October 16, 2005

KINGS PARK, NY - Three New Jersey Institute of Technology runners finished in the top 10 and the other two Highlander runners stepped up to help the squad slip into third place at the St. Joseph's Invitational meet held at Sunken Meadow State Park on Long Island.

The 3.1-mile course at Sunken Meadow is known for its difficulty, with a "Cardiac Hill". The course was made more challenging Sunday by the muddy terrain resulting from the record rainfall of the previous week, combined with strong winds from nearby Long Island Sound.

With ¼ mile to go, Liz Mayo was 7 th , Jady Alvarez was 9th and Katie Carroll was 12th . Carroll then mounted a strong finish, passing two runners to place 10th at 23:25, while Mayo (22:23) and Alvarez (23:21) held their spots at 7th and 9th , respectively.

Two NJIT runners were absent, making the finishes of Becky Lindsey and Viviana Florea crucial to the team's hopes. Both runners came through, as Lindsey's 27:23 was good for 45 th place and Florea's 28:02 was good for 52 nd in the 78-runner field. Their points were enough to slip NJIT into second place past host St. Joseph's.

Next up for NJIT is the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference championship race on October 23 in Philadelphia.