BOSTON — The Middlebury College women’s cross-country team won its 14th NESCAC championship on Saturday in a race contested on Saturday at Boston’s Franklin Park.
The Middlebury men finished third. Both Panther teams will return to action on this Saturday at an NCAA Division III Regional hosted by Bowdoin.
The Panther women, ranked No. 5 nationally, scored 47 points in the 11-team race to win their first conference title since 2014. All five scorers finished in the top 15. Williams (73) took second, and Wesleyan (84) was third.
Senior Rory Kelly led the Panther women in the 6-kilometer race by finishing third in 22:30.1. First year Cassie Kearney was fourth in 22:35.9. Tasha Greene was 11th (23:06.0), Claire Gomba took 14th (23:09.7), and rounding out the five scorers was Katherine Glew in 15th (23:11.5).
The 14th-ranked men turned in a third-place effort with 88 points, two behind Williams (86). Amherst won with 60.
Senior Jonathan Perlman took ninth in the 8K event in 25:57.6 to pace the Panther men. Theo Henderson was 13th (26:07.3), Henry Fleming finished 15th (26:11.2), Harrison Knowlton placed 21st (26:16.8), and Matt D’Aquila completed the Panther scorers in 30th (26:29).