The 2008 Eastern College Athletic Conference Division III Championships were held on Saturday at Colt State Park in Bristol, R.I. Both the Lions' men's and women's teams finished in ninth place.
Freshman Sara Smith took 37th in 25:07 in the 6-kilometer run and senior Sara Best came in 56th in 25:32. Sophomore Noelle Gotthardt took 68th while freshman Annie Amitrani took 69th despite finishing with the same time of 25:51. Junior Denise Belz was the final runner to score for the Lions. She came in 81st place with a time of 26:03. The College's women's team, ranked 19th nationally, scored a total of 294 points.
The Lions' men's team was led by both a senior and a freshman. Veteran Brian Kopnicki took 36th place, touring the 8-kilometer course in 27:43. Finishing close behind him was freshman Nick Bond, who took 37th in a time of 27:47.
Freshman Shaun McGeever finished in 43rd place on the day in 27:56. Sophomore Kyle Roos followed, claiming 56th in 28:05, and freshman Kevin Schickling earned an 83rd-place finish in 28:35.
The 25th-ranked Lions posted a final score of 254 points.
The women's side of the competition saw second-ranked Williams College win the championship with a score of 23 points, while 29th-ranked Amherst College finished in second with 75 points.
The men's competition had a similar finish, with Williams taking the championship once again. The eighth-ranked Ephs put up 64 points for the win. Keene State College took second with 100 points.
The College's men's and women's teams will travel next week to the 2008 NCAA Division III Atlantic Regional Championships, held at St. Lawrence University in Canton, N.Y. The meet will determine the region's 2008 qualifiers for the NCAA Division III Championship on Nov. 22.
