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News Release

UMBC Cross Country Competes in America East Championship Saturday at Oregon Ridge Park

10/31/2008

BALTIMORE—The UMBC men’s and women’s Cross Country teams compete Saturday in the America East Championship at their home course of Oregon Ridge Park in Cockeysville, Md. The men’s race will start at 10:30 a.m., while the women’s race will take place at 11:30 a.m. Directions to Oregon Ridge Park can be found using the link above.

The Retrievers look to use the momentum gained so far this season, as junior Sara Parkinson (Lancashire, England/Loughborough University) won the Towson Invitational and finished third in the Princeton Invitational, while the men’s team, led by senior Anthony Kelhower (Mt. Laurel, N.J./Lenape) and sophomore Paul Zwama (Groningen, Netherlands/CSG Dingstede), won the Mount St. Mary’s 5K Duals and the Towson Invitational.

Both of last year’s team champions, the New Hampshire men and the Stony Brook women, were picked to defend their titles this year according to the preseason coaches’ poll.

The Wildcats are looking to earn a three-peat, but will have to fight off the hungry Seawolves, who fell to UNH by just two points in last year’s championship and the preseason poll.

The Stony Brook women, who were nationally ranked as high as No. 12 and have spent six consecutive weeks within the top 30, are on pace to fulfill their preseason expectations.

Boston University’s Andrea Walkonen and Stony Brook’s Alex Felce, last year’s individual champions, will both be returning this year to defend their titles. Felce, this week’s America East and ECAC Performer of the Week, has made a strong push at the end of his season, placing first in the Central Connecticut State Mini-Meet this past weekend.

Walkonen, a two-time America East Performer of the Week this season, has won two individual titles in as many attempts. Her victory at the New England Championships earlier this month was her second consecutive first-place finish at the annual race.