Plainville, MA – Back to Back! For the second straight season, the Wagner College men's cross country team took home the first place trophy at the Northeast Conference (NEC) Championship.
The Seahawks totaled 41 points, with four finishers in the top eight.
Trausti Thorsteins was named the 2020 NEC Most Outstanding Performer for the second time in his Seahawk career after crossing the finish line at 24:28.7 in the men's 8K race.
Anthony Bentivegna was named the 2020 NEC Rookie of the Year after finishing in sixth with a time of 25:02.4, first among all freshman competitors.
Junior
William Cuthbertson and sophomore
Dominic Palermo placed seventh and eighth, respectively, with Cuthbertson, who lost a shoe only half way through the race, checking in at 25:09.7 and Palermo at 25:12.3.
Junior Mahmoud Abdalla finished 19th with a time of 26:18.0, while freshman Paul Siconolfi crossed the finish in 23rd with a time of 26:30.6. Rounding out the Seahawk performances was a quartet of newcomers in Luke Cunningham, Muhammad Qadri, Michael Brannick, and Michael Hubert.
At the conclusion of the meet, Thorsteins, Bentivegna, Cuthbertson, and Palermo were all named to the All-Conference team.
Central Connecticut finished two points behind the Green & White, with a team score of 43, while Mount St. Mary's finished third overall with a score of 46. Both the Blue Devils and Mountaineers had three runners among the top-ten.
Bryant placed fourth with 97 points, while Sacred Heart (143), Merrimack (162), and LIU (178) rounded out the finishers at the 2020-2021 NEC Cross Country Championships.
Claiming the individual crown, Thorsteins has automatically qualified to represent the NEC in the NCAA Cross Country Championships in Stillwater, OK on March 15.
