WXC: Lasell opens season at Wellesley Invitational

WELLESLEY, Mass. – The Lasell University men's and women's cross country teams opened the 2019 campaign Friday evening competing in the Wellesley College Invitational at the Nehoiden Golf Club. The event featured a pair of 5K races with four teams in each gender, and Lasell finished fourth in both events.

Junior Geralson Withrow (Mystic, Conn.) was the top runner for the Lasers, placing seventh out of 32 competitors in the men's race in a time of 17:35.7. Senior Matt Holden (Methuen, Mass.) was next across the line for Lasell in 17th place in 19:32.7, followed by sophomore Joan Guzman (Nantucket, Mass.) in 22nd in 20:24.7, freshman Zach Kirsch (Winsted, Conn.) in 25th in 20:51.3, and senior Kyle Mullen (West Newbury, Mass.) in 29th in 21.55.6. Rounding out the Laser line-up was junior Kevin Wallin (Billerica, Mass.) in 32nd in 26.56.2.

The top finisher for the Laser women was sophomore Emma Murray (Wethersfield, Conn.), who placed 25th out of 36 runners in 23:09.6. She was followed by junior Amanda Miller (New Bedford, Mass.) in 29th in 25:40.1, sophomore Grace West (Kennebunk, Maine) in 30th in 25:40.3, junior Amanda Hawkes (Billerica, Mass.) in 31st in 26.08.1, and freshman Devin McCarthy (West Bridgewater, Mass.) in 32nd in 26:09.1. 

The rest of the Laser line-up included sophomore Shakira Henriquez (Methuen, Mass.), 33rd in 26:45.2, sophomore Emma Vierling (Monmouth, Maine), 34th in 27:00.5, senior Beverly Ortiz (Waltham, Mass.), 35th in 28:11.4; and sophomore Averie Greeley (Ledyard, Conn.), 36th in 28:46.7.

Brandeis sophomore Mark Murdy won the men's event in a time of 16:42.6, while Brandeis junior Andrea Bolduc captured the women's race in 18:59.2.

Brandeis University took the team title in the men's race with a team score of 22, followed by Wentworth with 45, Regis College with 80 and Lasell with 92. Host Wellesley took top honors in the women's scoring with 27 points, followed by Brandeis with 31, Regis with 79 and Lasell with 109.

The Lasers squads will compete again on Saturday, September 14, at the University of New England Invitational in Biddeford, Maine. 

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