Saint Joseph's to Host GNAC Cross Country Championship Saturday

STANDISH, ME - Saint Joseph's College will host the 2010 Great Northeast Athletic Conference Cross Country Championship on the Monks' XC trails on Saturday.

Over 225 runners from the twelve women's teams and 10 men's programs in the conference will attend the annual event. The Monks have played host to the GNAC race three times in four years as a member of the conference.

The women's race, a 5K, will begin at 11:30 AM with the men's meet (8K) to follow at 12:30 PM. An awards ceremony will be held in the Alfond Center Gymnasium following the men's race.

Emerson, which featured the meet's top two runners, captured the women's crown last fall with 48 team points – eight ahead of runner-up Johnson & Wales. Lions senior Cat Viglienzoni (Sonquel, CA), the 2009 runner-up, is the top returner from last year's meet.

Emerson is the most successful program in GNAC women's XC history with four league titles. Johnson & Wales has won the event three times and the Monks gained top women's team honors in 2007 and 2008.

JWU collected the 2009 men's team honors with just 17 points, as five of the top six individuals wore Wildcat colors including individual winner Greg Redfield '13 (Penfield, NY).

After clinching the title last fall, Johnson & Wales has now won two GNAC's in a row and five overall. Norwich leads all conference programs with six team titles since 1995. The Monks' top finish in the conference meet was a runner-up performance in 2007.

2009 GNAC Women's XC Top 10:

2009 GNAC Men's XC Top 10: