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Contact: Kimberly Zivkovich (cell: 732-690-6716; email:kzivkovich@scarletknights.com)
Rutgers’ Paige Senatore Named Big Ten Women’s Cross Country Athlete of the Week
Sophomore Scarlet Knight Captured Met Title in Helping RU to First Championship Since 1997
PISCATAWAY, N.J. (October 14, 2014) – After taking first and helping the Rutgers women’s cross country team to the 2014 Metropolitan Championship title, sophomore Scarlet Knight Paige Senatore (Delsea, N.J.) has been named the Big Ten Women’s Cross Country Athlete of the Week.
Senatore becomes the first Scarlet Knight to take home a Big Ten weekly cross country award.
The Delsea, New Jersey native claimed the Metropolitan title in a time of 18:19.4, averaging a 5:54 pace along the 5K course at Van Cortlandt Park. She finished with 9.3 second lead and improved by her time by nearly 40 seconds from the Fordham Fiasco held on the same course in early September.
She was among five Scarlet Knights that placed in the top 10 and eight who captured top 20 times in the field of 109 student-athletes racing. Senatore and the Scarlet Knights gave RU its first Metropolitan Championship title since 1997, dethroning Columbia, the 16-time defending Metropolitan Champions.
Additionally, Senatore became the 10th Scarlet Knight to take first at the championships since 1993 and first since fellow teammate Brianna Deming (Webster, N.Y.) crossed the finish line in first back in 2011.
The Rutgers women’s cross country gears up for the Big Ten Championship race set for November 2nd in Iowa City, Iowa.
Rutgers XC Captures Metropolitan Championships
Senior Paige Senatore Captures Title in Helping RU to First Met Championship Since 1997
PISCATAWAY, N.J. (October 10, 2014) – Championship season for the Rutgers women’s cross country team began with the Scarlet Knights capturing the 2014 Metropolitan Championship and crowning RU’s Paige Senatore (Delsea, N.J.) as the individual champion at Van Cortlandt Park on Friday afternoon.
In total, the championship Scarlet Knights had five place in the top 10 and eight post top 20 times in the field of 109 student-athletes racing.
Rutgers, who last brought home the Metropolitan Championship title in 1997, dethroned Columbia, the 16-time defending Metropolitan Champions. Senatore meanwhile becomes the 10th Scarlet Knight to take first at the championships since 1993 and first since fellow teammate Brianna Deming (Webster, N.Y.) crossed the finish line in first back in 2011.
"The women had fantastic performances today! They all improved about one minute each from running on the course at the Fordham Fiasco a month ago, where we won team title as well,” said head coach James Robinson.”We will set our sights on training more intensely as we set our sights on the Big Ten Cross Country Championships next."
Senatore ended the race in a time of 18:19.4, besting her first place time of 18:58.53 on the 5K course from the Fordham Fiasco in early September and with a 9.3 second lead on Fordham’s Brianna Tevnan.
Teammate and senior Allison Payenski (Whitehouse Station, N.J.) was close behind in third with a time 18:35.5 and was followed by two other Scarlet Knights. FreshmanMegan Coakley (Tinton Falls, N.J.) finished in a time of 18:37.7 for fourth and Deming, the 2011 champion, posted a time of 18:42.5 for fifth.
Rounding out the top 10 for Rutgers was freshman Alexandra Juzwiak (North Middletown, N.J.) in 10th with her time of 19:02.3.
The Rutgers women’s cross country will now set sights on its first Big Ten Championship race set for November 2nd in Iowa City, Iowa.
Paul Short Invitational Results
Team Results:
2. Fordham – 75
3. Wagner – 135
4. NYU – 139
5. Columbia – 139
6. Seton Hall – 149
7. St. John’s – 150
8. Manhattan – 159
9. St. Francis (NY) – 277
10. Farleigh Dickinson – 322
11. LIU – 326
12. St. Peter’s - 328
Individual Results
1. Paige Senatore - 18:19.4
3. Allison Payenski - 18:35.5
4. Megan Coakley - 18:37.7
5. Brianna Deming - 18:42.5
10. Alexandra Juzwiak - 19:02.3
13. Kaitlyn Bedard - 19:11.7
14. Julia DeSpirito - 19:16.4
17. Celine Mazzi - 19:20.3
31. Felicia O'Donnell - 19:50.3
36. Nisa Cicitta - 20:04.3
50. Maria Calazans - 20:28.8
63. Kimberly Oppenheim - 20:51.1
Previous Rutgers Metropolitan Cross Country Championships
1993: Jennifer Heggie
1994: Cheryl Keating
1996: Colleen Sunderland
1997: Colleen Sunderland
1998: Colleen Sunderland
2000: Julie Culley
2002: Julie Culley
2006: Allison Caruana
2011: Brianna Deming
Rutgers Men’s Cross Country Takes Fourth at Metropolitan Championships
BRONX, N.Y. (October 10, 2014 ) – The championship season is underway for the Rutgers men’s cross country team as the Scarlet Knights placed fourth at Friday’sMetropolitan Championships at Van Cortland Park.
“Our fourth place finish was a big step forward for this group. We have four freshmen in our top six runners, so this is very encouraging for the future,” said head coach Mike Mulqueen. “Six of our eight runners ran lifetime best times on this course today.”
RU was led by junior Jaimin Vekaria (Clinton, N.J.) in ninth place overall. His time of 26:46.7 was less than a minute off the top finisher, Quincey O’Connor of the championship Fordham team. Additionally, Vekaria shaved off nearly two minutes off his time from when he ran the Van Cortlandt course at the Fordham Fiasco to open the season in early September.
A pair of freshman also gave the Scarlet Knights a pair of top 20 finishes. Trent Brinkofski (Bridgewater, N.J.) placed 15th with his time of 26:58.6 and was immediately followed by Luke Wiley (Williamstown, N.J.) in 16th in a time of 26:59.0.
The Rutgers men’s cross country team returns to action on Saturday, October 18th at the Princeton Invitational and also its set sights on its first Big Ten Championship race set for November 2nd in Iowa City, Iowa.
Metropolitan Cross Country Championships Results
Team Results:
1. Fordham – 26
2. NYU – 75
3. Columbia – 79
4. Rutgers – 109
5. Manhattan – 121
6. Wagner – 171
7. Seton Hall – 208
8. St. Francis (NY) – 214
9. Fairleigh Dickinson – 252
10. St. Peters - 303
Rutgers Results:
9. Jaimin Vekaria – 26:46.7
15. Trent Brinkofski – 26:58.6
16. Luke Wiley – 26:59.0
28. Nick Price – 27:32.4
46. Alexander Livernois – 28:11.4
47. Sam Habib – 28:13.7
51. Morgan Murray – 28:20.1
55. Daniel Lee – 28:24.8
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