected to see me up there."

As a team, the Eastern men were fifth in the conference and eighth in the alliance.

For the Eastern women, senior Cora Gingras (East Hampton) and junior Katie France (Portland) ran as a pair, crossing the line four seconds apart (19:57-20:01) in 19th and 23rd place, respectively, in conference scoring, as the Warriors  placed fourth among five teams in the conference over 8,000 meters. Eastern took seventh place in the alliance for the fourth straight year.

At left: Cora Gingras

France was Eastern's third runner a year ago at this meet and Gingras its second. Freshman Kylie McCartney (Manchester) was third for Eastern in a time of 20:25, posting an overall finish of 26th. Eastern's other scorers were junior Alexa Palasky (Griswold), who was 37th overall in the LEC race in a time of 21:13, and junior Kelly Labanara (Chaplin) , 47th overall in a time of 22:10.

The only Eastern runners to finish higher than Cattanach's seventh-place performance in the 16-year history of the alliance meet were female runners Karina Johnson, who was fourth as a freshman in 2007, and Monica Gallagher, fifth as a junior in 1997.

In LEC scoring behind Cattanach were sophomores David Klein (New Milford), the Warriors' No. 1 finisher in this race as a freshman last year, and Austin Baldour (Newtown), first-year junior Evan Glaude (East Hampton), and sophomore Kyle Shaw (Lebanon).

Klein and Baldour were just 15 seconds apart. Klein (28:39) was 40th overall, Baldour (28:54) 42nd, Glaude (29:48) 48th, and Shaw (30:15) 51st.

The Keene State College men and women swept the LEC and alliance championships. The Keene women edged the University of Southern Maine for their 13th straight LEC and alliance titles and the Keene men dominated it taking the LEC championship over runner-up and defending champ Southern Maine and the alliance crown over Bridgewater State. The Keene men grabbed six of the top nine spots in the LEC competition and the Keene women five of the top ten in conference scoring.

The Little East Conference field includes six institutions and the New England Alliance field includes six LEC schools and seven institutions from the Massachusetts State College Athletic Conference (MASCAC).

The Eastern men and women race in the NCAA Division III national qualifier Nov. 10 at Stanley Park.

New England Alliance Championships
Men
Run over 8,000 meters
Team Results

1. Keene State College 36; 2. Bridgewater State U. 76; 3. U. of Southern Maine 83; 4. Westfield State U. 102; 5. Massachusetts Dartmouth 146; 6. Rhode Island College 174; 7. Fitchburg State U. 179; 8. EASTERN CONN. 239; 9. Worcester State U. 254; 10. Mass College of Liberal Arts 290; 11. Massachusetts Maritime Academy 307; 12. Massachusetts Boston 324; 13. Framingham State U.404.

Eastern Finishers
(Points in parentheses)

7. (7) Lee Cattanach 26:21; 66. (49) David Klein 28:39; 68. (51) Austin Baldour 28:54; 87. (64) Evan Glaude 29:48; 95. (68) Kyle Shaw 30:15; 129. (82) Steven LaFlamme 32:48.

                                  Little East Conference Championships
                                                              Men

                                                Run over 8,000 meters

                                                   Team Results

 1. Keene State College 28; 2. U. of Southern Maine 54; 3. Massachusetts Dartmouth 92; 4. Rhode Island College 102; 5. EASTERN CONN. 131; 6. Massachusetts Boston 162.

Eastern Finishers

(Points in parentheses)

5. (5) Lee Cattanach 26:21; 40. (28) David Klein 28:39; 42. (30) Austin Baldour 28:54; 48. (33) Evan Glaude 29:48; 51. (35) Kyle Shaw 30:15; 58. (38) Steven LaFlamme 32:48.

