PHILADELPHIA - - The 2012 Wilmington University cross country teams continued their strong seasons today, as the men's team picked up its second team championship of the year while Althea Davidson earned her second medalist honors of the year, leading the women to a sixth place finish at the 33rd Philadelphia Metropolitan Cross Country Championship on Bekmont Plateau in Fairmount Park on Saturday.
Senior Bill Steele led the men's team with a second place overall finish, while the Wildcats placed three runners inside the top six, earning 40 points overall. Wilmington edged CACC perennial power, Felician, by one point, although Felician carried the individual medalist honoree. The Wildcats beat out 13 other schools that entered the Philly Metro Championship.
Steele raced his way to the runner-up position with a time of 27:58, trailing Felician's Rob Albano by 30 seconds. New to the team this week, graduate student Mike O'Brien finished third overall, running with a time of 28:13 in his first meet of the season. Sophomore Richie Mitten continued his strong second season, earning his top finishing position of the season with a sixth place showing in a time of 28:46.
The freshmen on the squad stepped up once again, as Jesus Amezquita and Carl Richardson rounded out the Wildcat point getters, finishing in 11th and 18th overall, respectively. Among the 14 teams in competition, Amezquita was the second freshman to complete the course, running it in a time of 29:30. Richardson was the fourth freshman to finish, placing 18th overall with a time of 30:34.
Felician finished second with 41 points while Philadelphia placed third as a team with 56 points. Ocean County (140) and Bloomfield (162) round out the top five on the men's side.
On the women's side of the competition, Davidson continued her strong sophomore season, beating the field of 124 runners with a time of 20:12, finishing ahead of the field by 12 seconds. She ran a mile pace of 6:31, finishing the 5k course well out in front.
Junior standout Jeanette Halliburton was at the front of the pack once again, becoming the second Wildcat to cross the finish line with a time of 20:55. She placed eighth overall, making it her third top 10 performance in four meets this season. Halliburton held a 6:45 mile pace through the 5k course.
Junior Whitney Hora placed 38th overall with a time of 23:34 in her second meet of the season, while freshman Morgan Ferrick finished 43 overall with a time of 23:59. Rounding the five scorers for the Wildcats was senior Kristy McCrea, finishing in a season's best 62nd overall with a time of 25:50.
Wilmington scored 152 points, placing sixth overall out of 16 teams in the field. Philadelphia earned the team championship at the Philly Metro for the fifth season in a row, coming in with a low score of 55. Nyack College finished second with 80 points while Georgian Court was the only other team below 100, placing third with 88 points. Dominican (150) and University of the Sciences (150) tied for fourth place overall, rounding out the top five teams.
The Philadelphia Metropolitan Cross Country Championships is held at the same park and course the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Championship meet is held at this year, as the Wildcats were able to feel out the course and the majority of the competition for the conference meet later this season.
Both squads will head off the prestigious Don Cathcart Invitational in Winter Place Park next Saturday. The meet is hosted by Salisbury University, with the women's gun going off at 9:30 a.m.