HOPKINTON, NH (Nov. 4, 2023) - Georgian Court Cross Country finished their 2023 season in a big way. The Lion men posted their best team-finish at a regional in program history while numerous individual runners set personal-bests.

The Lion men finished in 10th place among 19 teams competing with other members of the CACC, the Northeast-10 and ECC Conferences. The women's team had three race, not enough to score as a team.

Georgian Court finished with 285 team points. They made up a lot of ground late as they were in 11th place with 302 points at the 8K mark. Over the final 2K of the race, GCU individuals moved up 17 places to climb to a 10th place finish. 

A year ago at this meet, Alec Valle broke the school record in the 10K running 33:56.10. On this day, there were three Lions that bettered that, led once again by Valle who ran 32:34.06. He was the first Lion to ever run sub-34 for a 10K and is now the first (and only) Lion to run sub-33 for a 10K. Valle finished in 30th place overall. Kyle Spector was 10 spots behind Valle running 33:03.77 for a new personal-best.

The course was was 2,000m loop run five-times for a 10K total. After the first loop, the first runner had Lions across his chest. Xavier Seals was the leader at the 2K mark and led by nearly seven seconds. His gutsy attempt to front-run for 10K was admirable, but Seals eventually faded and finished in 47th place. He got a personal-best for his efforts though running 33:18.61.

Freshmen Ryan Pettrow and Max Salgado-Vidal ran their first-career collegiate 10K races. Pettrow wasn't far off Valle's school record from 2022. He finished in 80th place running 34:11.10. Salgado-Vidal was 106th running 36:16.25.

Thomas Rosky ran his second career regional-race. He bettered his time from last year by seven-tenths of a second, running 36:48.70 for a new 10K PR. He placed 113th overall.

The top three teams all advanced to the NCAA Championship meet next weekend. Southern Connecticut won the regional crown scoring 32 points. Roberts Wesleyan and Franklin Pierce were second and third. Wondu Summa of Franklin Pierce won the individual crown. He paced a field of 138 running 30:44.13. 

Georgian Court, who finished second at the CACC Championships, placed highest among all CACC teams. 

The women ran a 6K and were once again led by Amirah Beasley. Beasley set a huge personal-best at that distance running 24:50.92 and placing 59th. Three weeks ago Beasley broke 26 minutes for the first time in a 6K and this afternoon she ran sub-25 for the first time, shaving 53 seconds off of her previous best. She was the ninth finisher from the CACC to cross the line.

Brenna Sullivan and Madalin Jones finished five spots apart. Sullivan was 85th running 26:27.12 and Jones 90th in 26:59.47. Jones really likes running at NCAA Regional meets. In her career at GCU she's run below 27 minutes for a 6K twice, both times came at regionals. 

Southern Connecticut swept the regional championships on the men's and women's side. They scored 58 points defeating Roberts Wesleyan by 12. Roberts Wesleyan and Southern New Hampshire will represent the East at the national meet. Isabel Marsh of Adelphi was the individual champion running 21:37.98. Adelphi had the top-two finishers in the field of 117, but placed fourth as a team, four points behind the third-place Penmen.