BROOKVILLE, N.Y. (Sept. 19, 2015) – Paced by a sensational stretch run to victory from senior Conor Gallagher (Belle Harbor, N.Y.), the Molloy College men's cross country team captured the team title at the LIU Post Invitational on Saturday in Brookville. Additionally, the maroon and white placed in sixth out of 14 squads in the earlier women's race.
Gallagher averaged a blistering 5:16.1 mile pace in the 8k course, and saved his greatest abilities for the last several hundred yards. Following a brief slip in the last loop of the race, Gallagher kept his balance and composure and turned on the jets, sprinting past the leader from Dominican (N.Y.), junior runner Booray Adam Nour (Bronx, N.Y.) to win by six seconds in a time of 26:08.86. Molloy senior Mike Darnell (Wantagh, N.Y.) ran an equally impressive time of 26:22.61 to claim third place for the Lions on the day.
The Lions had another runner on the men's side finish in the top-10, as freshman Brian Michels (Patchogue, N.Y.) was ninth to finish in only his second career collegiate invitational. Michels ran the course in a mile pace of 5:34.2 to clock an eight-kilometer showing of 27:41.22, while sophomore Travis Laderer (Sea Cliff, N.Y.) and senior Thomas Dreyer (Floral Park, N.Y.) completed the course in 14th and 15th place, in respective times of 28:05.65 and 28:06.44. Junior Shane Martensen (East Islip, N.Y.) kept the solid showing going by rounding out the top-20, crossing the finish line in 28:42.38. First-year harrier Carey Browne (Amityville, N.Y.) was 35th out of 101 runners in the race, finishing the course with a time of 30:14.14.
The total team time for the Molloy men's cross country team was a full two minutes and twelve seconds faster than second-place host LIU Post. Meanwhile, on the women's side, sophomore Katie Michta (Nesconset, N.Y.) earned a 13th-place high finish for the Lions over the 5k course. Michta's time of 20:16.63 averaged out to a mile-pace of just over six-and-a-half minutes. Freshman Gabriella Martins (East Meadow, N.Y.) finished the course in 32nd (21:20.09) while sophomore Nicole Hubert (Middle Village, N.Y.) came across the finish line just five places back in 37th with a time of 21:39.96. Right behind her in 39th place was freshman Maria Molnar (East Northport, N.Y.) while fellow first-years Megan Doyle (Lynbrook, N.Y.) and Diana Monaco (Center Moriches, N.Y.) completed the race in 46th and 60th place, respectively. Molnar's pace was good enough for a time of 21:51.88, while Doyle finished in a time of 22:18.25 and Monaco wrapped up her good showing in 22:52.65.
Molloy College's cross country programs will next head to Rochester to compete in the Harry Anderson Invitational on the campus of Roberts Wesleyan next Saturday (Sept. 26). Stay with www.MolloyLions.com for all the latest up-to-date information about your Molloy College cross country runners.