                               New England Alliance Championships
                                                         Women
                                              Run over 5,000 meters

                                                    Team Results

 
1. Keene State College 45; 2. U. of Southern Maine 52; 3. Westfield State U. 78; 4. Worcester State U. 142; 5. Massachusetts Dartmouth 167; 6. Bridgewater State U. 167; 7. EASTERN CONN. 196; 8. Fitchburg State U. 218; 9. Rhode Island College 262; 10. Framingham State U. 302; 11. Massachusetts Maritime Academy 310; ;12. Mass College of Liberal Arts 337; 13. Salem State U. 366.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Eastern Finishers

                                         (Points in parentheses)

28. (27) Cora Gingras 19:57; 33. (30) Katie France 20:01; 42. (37) Kylie McCartney 20:25; 64. (44) Alexa Palasky 21:13; 90. (58) Kelly Labanara 22:10; 98. (61) Alexandra Maciolek 23:00;100. (62) Courtney Magario 23:10; 107. Wendy Bouton 23:27; 112. Ariel Dupont 23:34; 115. Emily Sniffin 23:37; 130. Brittany Miskell 24:50.

                           Little East Conference Championships

                                                  Women

                                    Run over 5,000 meters

                                            Team Results

1. Keene State College 33; 2. U. of Southern Maine 38; 3. Massachusetts Dartmouth 93; 4. EASTERN CONN. 110; 5. Rhode Island College 117.

                                       Eastern Finishers

                                 (Points in parentheses)

19. (18) Cora Gingras 19:57; 23. (20) Katie France 20:01; 26. (21) Kylie McCartney 20:25; 37. (23) Alexa Palasky 21:13; 47. (28) Kelly Labanara 22:10; 50. (29) Alexandra Maciolek 23:00;52. (30) Courtney Magario 23:10; 54. Wendy Bouton 23:27; 56. Ariel Dupont 23:34; 58. Emily Sniffin 23:37; 62. Brittany Miskell 24:50.

Men and women compete in meet dominated by Division I institutions

By Brendan Driscoll/Sports Information Staff

Gingras (far left), Klein

NEW BRITAIN, Conn. - Senior Cora Gingras (East Hampton) and sophomore Lee Cattanach (New London) recorded the best times for the Eastern Connecticut State University men's and women's cross country teams on a rainy Friday afternoon at the Central Connecticut State University Mini-Meet at Stanley Quarter Park.

The meet - the fifth of the season for Eastern and final one until the Little East Conference Championships schedule in nine days -- consisted of mostly Division I schools. It was also a short course, the women running 3,000 meters  and the men  5,000. The weather also had a significant impact on the runners. It rained heavily throughout the meet and the course became difficult to run. In one area of the course, there was a puddle that was ankle deep.

First-year head coach Kathy Manizza felt that the stiff competition did not show exactly how good the team is. She did feel like the race of this short length short benefit the team and it should put the team at peak performance for the conference championships on Saturday.

The women's team once again ran close together in the race, with all five of the scoring runners finishing within 73 seconds. The women's team finished 12th in the 14-team field, which consisted of 144 runners. Gingras ran first for Eastern with a time of 11:32 finishing 62nd (scoring 53 points). Gingras improved from a disappointing result in the previous meet at the New England Open Championships two weeks ago.

Junior Katie France (Portland) ran second for Eastern finishing just eight seconds behind Gingras, with a time of 11:40. Following France was freshman Kylie McCartney (Manchester) who finished just ten seconds behind, in 67th place. Junior Alexa Palasky (Griswold) and sophomore Kelly Labanara (Chaplin) were Eastern's fourth and fifth runners, recording times of 12:07 and 12:45, respectively.

Manizza believes that the women's team should have a very good performance in the upcoming conference championships. She hopes that four or five runners can run under 20 minutes when the team returns to Stanley Park in Westfield, Massachusettsfor the second time this year on Saturday.

In the men's field of 12 teams, Eastern finished 11th. Cattanach was Eastern's first runner with a time of 16:25, finishing 38th in the 115 person field (scoring 33 points). Sophomores David Klein (New Milford) and Austin Baldour (Newtown) finished just 33 seconds apart to finish as the second and third runners of Eastern. Sophomore Kyle Shaw (Lebanon) scored 68 points while being Eastern's No. 4 runner with a time of 18:53. Eastern's fifth runner was freshman Steven LaFlamme (Moosup) with a time of 21:11. Juniors Evan Glaude (East Hampton) and Mike Singletary (Hartford) did not race in an attempt to be healthy and rested for Saturday.

