Full Results

AMHERST, N.Y. – UMass Lowell senior Paul Hogan (Burlington, Mass.) punched his ticket to the NCAA National Championships and the UMass Lowell men's cross country team ran to an eighth place finish in a field of 36, Friday afternoon, at the NCAA Northeast Regional Championship in Amherst, N.Y.  

"For the first time out in this situation this team ran well and ran composed," according to UMass Lowell Head Coach Gary Gardner.  "We're right on the border line, we're ready to take the next step."

The River Hawks, with temperatures in the 20s and running on a muddy course at the Audubon Golf Course, accumulated 254 points (4, 30, 55, 78, 87 - 145, 167).  Syracuse won the team title with 28-points (1, 2, 6, 8, 11 - 15, 24), Iona was second with 48-points.  Army West Point finished third. 

The top two teams move on the National Championship Meet, November 18, in Louisville, Kentucky.  The top four runners who's team did not qualify for the Championship also head to the competition in Louisville.  Hogan who finished fourth, overall, will get the opportunity to run for the individual National Championship.

"Paul was absolutely fantastic," said Gardner.  "He ran tough and in ran in control, and when he hit some tough spots he hung in there.  His confidence has gone way up and it showed."

UMass Lowell was second among the seven America East schools that sent teams to the event.  Stony Brook was first with 222-points, Albany was third..

Hogan led through the first mile and ran with the lead pack throughout the race.   He had dropped to ninth place after 7,000-meters, but battled back.  Hogan passed five runners in the final 2k.

Hogan, who has junior eligibility, clocked in with a time of 31-minutes, 58.6-seconds.  It was good for a fourth place finish.

"When we began the transition to Division I our goal was to have a runner go to the National Championship once we became eligible," according to Gardner.  "With Paul's performance we've achieved that."

Sophomore Christopher Alfond (Ashby, Mass.) was the second River Hawk scorer.  He passed ten people in the final 2,000-meters.  Alfond finished 30th with a time of 32:48.9.

"He ran a great race to wrap up a fantastic year," said Gardner.  "He's matured as a runner and his confidence has grown a great deal."

Senior Thomas Teachen (Titusville, N.J.) ran a solid race finishing 55th with a time of 33:22.8.  Sophomore Harrison Maloy (Pepperell, Mass.) and Junior Chris Skelly (Pepperell, Mass.) were the final two River Hawk scorers.  They finished 78th and 87th respectively with times of 33:47.4 and 33:52.3.  

Maloy's performance was described by his coach as a "good bounce back" after struggling at the America east Championships.  Gardner called Skelly's run "the best race of his life."

Sophomore Liam Kimball (Atkinson, N.H.) finished 146th, 34:47.2, and Senior Dhahran Velasquez (New Britain, Conn.) was 167th, 35:09.1, in a field of 254 runners.

Gardner was pleased with the day saying "we've checked all the boxes; we're right on the border line, now we need to take the next step."

For the men's team, but not Hogan, the cross country season is at an end.  The Indoor Track and Field season begin December 2nd at the Alden Invitational at Brown University in Providence, R.I.