Cross Country

Owl Ours! SCSU Claims Third Straight Men's XC Title

Two-time champs dominate with pack mentality to make a three-peat.

Recap Courtesy SCSU Athletics
CONTOOCOOK, N.H. – Southern Connecticut State University Men's Cross Country won their third straight Northeast-10 Conference Championship on Sunday, October 27th at the Hopkinton State Fairgrounds in Contoocook, New Hampshire. The Owls captured three of the top four spots, and seven of the top 14.
 
Senior Owen Gagne led the Owls, finishing first out of 110 runners with a time of 25:00.47. He is the third Owl to ever finish in the top spot at the NE10 Championship, preceded by Johathan Volpe in 2022 and Chris Croff in 2006. He was followed by William Lamburn who finished in second with a time of 25:02.64. Bryan Rydercrossed in fourth at 25:12.19, and Nathanael Huebner crossed in eighth at 25:36.31. Freshman John Glidden rounded out the Owls top five, finishing in 12th with a time of 25:48.54.
 
Joseph Lamburn and Luza Cazzaniga finished in 13th and 14th at 25:51.88 and 25:58.61 respectively. Matt Speight was next, coming in 21st with a time of 26:21.11. Ryan Gagne finished in 25th at 26:26.30, and Frankie Porrini finished in 32nd at 26:50.21. Dylan Horkey placed 40th with a time of 27:03.29. Logan Miceli and Dom Tartarelli rounded out the pack, finishing in 80th and 87th with times of 28:15.73 and 28:49.87 respectively.
 
The Owls topped the conference with a score of 27, with Assumption coming in second at 115. Southern has now won three-straight NE10 Conference Championships. Owen Gagne, William Lamburn, and Ryder were named to the All-Conference First Team. Huebner, Glidden, Joseph Lamburn, and Cazzaniga were named to the All-Conference Second Team, and Speight was named to the All-Conference Thrird Team. 

Additional Notes:
- SCSU's 88-point margin of victory encompassed the same span of the second to ninth-place teams.
- SCSU ran without injured 2022 NE10 champion Jonny Volpe
- Six of the top seven finishers were seniors (SNHU's Dillon Labonte is a junior)
- SCSU took three of the top four spots, seven of the top 14 and had all 11 runners in the top 40.
- SCSU's win marks the seventh three-peat in NE10 history and the first since AIC in 2016.  No team has ever won four straight NE10 titles.

FINAL RESULTS
1. SCSU (27)
2. Assumption (115)
3. Bentley (115)
4. Franklin Pierce (117)
5. Adelphi (121)
6. SNHU (139)
7. New Haven (173)
8. Saint Michael's (179)
9. Saint Anselm (186)
10. American International (315)
11. Pace (338)

All-NE10 FIRST TEAM
Owen Gagne, SCSU*
William Lamburn, SCSU
Dillon Labonte, SNHU
Bryan Ryder, SCSU
Joe Carroll, Assumption
Ryan Outerbridge, Franklin Pierce
Sam Capobianco, Bentley

All-NE10 SECOND TEAM
Nathanael Huebner, SCSU
Mohammed Abunar, New Haven
Mason Behl, Bentley
Jake Orfano, Adelphi
John Glidden, SCSU
Joseph Lamburn, SCSU
Luca Cazzaniga, SCSU

All-NE10 THIRD TEAM
Diego Llanos, Adelphi
Rocco Bueti, Bentley
Evan Laws, Assumption
Nicholas Nanan, Adelphi
Eric Selyaya, SNHU
Adam Holodowski, Saint Anselm'
Matthew Speight, SCSU

ELITE 24 AWARD
Dillon Labonte, SNHU
 
ABOUT THE NE10
The NE10 is an association of 11 diverse institutions serving student-athletes across 24 NCAA Division II sports. Together we build brilliant futures by embracing the journey of every student-athlete.

Each year, 4,500 of those student-athletes compete in conference championships in 24 sports, making the NE10 the largest DII conference in the country in terms of sport sponsorship. Leading the way in the classroom, on the field and within the community, the NE10 is proud of its comprehensive program and the experience it provides student-athletes.
 
Fans can subscribe via this link to follow NE10 NOW on FloSports this season.  The partnership between the NE10 and FloSports works to provide funds back to the athletic departments of the Northeast-10 Conference in support of student-athletes while promoting the league on a national platform.