MILTON, N.Y. - Purchase College cross country had an impressive outing at the 2022 Skyline Conference Championships Sunday afternoon at the Hudson Valley Sports Dome.
It was a record-setting day for the Panthers as seven runners between the two squads clocked personal-bests. The women's team placed eighth out of 11 teams, while the men's team finished sixth among its 11 league opponents.
Sophie Morrison led the Panthers on the 6K course with a time of 29.:05.3 (PR), finishing 15th overall. SJ Hollier (35:23.5) punched the clock next, followed by Victor Vyssotski (35:12.9 PR), Anna Duffy (35:20.9 PR), Siona Lee (37:09.1 PR) and Abigail Frederick (43:44.2). PC finished with a team score of 198.
On the 8K course, Robert Royston crushed the competition with a time of 27:40 (PR). The rookie sensation finished third among his Skyline peers, earning him a spot on the All-Skyline First Team. Teammates Philip Dragovich (30:50.7) and George Reid (34:55.8 PR) were next in line to score, followed by Lucas Colon (33:58.6 PR) and Samuel Teich (35:05.3). The team finished with a combined score of 162.
Following the races, both squads came together to honor Duffy—their only senior in 2022. Surrounded by teammates and coaches, Duffy's three-year Panther career and dedication to the program were celebrated.
Complete release from the Skyline Conference office:
Jaqui Sheedy and Isaac Clark swept the biggest individual honors Sunday at the Skyline Conference Cross Country Championships, leading U.S. Merchant Marine Academy to titles at the Hudson Valley Sports Dome.
With the rain holding off and a relatively ideal low 50-degree fall day as the backdrop, the two perennial Runner of the Week award winners stole the show (pictured below). The two can now add Runner of the Year and Rookie of the Year to their ledgers, lifting the Mariners past runners-up Maritime and St. Joseph's-Long Island. The latter both tied for second place on the men's and women's side, while Farmingdale State took third on both sides in team scoring.
Clark, who won Runner of the Week four times this fall to go along with one Rookie of the Week honor, bested the men's field in the 8K, sporting a 26.35.8 finish. Sheedy, a three-time Skyline Runner of the Week this season, topped the individual results on the women's side, completing the 6K in 24:14.4. The Runner of the Year is the top finisher in the conference championship meet, while the Rookie of the Year is the top rookie finisher in the finale, but that individual may also be the Runner of the Year. Like USMMA, Sheedy and Clark swept the two honors to headline the day.
The banner performances from the pair helped the Mariners add to their historic record, too. The USMMA men have now won four-straight championships and eighth overall, while the women collected their conference-record 15th crown, first since 2019. All five female runners placed in the top 15 for the women, while all five men placed in the top 10.
Coincidentally, USMMA followed through on early season prognostication from the coaches as well. The Mariners were picked to win the men's crown in the preseason coaches' poll. Meantime, the Mariner women shared that honor with Maritime as the two programs also followed suit.
Clark was joined on the podium by teammate and runner-up Luke Zweisler, who finished second. Purchase rookie Robert Royston completed the top three. He was followed by Maritime's Jack Lehnhardt and St. Joseph's-LI's Matt Lopez, who rounded out the top five, respectively.
On the women's side, USMMA swept the podium, with Sayra Raya and Katherine Kerchner finishing second and third. St. Joseph's-LI's Marissa Degni and Farmingdale State's Alycia Haynes completed the top five, finishing fourth and fifth, respectively.
The top seven runners on each side received First Team All-Conference honors. The next seven runners received Second Team All-Conference recognition.
St. Joseph's-LI head coach Jim Crowley (below with Skyline Commissioner Linda Bruno), who was named Coach of the Year for the women last fall, swept both honors on Sunday, being named by his peers as Coach of the Year for both the men and women in the wrap of championship Sunday.
2022 Skyline Conference Cross Country Championships
Men's
First Team All-Conference
Isaac Clark, USMMA
Luke Zweisler, USMMA
Robert Royston, Purchase
Jack Lehnhardt, Maritime
Matt Lopez, St. Joseph's-Long Island
Matthew Calogianes, Farmingdale State
Marshall Northman, Yeshiva
Second Team All-Conference
Casey Symons, USMMA
Silas Glynn, USMMA
Jack Getman, USMMA
Jake Mundok, Maritime
Patrick Wuss, St. Joseph's-Long Island
Jake Greenberg, Yeshiva
Connor McKeever, Farmingdale State
Runner of the Year: Isaac Clark, USMMA
Rookie of the Year: Isaac Clark, USMMA
Coach of the Year: Jim Crowley, St. Joseph's-Long Island
Women's
First Team All-Conference
Jaqui Sheedy, USMMA
Sayra Raya, USMMA
Katherine Kerchner, USMMA
Marissa Degni, St. Joseph's-Long Island
Alycia Haynes, Farmingdale State
Gianna Dickson, St. Joseph's-Long Island
Rebecca Zareva, SUNY Maritime
Second Team All-Conference
Emily Venturi, St. Joseph's-Long Island
Rachel Zareva, SUNY Maritime
Adelle Leger, SUNY Maritime
Sarah Lyon, USMMA
Michaela Rapisarda, Farmingdale State
Veronica Richards, USMMA
Alex Ehrhart, St. Joseph's-Long Island
Runner of the Year: Jaqui Sheedy, USMMA
Rookie of the Year: Jaqui Sheedy, USMMA
Coach of the Year: Jim Crowley, St. Joseph's-Long Island
