Elon Women’s Cross Country Places First, Men Third at Pirate Invitational

GRIMESLAND, N.C. – The Elon University women’s and men’s cross country teams placed first and third, respectively, at the ECU Pirate Invitational on Friday evening, Oct. 12, at the Overton’s Lake Kristi Course. The Phoenix women scored 40 points to take the team title while the men’s squad tallied 84 points total for its third-place standing.

Women’s Results (.PDF)Men’s Results (.PDF)

Coralea Geraniotis paced the Phoenix women with her third-place standing while setting a new personal-record in the women’s 6K race with a 21:18.09. Melissa Anastasakis joined her in the top-10 for Elon with her seventh-place finish and her time of 21:44.63 – also a new PR for the Hillsdale, Ontario, native.

In the men’s 8K, Nick Ciolkowski was Elon’s leader with his 12th-place standing and a time of 25:08.81. Michael Germinario was close behind with his personal-record time of 25:09.643 at 13th overall with the Wayne, N.J., native clocking the sixth-fastest time in school history. Andrew Miller was 14th overall with his time of 25:10.053, just eight seconds shy of his personal-best.

THE RUNDOWN
Elon won the women’s title over host ECU, who finished second with 50 points, while Norfolk State (67), Western Carolina (81) and UNC Asheville (109) rounded out the top five teams. Norfolk State’s Martha Bissah won individualist honors with her time of 20:51.696.

Chelsea Smith also finished in the top-10 for the Phoenix women as the Toms River, N.J., native ran a time of 21:51.270 – a new personal-record by nearly a minute – while finishing ninth. Hannah Preeo was 11th with a time of 21:58.553 while Sophia Tasselmyer rounded out the Phoenix scorers with her time of 22:57.550 in 24th overall.

The Elon men was edged out for second by host ECU, who had 61 points as a team. Duke took the team title with 31 points. The Pirates’ Nicholas Ciaccia won individual medalist accolades with his time of 24:34.456.

Cooper Jansson was the fourth Phoenix runner to cross the finish line for the maroon and gold as he clocked a time of 25:33.953 – a new personal-record – and finished 22nd overall. Kieran Ungemach ran a 26:15.203 and was 35th overall to close out the top-five times for the Phoenix.

UP NEXT
Elon will focus its attention to the 2018 Colonial Athletic Association Cross Country Championships on Oct. 26, hosted by Hofstra University.