Fitchburg State Opens Up At Keene State Invitational

Men finish ninth with 255 points; Women place tenth with 233 points

KEENE, N.H.. (September 1, 2012) – The Fitchburg State men’s and women’s cross country team opened up the 2012 season this afternoon, visiting Keene State College for its annual Alumni Invitational.

The men’s team placed ninth overall with 255 points, while the women earned tenth with 233 points on the afternoon. Freshman Tim Allen (Methuen, Mass./Central Catholic) earned the top finish for the men, placing 59th overall with a time of 17:56, while senior Mike Grasela (New Bedford, Mass./New Bedford), sophomore Eric Ouellette (Ashburnham, Mass./Oakmont) and classmate Brandon Davis (Fitchburg, Mass./Fitchburg) turned in times of 18:00, 18:07 and 18:24 respectively. Sophomore Jim Quinlan (N. Andover, Mass./N. Andover) wrapped up the Falcons fab five with a time of 19:07 over the 8K layout.

For the ladies, senior Chenice Branquinho (E. Freetown, Mass./Old Colony) collected Fitchburg State’s best women’s time, finishing 63rd with an effort of 13:24. Freshman Erica Mallozzi (Gardner, Mass./Gardner) placed 64th with a time of 13:25, while sophomore Jenae Harrison (Sioux Falls, S.D./Washington) and classmate Samantha Wilkinson (Wakefield, Mass./Wakefield) earned times of 13:57 and 14:05. Sophomore Alyson Moreau (Barrington, R.I./Barrington) completed the top five ladies with a time of 14:08.

Fitchburg State will be back in action next Friday as it hosts the annual Jim Sheehan Memorial in Coggshall Park at 4 p.m.