University of Massachusets Athletics
Three Harriers Earn A-10 Cross Country Weekly Honors
October 09, 2006 | Men's Cross Country
Oct. 9, 2006
AMHERST, Mass. - After a strong showing at the New England Championship meet last Saturday, three UMass cross country runners have been honored by the Atlantic 10. Sophomore Jesse Regnier (Hampden, Mass.) was named the A-10 Men's Performer of the Week, while junior Christina Derosa (Sound Beach, N.Y.) was named the A-10 Women's Performer of the Week. Freshman Nicolai Naranjo (Essex Fells, N.J.) was named the A-10 Men's Rookie of the Week. This is the second time DeRosa and Naranjo have been honored by the league this season and the first for Regnier. Both the men's and women's teams will return to action this Saturday at the Albany Invitational.
This was the second time this season that members of the UMass cross country teams nearly swept the A-10 weekly awards.
Regnier earned his first career Performer of the Week honor after leading the Minutemen to an eighth-place finish among 45 teams at the New England Championship Meet at Franklin Park in Boston this past Saturday. He took 13th overall among 307 runners with a time of 25 minutes, 12 seconds. This was the second time this season he finished as the top UMass runner. He improved nearly 100 spots this year compared to his finish last year. As a freshman he placed 101st overall in 26 minutes, 56 seconds.
Naranjo finished 76th overall in 25 minutes, 51 seconds and was the fourth UMass runner to cross the line. He was the sixth fastest freshman to finish the race. He has finished among the top-five runners for UMass in each of his races this season. His effort on Saturday was just nine-seconds shy of his season-best time on an 8K course this year. The honor was Naranjo's second of the season.
DeRosa earned her second A-10 Performer of the Week honor this season after placing 32nd overall among 314 runners. She helped the Minutewomen to a 16th-place finish among 46 teams. Individually, DeRosa completed the course in 18 minutes, 30 seconds to finish as the top UMass runner for the 18th consecutive race. She also posted her fastest time of the season on a 5K course and the fastest time of her career at Frankin Park.
