Quinnipiac University
CCSU Mini-Meet
Spencer Mannion Paces QU Men's Cross Country to 8th Place Finish (out of 19) at CCSU Mini Meet
10/24/2014 12:00:00 AM | Men's Cross Country
- CCSU Mini Meet Men's Individual Results
- CCSU Mini Meet Men's Team Results
- QU Men's Cross Country Homepage
- QU Men's Cross Country Schedule
- MAAC Men's Cross Country Homepage
NEW BRITAIN, Conn. - Senior Spencer Mannion (Brookfield, Conn.) paced the Quinnipiac men's cross country team as the Bobcats scored an 8th place finish (out of 19 teams) at the Central Connecticut State University (CCSU) Mini Meet on Friday afternoon. Mannion's strong showing led a balanced Quinnipiac lineup (218 points) in the regional showcase as all five of the Bobcats' top finishers placed in the Top 50 overall. The host Blue Devils claimed the victory at their home course from Stanley Quarter Park with 52 points on Friday.
Head coach Carolyn Martin chose to deploy her full compliment of runners on Friday as the Bobcats are now one week away from the MAAC Championships set for Friday, Oct. 31 from Holmdel Park in New Jersey. Quinnipiac will be looking to improve upon their 7th place showing in the 2013 MAAC Championships as well as position themselves for a strong improvement in the NCAA Regionals held in mid-November.
Mannion's strong showing came at just the right time for the Bobcats' senior as he heads into the conference championship meet following a 34th place showing on Friday, crossing the line in 15:37.21. For Mannion, it was a crowning achievement for one of the most consistent and steady runners Quinnipiac has seen over the last four years. Always tending to place second-best on the team, this showing on Friday is Mannion's first time placing first on the team since the Northeast Conference Championship back his freshman season on Oct. 29, 2011.
The impressive performance from Mannion helped unset junior Brendan Copley (Colchester, Vt.) who had finished as the fastest Bobcat runner for 11 straight meets prior to Friday afternoon. Copley still churned in a solid outing as Quinnipiac's cornerstone placed 41st overall out of 123 runners with a time of 15:43.12. Copley's second place finish on the team is his first time not placing first for the Bobcats since his freshman season at the NCAA Regional event back on Nov. 9, 2012.
Copley led a strong pack of Bobcat runners behind Mannion as junior Matt Mensher (Tolland, Conn.) placed just three spots behing Copley in 44th place overall with a time of 15:44.72. Mensher continues to improve significantly year-to-year as his showing on Friday was a marked improvement from his 2013 result at the CCSU Mini Meet in which he placed 64th with a time of 16:12.04.
Rounding out the top five finishers for the Bobcats wasn't easy as the two were seperated by just .09 seconds in the overall standings. Senior Thomas Dextradeur (Branford, Conn.) was victorious in the final stages as he outkicked sophomore Dylan Fearon (Tenafly, N.J.) by the slimmest of margins on Friday. Dextradeur was the fourth-fastest Bobcat, finishing in 49th place overall with a time of 15:48.12, while Fearon was right behind the senior with a time of 15:48.21, good enough for 50th overall in the final standings. Fearon's time, in particular, is a marked improvement from his 2013 showing at the CCSU Mini Meet wherein he placed 60th overall with a time of 16:16.44.
Now the Bobcats will have one week to prepare for the MAAC Championships on Friday, Oct. 31 from Holmdel Park in Holmdel, N.J. Iona is considered the heavy favorite as the Gaels as won 23 consecutive MAAC Championships and will look to run away with their 24th straight title on Friday. Meanwhile, the Bobcats have a determined look this season as the Quinnipiac contingent continues to improve and has posted some of their best results in recent program history this season.
Contact: Maxx McNall; maxx.mcnall@quinnipiac.edu
Players Mentioned
