FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 3, 2015
AIC's Chirchir, Stonehill's Borofski Tabbed XC Athletes of the Year
MANSFIELD, Mass. – The Northeast-10 formally announced its cross country all-conference teams and major award winners on Thursday. American International's John Chirchir was named Men's Athlete of the Year, while Stonehill's Nicole Borofski was awarded Women's Athlete of the Year.
American International swept the men's awards, while Stonehill swept the women's accolades. Borofski, Chirchir and the rest of this year's major award winners were honored at the 2015 Northeast-10 Championships on Oct. 25. Coincidentally, both Borofski and Chirchir claimed NE-10 Rookie of the Year honors back in 2013.
For a complete list of award winners, as well as all-conference members, which are based on the student-athletes' finish at the league championships, please see below.
Chirchir, who earned his third first team all-conference nod, was the men's individual champion at the NE-10 Championships, posting a time of 24:55.9 on the 8k course at Saint Michael's College to lead the Yellow Jackets to their second consecutive NE-10 title. He then won the individual title at the NCAA East Regional, as American Int'l repeated as regional champions as well.
Borofski, a first team all-conference honoree for the second straight year, took home the women's individual crown at the NE-10 Championships with a time of 21:48.8 on the 6k course, leading Stonehill to its seventh straight NE-10 title. She also guided the Skyhawks to the East Regional crown by winning the regional individual championship. Borofski earned All-America honors for her efforts at the NCAA Cross Country Championships on Nov. 21.
Leakey Kipkosgei garnered NE-10 Men's Rookie of the Year plaudits after helping the Yellow Jackets win the conference championship. Kipkosgei, a first team all-conference member, finished right behind Chirchir at 24:56.0 to earn a runner-up finish at the NE-10 Championships, and then took another runner-up finish at the regional championships. He then capped off the season with a 15th place finish at the NCAA Championships, earning All-America status.
Makenzie Cyr collected the NE-10 Women's Rookie of the Year award after aiding the Skyhawks to another Northeast-10 title. Cyr claimed first team all-conference accolades with a fifth-place finish with a time of 22:44.1 at the conference championships. She then followed that up by finishing in 10th place at the East Regional Championships with a time of 22:02.1.
American International Head Coach Leo Mayo was honored as the NE-10 Men's Coach of the Year for the second straight season. Mayo guided the Yellow Jackets to both the conference and regional titles for the second consecutive year. American International had five individuals finish among the top 23 male student-athletes at the NE-10 Championships, including the top two in Chirchir and Kipkosgei.
After leading Stonehill to its seventh straight NE-10 women's title, Karen Boen was recognized as the conference's Women's Coach of the Year. It was the 14th league title for Boen's Skyhawks, having won 14 of the last 16 NE-10 Women's Cross Country Championships. Boen, who was also tabbed as the East Region Women's Coach of the Year, put together a women's squad that had five of the top eight individual finishers at the conference championships.
Stonehill had the most women's all-conference honorees with five, followed by American Int'l with four. On the men's side, American Int'l, Franklin Pierce and Stonehill all had four honorees apiece.
The NE-10 had 36 student-athletes earn All-Region accolades with 20 on the men's side and 16 more on the women's side. In addition to Boen, Borofski and Chirchir's major regional awards, Bentley Head Coach Kevin Curtin claimed East Region Men's Coach of the Year, as announced by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).
*All-conference selections based on order of finish at Northeast-10 Championships
2015 Northeast-10 Cross Country All-Conference
Men's First Team
John Chirchir, American International
Leakey Kipkosgei, American International
Nacho Hernando-Angulo, Southern New Hampshire
Dieter Gutbrod, Southern Connecticut
Robert Massey, Stonehill
Mitchell Byrne, American International
Colton Ham, Franklin Pierce
Women's First Team
Nicole Borofski, Stonehill
Aisha McAdams, Stonehill
Laura O'Hanlon, Southern New Hampshire
Julia Morena, Bentley
Makenzie Cyr, Stonehill
Antonia Pagliuca, Assumption
Alexandra Buonfiglio, Stonehill
Men's Second Team
Tyler McLaren, Southern New Hampshire
Dage Minors, Franklin Pierce
Joseph Santo, Stonehill
Ryan Cadorette, Bentley
Jon Holmes, Franklin Pierce
B.J. Smith, Franklin Pierce
Daniel Gordon, Stonehill
Women's Second Team
Elizabeth Hannon, Stonehill
Alyssa Lambert, Franklin Pierce
Tara Dooley, Bentley
Natasha Fitzpatrick, Southern Connecticut
Michelle Lujan, Saint Rose
Rachel Lee, American International
Ivy Chepyegon, American International
Men's Third Team
Jose Velasquez, Adelphi
Kemani Hume, American International
Phil Harris, Merrimack
Thomas Dean, Bentley
Michael Bisbee, Southern New Hampshire
Samuel Parton, Southern Connecticut
Riley Dowd, Stonehill
Women's Third Team
Patricia Santos, American International
Caylee Richardson, Southern Connecticut
Sara Amato, Assumption
Jeanette Cudney, Le Moyne
Sara Digiovanna, Pace
Pascaline Jerotich, American International
Kristin Schmidt, Merrimack
Men's Athlete of the Year – John Chirchir, American International
Women's Athlete of the Year – Nicole Borofski, Stonehill
Men's Rookie of the Year – Leakey Kipkosgei, American International
Women's Rookie of the Year – Makenzie Cyr, Stonehill
Men's Coach of the Year – Leo Mayo, American International
Women's Coach of the Year – Karen Boen, Stonehill
ABOUT THE NORTHEAST-10
The Northeast-10 Conference is an association of 15 NCAA Division II colleges and universities located in New England and New York that is committed to supporting balanced academic and athletic opportunities for more than 6,500 student-athletes.
Each year, 4,500 of those student-athletes compete in conference championships in 24 sports, making the NE-10 the largest DII conference in the country in terms of sport sponsorship. Leading the way in the classroom, on the field and within the community, the Northeast-10 is proud of its comprehensive program and the experience it provides student-athletes.
