Fredericton, NB - The Crandall Chargers men's and women's cross country teams landed atop the podium at the second meet of the regular season on Saturday. Hosted by St. Thomas University at Odell Park, clear skies and a fast course made for fast times all-around. The Chargers took advantage of the conditions and produced strong performances in both races.
In the women's 6K race, Laura Fonseca matched her placement from the first regular season meet, placing 2nd with a time of 26:00. Lydia MacArthur made big improvements in both her positioning and finishing time, crossing the line 6th in 27:52. Lydia Bodechon and Faith Benjamin each dropped four placements from their results two weeks ago, placing 9th and 11th with times of 30:42 and 31:48, respectively.
The Chargers women won a narrow victory over the Mount Allison Mounties, scoring 28 points to the Mounties' 31. The Mount Saint Vincent Mystics placed 3rd with a score of 43.
In the men's 8K race, it was a near repeat for the Chargers in their placements two weeks prior. Luke Purdy led the way with a 2nd place finish in 27:11, while Jackson Culberson followed close behind in 3rd with a time of 27:50. Luc Blanchette placed 5th with a time of 28:48, while Declan Andrews rounded-out the team scoring with a 7th place finish in 30:33. Justin Reimer showed improvements with his 12th place finish, recording a time of 33:20.
The Chargers men had a commanding victory in the team standings, winning with a point total of 13. The Mount Allison Mounties finished second with a score of 30, while the Mount Saint Vincent Mystics edged-out the Holland College Hurricanes for third, with each team scoring 52 points.
"Our team had some outstanding performances today, both men and women," said Head Coach Brandon LeBlanc. "Big improvements from individual athletes added-up to excellent team results. The men's team recorded a large margin of victory, while our women's team climbed the podium for their first win of the season. From here, it's all about carrying momentum and seeing what we can achieve once championships come around."
The Chargers will contest the third and final regular season meet this weekend (Saturday, Oct. 5th), hosted by Dalhousie Agricultural Campus in Truro, NS.