Lambert leads way

NASHUA, N.H. (November 22, 2014) – Junior Alyssa Lambert (Manchester, N.H.) finished 32nd on Saturday afternoon, to lead the way for the Franklin Pierce University women's cross country team, which posted a 14th-place finish at the NCAA Championship East Regional, co-hosted by Franklin Pierce and Merrimack at Mines Falls Park Trail. Roberts Wesleyan took home the East Region title.

Lambert was the only Raven in the top 50 in Saturday's 6k, 185-runner field, as she placed 32nd (23:03.2). Behind Lambert, it was another 42 spots back to the next Franklin Pierce student-athlete, as freshman Natalie Davies took 74th (24:09.1). Junior Doria Brown (Little Falls, N.J.) in 87th (24:31.4), junior Shannon Lozier (Merrimac, Mass.) in 86th (24:32.4) and sophomore Holly Lindoe (Holbrook, N.Y.) in 113th (25:15.0) rounded out Franklin Pierce's five scoring positions in the meet.

Also competing for the Ravens on Saturday were sophomore Danielle Koch (Coventry, Conn.), who finished 122nd (25:27.5) and junior Hadley Doubleday (Plymouth, Mass.), who placed 136th (26:05.6).

The top three teams in Nashua advanced to the final round of the NCAA Championships, with Roberts Wesleyan (31 points) laying claim to the regional crown. The Redhawks put their top five runners in the top 11 positions to post a 14-point win over second-place Stonehill (45). From there, it was another 76 points back to Saint Michael's (121), which took the third and final qualifying spot for the national championship race. LIU Post in fourth (189) and St. Thomas Aquinas in fifth (206) rounded out the top five.

Roberts Wesleyan senior Rachel Prutsman took home the individual title on Saturday (21:36.0), with a five-second win over LIU Post freshman Tayla Williams, who finished second (21:41.3). Stonehill sophomore Nicole Borofski (21:48.8), Saint Michael's senior Chloe Boutelle (21:52.7) and Roberts Wesleyan senior Megan Hulton (21:54.4) filled out the top-five individual finishers. The top three finishers not on a qualifying team also advanced to the national championship race: Williams, American International sophomore Pascaline Jerotich in ninth (22:17.9) and Assumption freshman Antonia Pagliuca in 12th (22:20.5).

For more information on Franklin Pierce Athletics, please visit the official website of Franklin Pierce Athletics (http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu). Also be sure to follow the Ravens through the Department of Athletics' official Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/FranklinPierceRavens), its YouTube channel (http://www.youtube.com/franklinpiercesports) and its Twitter feed (http://twitter.com/FPUathletics). Fans wishing to purchase Franklin Pierce cross country apparel can do so at the Department of Athletics' online store (http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu/store).