Both Orange Squads Are Headed to Nationals

Friday, November 12

Boston, MA

TBA

Syracuse University

NCAA Northeast Regional

11/12/2021 12:43:00 PM | Cross Country

They're headed to Tallahassee! Both the Orange men's and women's teams earned automatic qualifying spots to next week's NCAA Cross Country Championships after strong performances at the NCAA Northeast Regional on Friday.

The 'Cuse men won the team title and subsequent automatic spot to the NCAA Championships behind three of the top-eight finishers. It's the seventh NCAA Northeast Regional championship for the SU men in the last-eight times the event has been held. The Orange finished with 51 points, 17 ahead of second-place Harvard.

Aidan Tooker led the way in third overall (30:15), followed by Joe Dragon (30:21) in sixth and JP Trojan in eighth (30:24). Matthew Scrape (30:47) and Alex Comerford rounded out the SU scoring in 13th and 21st, respectively. Brody Smith (31:39) and Noah Beveridge (32:25) also competed.

Amanda Vestri won the women's race, the second time in the last three times the event has been held that a 'Cuse woman has won the event, after Shannon Malone did so in 2018. The 'Cuse women comfortably took second to earn their automatic qualifying spot.

As a team, 'Cuse collected 81 points, 10 behind Harvard for the meet win, but qualifying by 27 points ahead of the third-place team (Providence).

Behind Vestri's win, where she crossed the line in 20:05, 23 seconds ahead of the next-closest finisher, Annie Boos (12th/21:05), Abigail Spiers (17th/21:08), Holly Bent (25th, 21:17) and Savannah Roark (26th/21:19) rounded out the Orange top-five and scoring.

Sydney Nowicki (21:45) and Sophia Jacobs-Townsley (22:00) rounded out the Orange competition in the meet.

The NCAA Championships will take place on Saturday, Nov. 20 in Tallahassee, Florida.