Cross country teams sweep Siena

Sophomores Lindsay Raulli and Vasili Papastrat placed first in the women’s and men’s races respectively, pacing the Binghamton cross country teams to a sweep over Siena in a dual race on Sept. 11, at the Binghamton University Nature Preserve. The Bearcat women won 15-49 while the men took a 16-43 decision.

Raulli covered the women’s 5,000-meter course in a time of 18:53.7, marking the 10th-fastest time run on the course since the program moved up to the NCAA Division I level in 2001, and the fourth-fastest time turned in by a Binghamton runner during that same span. She is the first Binghamton runner to break 19 minutes on the course since Katie Radzik (18:38) and Stacy Kramer (18:51) at the 2005 America East Championships.

Sophomore Rachel Miura was second (19:17), breaking her freshman time on the same course by 26 seconds. Last season, Miura went on to earn all-conference honors with a 10th-place finish at the conference meet.

Seniors Sarah Veith (19:27) and Ashley Horton (20:00) were third and fourth respectively, while freshman Kelly Abbatte was fifth (20:14).

Papastrat, meanwhile, won the men’s 8,000-meter race in a time of 26:53.7, posting the fifth-fastest time turned in by a Binghamton runner on the home course in the program’s nine-year Division I history.

Sophomore Brendan Connell was second (26:51), followed by junior Tyler Stachecki in third (26:58), Jason Santos in fourth (27:07) and graduate student Chris Raulli in sixth (28:00).

Up next for Binghamton is the Lehigh/Paul Short Run on Oct. 1.