CHICOPEE, Mass. – The University of New England (UNE) women's team earned first place honors in the women's 5-kilometer race, while Babson College earned top team honors in the men's 8-kilometer race at Saturday afternoon's Blazers cross country invitational at Chicopee Memorial State Park.

For the women, UNE finished in first place with 28 points, followed by Gordon (55), Sage (100), Babson (153), MCLA (174), Curry College (191), Eastern Nazarene (193), Elms (193), Mass. Maritime (201), Mount Ida (230), Bay Path College (282), Newbury College (302) and University of St. Joseph (Conn.) (359).

The Colonels placed sixth out of 16 teams, vastly improving the overall team score from last year by more than half. Each runner placed in the top half of the field out of 169 athletes. The top place finishers competed in positions 20-30 led by freshman Megan Erickson (Westbrook, Conn.), who finished in 20th place with a time of 22:25.  Other Curry finishers were freshman Leigha Sweeney (Braintree, Mass.), 22:50 (23rd), sophomore Jessica Leary (Pembroke, Mass.), 23:37 (29th), sophomore Melanie Berube (Beverly, Mass.), 26:20 (48th) and junior Co-Captain Kelly Ethier (Merrimack, N.H.), 30:01 (71st).  Junior Co-Captain Jacquelyn Young (Randolph, Mass.) was unable to compete but was at the meet to encourage her teammates throughout the race.

Curry returns to action on Saturday, September 29 when they travel to Gordon College in the Pop Crowell Invitational for a 10:45 a.m. start.  (Race Recap Courtesy of Elms Sports Information)

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