LYNDON CENTER, Vt. -- The New England College men's cross country team won its first-ever North Atlantic Conference title in grand fashion Sunday when it edged Lyndon 35-38, ending the Hornets' three-year reign as NAC champions. Maine Maritime Academy finished in seventh place among the NAC's nine men's teams.
Medalist Antoine Gisore topped the field of 81 runners with a time of 28:27.9 to lead the Pilgrims to victory. Teammate Makopa Rugabirwa placed fourth in 30:07.5 and Taylor Annett came in sixth in 30:13.2. New England's Matt Meyers rounded out the team's top-10 finishers in eighth place with a mark of 30:33.9.
Michael Farmer was the top Lyndon finisher in third place with a time of 29:52.5 while fellow Hornet Tyler Scheibenpflug placed fifth in 30:10.6 Josh Grant (30:42.0) and Joe Kill (30:55.6) placed ninth and 10th, respectively for Lyndon.
Colby Sawyer's Hayden Bunnell came in second in 29:49.3 and Green Mountain's Forrest Teutsch placed seventh in 30:25.4 to round out the top-10 finishers in the men's race.
Cameron Roy (Orrington, Maine) was the first Mariner across the line, finishing in 23rd overall with a time of 33:07.9. Noel Deserres-Gauthier (Dover, N.H.) finished 33rd in 34:46.9, while Wyatt LaPage (Portsmouth, N.H.) crossed 35th in 35:33.8. Jurgen Pilot (Bangor, Maine) and Patrick Lindsey (Winthrop, Maine) finished 41st and 43rd, respectively. Pilot posted a 36:25.6 and Lindsey logged a 36:53.8.
The Mariners return to action in two weeks at the NCAA Regional Championships.
