MANCHESTER, N.H. – Maine Maritime Academy's cross country team finished in seventh place among as many teams competing at the 31st Annual Shacklette Invitational, hosted by St. Anselm.
The only scoring Division III entrant in the field, Maine Maritime ran an eight-kilometer course for the first time in the 2012 season. Stonehill College ran away with the meet, placing five runners in the top seven, including freshman, Nick Kirkpatrick, who won the race with a time of 27:20.7.
Vijay Kataria (Grassy Creek, N.C.), Wyatt LaPage (Portsmouth, N.H.), and Cameron Roy (Orrington, Maine) crossed the line in 45th, 46th and 47th place in the field of 74 runners. Kataria logged a 32:48.6 with LaPage crossing 1.1 seconds later. The first two Mariners across posted faster times than any Mariner recorded during last year's North Atlantic Conference championships. Roy was just off his NAC championship pace of a year ago, clocking a 33:22.2.
Freshman, Chase Reidelbach (Virgina Beach, Va.) ran the course in 34:06.9 for a 53rd place finish, while Noel Deserres-Gauthier (Dover, N.H.) rounded out the Mariners scoring contingent with a 34:06.9, finishing 53rd.
The Mariners return to action next Saturday at Maine-Farmington's Mount Blue Invitational.
