By Izabela Gage Asst. Sports Editor Men’s and women’s cross country dominated the Mass. Maritime Academy Travis Fuller Invitational Sept. 28. Men’s cross country set energy levels high, with four runners placing in the top 10 of the 8K course. The Rams totaled 23 points, winning first place overall. Freshman Vincent Gauthier earned first place in the 8K course with a 27:25 finish time. Graduate student Patrick Walsh finished third with a time of 28:06, just 6 seconds behind the second-place finisher. Freshman Aaron Corlette crossed the finish line in 28:51, earning a sixth-place finish. Sophomore Robert Perruzzi finished a minute later in eighth place at 29:58. Juniors Logan Crow and Parker Winters placed 12th and 13th with finish times of 30:25 and 31:17, respectively. Gauthier’s first-place finish helped him receive MASCAC Rookie of the Week for the third consecutive week. Gauthier said earning Rookie of the Week for the third week was “pretty cool. “I want to keep that streak going because I’m a perfectionist, but I’m dialed into doing well at the big meets coming up,” he added. When asked about what has been contributing to their recent success, Perruzzi said, “Our consistency and willingness to show up is a huge factor. … I think it’s clear everyone enjoys coming to practice every day.” Gauthier said, “Running is a mind game. If your mind believes something, your body will adapt to do it. We all know this and coach knows this. So, we capitalize on this idea and try our best to dream big and stay positive.” Gauthier also said the team is “staying confident, staying positive, and keeping the dream big.” Women’s cross country took home first place with 23 points and six runners in the top 10. Junior Meghan Johnston took first place in the 5K with a 20:06 finish. Sophomore Kate Buban earned second place and finished in 20:23. Natalie Grimaldo, a sophomore running cross country for her first season, was not far behind Buban and took fourth place with a 21:06 finish time. Freshman Grace Avery crossed the finish line in seventh at 21:42, and sophomores Camille Graffeo and Justinne Quinanola closed out the top ten places in ninth and tenth, with times of 22:19 and 22:23, respectively. Johnston’s and Grimaldo’s impressive finish times contributed to them earning Runner of the Week and Rookie of the Week Oct. 1, respectively. Johnston said earning the Runner of the Week accolade “is a reminder that all the hard work I am putting in is paying off, and I need to keep working hard as the season continues.” When asked about what has been factoring into their motivation this season, Buban said, “We're realizing that our training is showing in our races.” Grimaldo talked about how the team’s dynamic has contributed to their recent success. “We're always motivating each other, and that makes us want to improve and work harder.” Graffeo said, “We're such a great team because we all have this similar joy for running. We all have that passion for it.” Johnston said, “We are always there to pick each other up and remind one another what we are capable of.’’ Buban said Head Coach Mark Johnson and Assistant Coach Glenn O’Connor offer the team a lot of support. “We can swing by Mark’s office anytime we need someone to talk to. They both really go above and beyond to be our support and be there at practice, motivate us, and create training plans.” Perruzzi said, “Both Coach Mark and Coach Glenn deserve a lot of credit. They’re always pushing us and holding us accountable.” Both teams will compete at the James Earley Invitational hosted by Westfield State University Oct. 12.
