Men's Race Results
Women's Race Results
Photo & Video Gallery (Credit to Rick Rissetto)
OLD WESTBURY, N.Y. (Sept. 17, 2016) - Against the backdrop of an unfamiliar course that proved to be daunting and hilly, the Molloy cross country teams made emphatic statements against competitive rivals at the NYIT Invitational on Saturday (Sept. 17). The course, which looped and meandered its way through the NYIT Athletic Complex and hooked around the famed de Seversky Mansion, was no major challenge for any of the Lions' harriers, with highest-place finishes going to both sophomore
Brian Michels (Patchogue, N.Y.) and junior
Katie Michta (Nesconset, N.Y.). Both runners were tops among Division II athletes in propelling the maroon and white to an easy victory in Old Westbury.
In the earlier race---the women's 5K competition---Michta led a parade of five top-ten finishers for Molloy as the Lions cruised with six runners inside the top-15. The junior out of Nesconset was tops in the division with a time of 21:26.20, averaging a mile time of just under seven minutes (6:54). Freshman
Emily Martino (Franklin Square, N.Y.) continued a brilliant start to her season with a third-place finish and a time of 21:30.53; following her was
Tyra Jamison (Far Rockaway, N.Y.), who clocked a personal-best time of 23:05.96 over the course. Jamison took home a fifth-place showing with sophomore
Diana Monaco (Center Moriches, N.Y.) earning herself a sixth-place finish by crossing the line in 23:11.79. Fellow second-year runner
Gabriella Martins (East Meadow, N.Y.) concluded the top-ten finishers for the maroon and white as her ninth-place finish came to fruition in a time of 23:28.45. Junior
Nicole Hubert (Middle Village, N.Y.) rounded out the day with a stellar showcase, finishing in 13th among the 36-runner field (24:22.00).
Michels, meanwhile, was nearly unbeatable in the men's 8K race. His time of 28:06.98 was nearly 20 seconds faster than the second-place finisher in his division; not only that, the reigning East Coast Conference Rookie of the Year also grabbed a third-place finish among all runners from Divisions I, II, III and the NJCAA that were in the race. Five Lions, including Michels, finished inside the top-ten of the Division II, III and JUCO portion of the race: senior
Shane Martensen (East Islip, N.Y.) utilized a strong performance to finish in third place with a time of 29:45.35. Freshmen
James Finnegan (West Hempstead, N.Y.),
Joseph Hunt (Farmingdale, N.Y.) and
Matthew Healy (Smithtown, N.Y.) continued a friendly battle for the top rookie spot this season, as well. Finnegan was fourth (30:22.31), while Hunt took a sixth-place showing (30:52.37) and Healy crossed the line in seventh (31:05.32). Junior
Liam Gallagher (Belle Harbor, N.Y.) and freshman
Stephen Barbaro (Middle Village, N.Y.) finished in 11th and 12th, posting respective times of 31:46.25 and 32:07.97. Helping the Lions out to a team victory as well were sophomore
Carey Browne (Amityville, N.Y.) (33:00.41) and junior
William Lemus (North Bellmore, N.Y.) (36:20.01).
The Lions will next race at a similar course just down Northern Boulevard in two weeks. Molloy will take part in the LIU Post Invitational on Oct. 1.
