FRANK DILLON MEMORIAL INVITATIONAL - FULL RESULTS


SYRACUSE, N.Y. - The Daemen College women's cross country team opened the 2021 season today by placing first out of five teams at the Frank Dillon Memorial Tournament hosted by Le Moyne College.

Daemen produced three of the top four finishers in today's race. Freshman Marcy Colca (Getzville, N.Y.) had an impressive collegiate debut for the Wildcats, as she placed first among the 57 runners by posting a time of 15:16.5 over the 4K race. Teammate Kassandra Noel (Fort Erie, Ont.) placed second with a time of 15:25.0.

Eight schools were represented at the event, but only five schools had enough runners to be eligible for the team results. Daemen, which had five runners among the top 12 finishers, posted a team total of 26 points to earn the team title. Race host Le Moyne placed second (51), followed by SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (57), SUNY Delhi (90) and SUNY Morrisville (148).

It marked the first time that Daemen has claimed a team championship at an event since the Wildcats placed first at the 2017 Daniel Walker Invitational hosted by Buffalo State College.

Daemen returns to action next Saturday (Sept. 11) when it hosts the Daemen Duels at Bassett Park in Williamsville, N.Y.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Daemen had a total of 10 runners compete today.
• Colca, a graduate of Williamsville North High School, becomes the first Daemen freshman to place first overall in a race since former standout Mackenzie Donahue placed first at the 2013 Highlander Invitational (5K) with a school-record time of 18:37.03.
• Colca also becomes the first Daemen runner (regardless of class) to win a race since Amy Trabert placed first at the the 2016 Le Moyne Alumni Short Course Invitational (4K) with a time of 16:20.51.
• Nolet, a redshirt senior, competed in her first 4K race and the 13th race of her career today. She had finished first among Daemen runners in the last six races prior to today. She earned second-team All-East Coast Conference honors in 2019 after placing 13th at the ECC Championships.
• Junior Courtney Merrill (Speedway, Ind.), a veteran of the Daemen triathlon and track and field teams, made her cross country debut today and placed fourth with a time of 15:46.8.
• Senior Sarah Golas (Alden, N.Y.) also posted a top-ten effort for the Wildcats, as she placed seventh with a time of 16:31.4. It marked the 13th career race for Golas, and her first career 4K event.
• Sophomore Haley Hinds (Blossvale, N.Y.) also figured in the team scoring for Daemen, as she placed fifth among Daemen runners and 12th overall with a time of 16:58.8. It marked the first career race for Hinds, who saw her freshman campaign (2020) canceled due to the COVID 19 pandemic.
• Freshman Emma Cain (Lockport, N.Y.), redshirt junior Hannah Thomas (Cheektowaga, N.Y.) and sophomore Emma Grzebinski (West Seneca, N.Y.) also debuted with the cross country team today. Cain placed 16th (17:11.0). Thomas finished 18th (17:15.3) and Grzebinski placed 22nd (17:52.9).
• Redshirt senior Amanda Bushway (East Aurora, N.Y.) returned to action for the first time since the 2018 season and placed 30th with a time of 18:25.6. Freshman Megan Chamberlin (Amherst, N.Y.) rounded out the Daemen runners and placed 39th with a time of 19:44.2.

Daemen College features the premier NCAA Division II athletics program in the Buffalo-Niagara region, sponsoring 18 intercollegiate teams. For the latest information on Daemen Athletics, follow the Wildcats via social media on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram, or sign up to receive customizable news alerts, e-mail newsletters and weekly schedule alerts.

Follow the Daemen College women's cross country program on Twitter and Instagram at @DaemenXC_TRACK.