St. John’s Wraps Up 2019 Campaign at the ECAC Championships

Saturday, November 23

Bronx, N.Y. (Van Cortlandt Park)

St. John's University

ECAC Championships

St. John’s Wraps Up 2019 Campaign at the ECAC Championships

11/23/2019 2:36:00 PM | Women's Cross Country

Final Results

Gerland paced the Johnnies at Van Cortlandt Park on Saturday

By: Dylan Smith

            BRONX, N.Y. (Nov. 23, 2019) – The St. John's cross country team closed out the 2019 season at the ECAC Championships held at Van Cortlandt Park on Saturday.

            "I was very pleased with our team's effort today in just missing a top 10 finish without two of our top five runners," Head Coach Jim Hurt said. "They showed our ability to step up when it counts. Stephanie Gerland just missed All-East Honors while Katie Bruno, Claire Cushing, and Nicole McCarthy posted personal bests or near bests."

            The Johnnies accepted the challenge of running in the Championship race, despite only having six competitors. St. John's just missed a top 10 team finish, sitting at 11^th with an average time of 19:47.4. BIG EAST foe Providence took the team title and had the top three individual finishers, including winner Abbey Wheeler.

            Gerland rallied to the finish line in the final cross country race of her collegiate career, crossing at 19:00 even. The Garden City, N.Y., native ran an average mile of 6:07 en route to a 28^th place finish on Saturday.

            Bruno nearly broke into the top 50 after hitting the end line with six other competitors, landing in 51^st place with a time of 19:27. The junior transfer was seven seconds shy of beating her season-best mark, a mark of 19:20 at the Metropolitan Championships.

            Fellow newcomer Cushing snapped her 5K-best time, earning a score of 19:38 to finish in 61^st place. The Canadian averaged a 6:20 mile through the hills of Van Cortlandt.

            Also in her final race with the Red Storm, McCarthy set her best time at the ECAC Championships with a time of 19:50. The New Milford, Conn., native cut nearly 40 seconds from her time of 20:29.1 in the Coaches' Race in 2017.

            In her first collegiate 5K, Grace Adolphe edged out Julia Herms of Fordham with a time of 21:02 to finish her inaugural cross country season. Tiffany-Ann Matturro rounded out the Johnnies' lineup with a time of 22:29.

            "It was a great way to finish our season," Coach Hurt said.

            Despite the end of the Cross Country season, Coach Hurt and his staff prepare for the indoor track and field season slated to begin on Dec. 6. More information on the indoor season will be announced next week.