Roberts Wesleyan College’s men’s and women’s cross country teams are East Coast Conference (ECC) champions once again. Following the cancellation of the 2020 racing schedule, both teams returned this season, determined to build on their continued success in previous ECC Cross Country Championships. On Saturday, October 23, with a home-course advantage, the men’s and women’s teams clinched the ECC Cross Country Championship title, marking a seventh consecutive ECC Championship win for the Redhawks.
The women’s team scored 29 points to beat out second-place Daemen, while the men’s team finished strong with 17 points, well ahead of the second-place team, St. Thomas Aquinas. In the women’s race, senior Bailey Gostomski led the way with a first-place finish in 18:01.3, three seconds ahead of the runner-up. In the men’s race, eight runners from the Roberts team finished in the top 10 positions with James Betts leading the way for the Redhawks with a finish time of 25:47.3.
“It’s nice to keep the streak alive for another year,” said head coach Andrew Dorr. “Our top men ran well, but I was particularly impressed with our younger runners who have improved tremendously this season and who will keep the momentum going following the graduation of their senior teammates. I was also really pleased with our women’s result. It’s been a tough year and a tough season for some, but they showed maturity and focus, and their performance was seemingly unaffected by any of those setbacks.”
In addition to earning the coveted ECC Championship title, several Roberts cross country team members received honorary ECC awards and recognitions. First-place finisher Bailey Gostomski was named the ECC women’s Runner of the Year, James Betts was named men’s Runner of the Year, and teammate Owen White was named the ECC Rookie of the Year. Coach Andrew Dorr was also named ECC Cross Country Coach of the Year.
Following their ECC Championship title, the men’s and women’s cross country teams will continue on to host the NCAA Division II East Regional Championship on Saturday, November 6. For a full list of results and finish times from the ECC Championship race, visit https://bit.ly/3EDbUI3. To learn more about the college’s athletic program, teams and upcoming schedule, visit robertsredhawks.com.
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