CONTACT: Adam Sopris, a.sopris@hvcc.edu, (518) 629-7898 or (518) 416-2137
FOR RELEASE: Immediate, Saturday, October 7, 2023

The Hudson Valley Community College men's and women's cross country programs competed at the 27^th annual James Earley Invitational in Stanley Park at Westfield State University on Saturday morning in Westfield, Mass.

The James Earley Invitational is one of the largest races the Vikings compete in each year. The women's team placed 24^th out of 25 programs and the men's team placed 22^nd out of 25 completed teams.

The women's team competed in the 6,000 meters race and Sydney Swedish led the Vikings as the team's top runner. Swedish finished the 6K race with an official time of 30:39. Laurel Ticer placed 154^th overall and crossed the finish line with a time of 30:55. Right behind Ticer was Rebecca Seiter, who finished 155^th in a time of 31:24. Rounding out the scoring, Madison Washburn finished 158^th (31:39) and Maia DiLego placed 181^st (42:38).

The men's program competed in the 8,000 meters race and were paced by Garrick Smtih-Growick, who finished the 8K race in 115^th place in a time of 29:16. Adam Blough, Jaco Kraft and William Petramale ran together and crossed the finish line within four places of each other. Blough finished 160^th overall with a time of 31:35 and Kraft placed 162^nd (31:45) and Petramale ran 163^rd overall (31:45). Rounding out the scoring, Aaron Wilcox crossed the finish line in 181^st place (34:00) and Jevon Beckett finished 194^th (39:09).

Up next for the cross country programs is the Mountain Valley Conference Championships on Saturday, Oct. 14^th in Herkimer, NY.