SCSU Men's Cross Country Repeats As NCAA East Regional Champs

Men's Cross Country 11/4/2023 2:48:00 PM

SCSU Men's Cross Country Repeats As NCAA East Regional Champs

HOPKINGTON, N.H. – Southern Connecticut men's cross country won its second-straight NCAA Division II East Regional as they placed five student-athletes in the top 11 to defeat Roberts Wesleyan, 32-42. Southern led at each marker but led Roberts Wesleyan and Franklin Pierce for the duration of the race.

Jonathan Volpe, Sean Barkasy, William Lamburn, Jeremy Rivera and Owen Gagne filled in the top 11 finishes while Sophonias Dires and Luca Cazzaniga also finished in the top 25 to earn All-Region honors.

Volpe's second-place finish tops his third-place run from a year ago, while his 30:53.93 is a career-best, topping his time of 31.49.30 from las season. This is his third-straight top 10 finish and all-region honor. Volpe also finished in second place at the Northeast-10 Conference Championships.

Barkasy, last season's NE10 Rookie of the Year, finished fifth with a time of 31:13.93, besting his time from the 2022 regional of 32:16.1 when he placed 14^th. Barkasy was in the top 5 at each marker and earned his second-consecutive all-region recognition. Lamburn finished in seventh place at 31:19.86. Lamburn dropped to 12^th at the 4K marker but surged up to the top 10 to finish. Last season he posted a time of 32:22.1 for 17^th place, and earned his second-straight all-region crown.

Rivera was close behind at 31:22.99 for eighth place. Rivera was in second place at the 4K marker, but never left the top 10 for the entire race. Gagne finished in 11^th place with a career-best 31:34.25, improving on his time of 32.26.0 from 2022, to earn his second-straight all-region medal.

Dires and Cazzaniga also posted top 25 finishes. Dires posted a career-best 32:14.92, improving on his time of 32:48.3 last year, and he also earns his second-straight all-region honors. Dires also finished 27^th in 2021. Cazzaniga was 24^th at 32:21.48 for his second all-region honor in as many years.

Southern will prepare for the NCAA Division II National Championship hosted by Missouri Southern State University on Saturday, Nov. 18 at Tom Rutledge Cross Country Course in Joplin, Mo.

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