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BRONX, NY – The Lehigh women’s cross country team showed signs of being ready for championship season as the Mountain Hawks finished ninth overall at the ECAC Championships on Friday morning. In its final meet of the regular season, first-year Lucy Afanasewicz (21:57.5) was a top-finisher for the Mountain Hawks, earning All-East honors with her 20th-place finish.
“We had a very solid team performance today, especially coming off a hard week of practice,” said head coach Debbie Utesch. “We met our goal of a top ten finish in the 30 plus team field. Lucy had an outstanding race for a first-year and left New York City as an All-East Performer. Also, it was great to return to the historical ECAC Championships and give the team a chance to race at the storied Van Cortlandt Park.
“Our strength is good right now and when we begin to freshen up as we approach the Patriot League Championships we will be able to feel snappy and close out the race,” continued Utesch. “Good things are coming.”
Christina Yakaboski continued her streak of performing well at the ECAC Championships. The junior, who won the 5000m during the outdoor championships, finished second for the Mountain Hawks and 40th overall with a time of 22:21.5.
Senior Madison Zaun continued her streak of finishing in the top three for Lehigh. Zaun finished third for the Mountain Hawks and 48th overall with a time of 22:29.9.
Lehigh had four more runners finish in the top 100 on Friday morning. Sophomore Savanah Beavers (22:42.3) and senior Andrea Miller (22:43.1) finished 67th and 68th, respectively. While sophomore Maddison Hayes finished 94th with a time of 22:58.5 and junior Grace Kolbe finished 98th with a time of 23:02.3.
“I think the team raced well today, working together in small packs as we made our way through each loop,” said Miller. “This was the first time many of us ran this course but I think we all responded well to the unfamiliar conditions and just raced the competition around us. This race was another step towards the Patriot League Championships and I’m excited to see what our team can do there!
The Mountain Hawks will take a two-week break to prepare for the upcoming Patriot League Championships. Lehigh will travel to Lewisburg, Pa. on Saturday, Oct. 29 to take on his fellow Patriot League opponents. Competition is set to begin at 10 am
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