East Carolina University
Great American Cross-Country Festival
Cross Country Teams Take Fourth At Great American
October 02, 2009 | Cross Country
Oct. 2, 2009
CARY, N.C. – The East Carolina men’s and women’s cross country teams ran to a pair of fourth-place finishes at the Great American Cross Country Festival held at WakeMed Soccer Park Friday afternoon. The men’s squad finished behind Duke, Maryland and Georgia Tech in the 13-team field while the women trailed the Terrapins’ A and B units as well as the Yellow Jackets amoung the 14 teams.
For the third time in his young career, freshman Dillon Hawley led the men as he finished with a time of 24:44 in the 8K, placing him sixth overall. That time is the seventh-fastest 8K in Pirate history and the first to break into the program’s top-20 list since the 2004 season.
Redshirt sophomore Antoine Berlin (25:18) was the only other male to place in the top 25, as he came in 22nd. Two weeks ago at the ECU Pirate Invitational, Berlin ran the 8K in 26:16.
Freshman Cory Hampshire (25:35) and sophomore Zack Montijo (25:52) were within the top 35, taking 32nd and 34th. The time for Hampshire was 46 seconds better than his 8K two weeks ago at the ECU Pirate Invitational.
Freshmen Grant Burress (26:28/55th) and Brian Quintrell (26:36/61th), along with sophomore Edrian Murray (27:06/69th) were the next Pirate finishers. Quintrell and Murray set personal-best marks while it was the first 8K of Burress’ career.
The final competitors on the men’s side were freshmen Matthew Poiesz (27:35/78th) and Antonio Palmer (29:23/105th). Poiesz improved 37 seconds from his 8K two weeks ago.
For the East Carolina women, senior Samantha Lichtner was the first Pirate to finish for the third consecutive meet. She timed out at 18:15 in the 5K, the 20th-best mark in program history and a personal best, to place fifth overall.
Following not far behind were sophomores Tara Wilson (18:37) and Amanda Lapp (18:40), who finished 14th and 15th. Wilson’s time was a career best, 21 seconds better than her performance at last season’s ECU Pirate Invitational.
Freshman Stacey Gonzalez (19:10) just missed the top 25, finishing 26th, with a personal-best mark.
Junior Jessica Foley (19:44/42nd), junior Lisa DeLorenzo (19:59/47th) and sophomore Andrea Barletta (20:05/49th) rounded out the Pirate top 50 finishers. DeLorenzo’s time matched her personal-best mark while Barletta’s established her career best, one second better than her performance at the Seahawk Invitational on Sept. 11.
Freshmen Brooke Kott (20:36/62nd) and Kirstin Anderson (21:23/75th) completed the ECU contingent.
The Pirates take two weeks off before returning to competition in State College, Pa., for the Penn State National, hosted by Penn State University on its Blue-White Golf Course.
