NEW LONDON, CT —The State University of New York at New Paltz men's and women's cross country team(s) were in action today for day two of the Silfen Invitational hosted by Connecticut College. The second day's competition featured the regular NCAA order of track events. The Hawks battled wintry temperatures despite it being the second weekend in April. Today's meet was a non-scoring NCAA track and field meet.

Brandon Gardner kicked things off in the morning with the 3000m steeplechase finishing fourth in a time of 11:51.98. A total of seven hawks took the line in two sections of the 5000m with Gavin Bowers leading the way in twenty-first place with a time of 16:46.67. Teammate Oliver Melara-Perez followed close behind in twenty-second place with a time of 16:47.48. Evan Miller was the top Hawk in the first heat finishing in twenty-third place with a time of 16:48.46. Vincent Mandracchia finished twenty-ninth overall with a time of 16:59.76. Aiden Hesseltine and Joe Palazzolo finished in thirty-first and thirty-second place(s) with time(s) of 17:07.73 and 17:09.64 respectively. Hesseltine earned a new personal best with his performance. Anthony Willis finished forty-first overall with a new personal best time of 17:41.33.

On the women's side things got started with the 1500m run, the metric mile. Marcella Candlin finished fourth overall with a new personal best time of 5:05.91. Candlin would also finish second overall in the 800m run with a new personal best time of 2:30.29. Candlin's time in the 800m now ranks fourth on the program's all-time performance list. Sam Maendel finished twenty-second place in the 400m. Maendel's new personal best time of 1:06.30 in the 400m is the fastest in program history. Crystal Rustami finished twelfth in the 5000m run with a new personal best of 20:24.67. Orquidea Briceno finished eleventh in the 1500m with a new personal best time of 5:23.0. Briceno would also finish in seventh place with a time of 2:39.88 in the 800m run. Marcela Figeroa finished fourteenth in the 5000m run with a new personal best of 20:29.74. Lillian Stephenson finished fifteenth in the 1500m with a time of 5:27.02. Stephenson would also finish in ninth place with a time of 2:41.52 in the 800m run. Ava Nargentino finished twenty-sixth in the 5000m run with a new personal best of 21:52.92. Alexandra Swink finished twenty-seventh in the 1500m with a time of 5:51.0. Swink would also finish in twelfth place with a time of 2:46.80 in the 800m run. Carolina Cuello finished in seventeenth place wit a time of 3:00.37. Jazmyne Daily-Simpson finished nineteenth in the 5000m run with a new personal best of 20:52.05. Hunter Larson finished twenty-fourth in the 5000m run with a time of 21:34.96. The women's squad capped things off with a pair of relay teams in the 4:800m. The "A" relay squad was composed of Alexandra Swink, Lillian Stephenson, Orquidea Briceno, and Marcella Candlin finished in second place with a time of 11:10.99. The "B" relay squad was composed of Jazmyne Daily-Simpson, Carolina Cuello, Hunter Larson, and Sam Maendel finished in third place with a time of 12:31.65. Today's "A" squad 4x800m relay performance is now the fifth fastest in program history.

The Hawks will return on April 26, to cap off their spring season at the Vassar Twilight Invitational hosted by Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, NY.

 
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