Colgate ended its season on a positive note two weekends ago, finishing second out of 25 teams at the ECAC Championships held at Van Cortlandt Park in New York City. New Hampshire won the meet with 68 points in front of Colgate’s 96, a real tribute to the Raiders’ effort considering the amount of scholarships UNH gives out every year. Senior Elizabeth Kennedy ended her cross-country career with a bang, finishing first overall with a stellar time of 18:14 on a tough and historic Van Cortlandt course. Kennedy’s entire family was there to witness her race, making her victory that much sweeter. First-year Stacey Marion was right on her heels however, finishing third in an also impressive time of 18:25. Both Kennedy and Marion earned All-East honors for their top-15 finishes. Colgate’s third and fourth runners were juniors Kristen Kiraly and Jessica Kielty, who placed 30th and 32nd respectively. Sophomore Emily Oliver rounded out the top five, placing 33rd.

Although the team goal was to defend last year’s title at this meet, sickness amongst the Colgate runners was a big factor.

“Our kids were a little tired and sick,” Head Coach Laura Nardelli said. “They held on all season but that weekend we just weren’t at our best. Our front two runners really held us down that time, and allowed us to place second.”

Still, Colgate managed to defeat many big rivals including Army, Binghamton, Bucknell and Albany.

The Raiders enjoyed a short Thanksgiving break and will change gears when they start their indoor track and field season on Saturday by competing in the Cornell Relays, which is a series of distance medley relays.