Tyrone, PA -- After relinquishing its title a year ago, Wagner was hungry to reclaim its spot atop the NEC men's cross country pecking order.
They did not disappoint.
Buoyed by NEC Most Outstanding Performer Jean Uminski (Paris, France), Wagner claimed its third NEC Men's Cross Country Championship title in the last four years under Joe Stasi. The Seahawks took first with 37 points to dethrone 2021 winner Central Connecticut. Wagner won the closely contested race with an eight-point cushion.
Uminki set the 8K course record at B & D Acre Farms in Tyrone, PA, crossing the tape in 24:35.9, which was 16.5 seconds ahead of the field. Dominic Palermo (Staten Island, NY/St. Joseph by the Sea) took third, clocking in at 25:01.6 to become one of three Wagner harriers to finish in the top-five and earn a spot on the All-Conference team. Anthony Bentivengna (Staten Island, NY/Monsignor Farrell) raced to a fifth-place finish in 25:07.5. The Seahawks had four athletes finish in the top-15 out of 90 entries.
CCSU sported four All-NEC runners among the top-10 finishers, including three-time NEC Athlete of the Week James Sullivan (Redding, CT/Immaculate), who finished fourth and led the Blue Devils with a time of 25:05.5.
Elyas Ayyoub (Cape Town, South Africa/Bishops Diocesan College), who finished third in the race a yer ago, covered the course in 24:52.4 and was the runner-up.
NEC Freshman of the Year honors went to Wagner's Justin Morris (Staten Island/St. Peter's Boys), who crossed the finish line in 25:42.0 for a 13th-place showing.
2022 NEC Men's Cross Country Final Results
1. Wagner - 37 points
2. CCSU - 45
3. Merrimack - 85
4. Stonehill - 99
5. LIU - 121
6. Saint Francis U - 137
7. Sacred Heart - 215
8. St. Francis Brooklyn - 256
9. FDU - 279
2022 NEC Men's Cross Country All-Conference Team
NEC Outstanding Performer: Jean Uminski, WC
NEC Freshman of the Year: Justin Morris, WC