09/13/2008
Men's Cross Country Opens Season at Smith Invitational

NORTHAMPTON, MASS. 09/8/07 - The Clark University men's and women's cross country teams fared well in the Smith College Invitational on Saturday afternoon. It was the season-opener for both teams.

The Cougar men placed sixth out of 13 teams with 175 points. Coast Guard Academy captured the title (15 points).

Senior Caleb Evanter (Marblehead, Mass.) paced Clark with his 15th place finish (17:46) in the 5k race. Sophomore Martin Leggett (Bangor, Pa.) turned in a top time when he placed 18th (18:09), while senior Cory Leonard (Arlington, Mass.) and Joe McClintock took 43rd (19:30) and 48th (19:43), respectively. Sophomore Bob Naughton (Holliston, Mass.) rounded out the top-five Cougars with his 51st place finish in a time of 19:50.

Coast Guard's Mike Persun (Hershey, Pa.) was the individual winner in a time of 16:32.82.

On the women's side, newcomer Isabel Burgess led the Cougars past the finish line, placing 22nd overall in a time of 21:38. Junior Emma Siemasko (Beverly, Mass.) was 46th (23:32); junior Alexandra Casey (Bronxville, N.Y.) took 60th (24:26); senior Kaitlyn Sephton (Shutesbury, Mass.) placed 61st (24:39); and senior Andrea Derocco finished 62nd (25:19).

Junior Amanda Dipaolo (Garrison, NY) of Springfield was the women's individual winner in 19:55.52.

Clark placed eighth in the 17-team field with 251 points, while Springfield won the invitational with 32 points.

Both cross country teams will race at the UMass-Dartmouth Invitational next Saturday.