Manizza felt that the men may not have ran very well due to the tough competition. In the 12 team field, ten teams are Division I programs. However, she remains confident that they will come back strong this weekend. The short race last week and a light training week should put the team in a good position for Saturday.

At NE Open at Stanley Park, many runners submit personal-best times

By Brendan Driscoll/Sports Information Staff

WESTFIELD, Mass. - Junior Alexa Palasky (Griswold) and sophomore Austin Baldour (Newtown) recorded personal records for the Eastern Connecticut State University men's and women's cross country teams at the New England Open Championships Sunday at Stanley Park.

At left: Alexa Palasky (center)

In a meet in which Division III athletes competed with those from Division I and II, several Eastern runners recorded their best times of the season, despite the fact that the course was challenging.

The 5,000 (women) and 8,000 (men) meter courses both began in an open field leading to woods, which contained a narrow path. This path may have slowed runners due to the amount of roots and rocks, which lead to careful stepping the runners. The course also contained a significant steep hill that the women had to handle once at the 2.5-mile mark and the men had to run twice at the 3 and 4.5-mile marks (Eastern will also run this Oct. 27 at the Little East Conference Championships and Nov. 10 at the NCAA Division III national qualifier).

Women's team runs as a unit

The women's team ran as a tight pack throughout the race. The five scoring runners all finished within 57 seconds of each other. The women's team placed 35th in the 38-team field, which was comprised of 251 runners. According to head coach Kathy Manizza, Palasky had a breakthrough race as Eastern's second runner, recording a personal record time of 20:24. She recorded this time not knowing that she had bronchitis for the race.

The fact that the women's team ran in a pack helped throughout the race for Palasky who admitted that "running so close to my team definitely helped me relax and settle into the pace." She also added that at the 1.5 mile mark, a teammate began to break away from the group so her competitive nature made her try to stay with her. Palasky also hopes to improve her personal record in upcoming races this season. She hopes to stay healthy the rest of the season and with two more races at Stanley Park in the next month, she feels that better times are definitely possible.

Junior Katie France (Portland) finished first for Eastern with a time of 20:19, improving her time by 34 seconds from her previous run on this course last year. Another runner who recorded a personal record was freshman Kylie McCartney (Manchester) who was the third runner for Eastern with a time of 20:29, just 10 seconds behind France. Eastern's No. 4 runner was senior Cora Gingras (East Hampton) with a time of 21:03, while freshman Courtney Magario (Voluntown) clocked a time of 21:16 as the team's fifth and final scoring runner.

At left: Austin Baldour

Klein nets best time of 2012

In the men's field of 37 teams, Eastern finished  35th. Sophomore Lee Cattanach (New London) was Eastern's first runner with a time of 26:37, finishing 163rd in the 261 person field. This time was a little slower than Cattanach's time at the UMass Dartmouth meet due to the more difficult course layout. Sophomore David Klein (New Milford) recorded his best time of the season, finishing with a time of 27:54. Baldour ran for the first time this season due to an early-season injury. He recorded a personal record time of 28:23. Junior Evan Glaude (East Hampton) was Eastern's No. 4 runner with a time of 29:19 scoring 239 points and Kyle Shaw (Lebanon), a sophomore, was the fifth runner with a time of 30:54.

Even though the men's and women's teams did not score well in this ultra-competitive field, numerous runners ran well individually. The meet was a good experience for the team because it competed against some of the best teams at all levels in New England. Division I teams claimed the top four team places in both the men's and women's races Sunday, with Dartmouth winning the men's face and Boston College the women's race.

Manizza is confident the team is just going to get better and better throughout the season. Also the team will run this course two more times during the season, so it will be interesting to see the improvement over the next few meets.

The next meet for the Eastern cross country team will be Friday, October 19th at the Central Connecticut State University Mini-Meet in New Britain.