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SLIPPERY ROCK – Junior Corinne Fitzgerald qualified for the NCAA Division II Cross Country Championships and four men earned All-Region honors at the Atlantic Regional, held Saturday at Slippery Rock.

Fitzgerald finished fifth to earn her first trip to the NCAA's in cross country by two seconds, while the men were fourth and came up two points shy of their first NCAA appearance since 1989.

Fitzgerald ran the 6K course in 22:07, eight seconds faster than her time on the same course four weeks ago. She was 23rd in the region a year ago and went on to set the school record and qualify for the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in the 3000m steeplechase last spring.

Junior Rose Mascoli was eighth in 22:28, finishing just outside of contention for her second straight NCAA appearance after placing fourth in the region and 24th in the nation to earn All-America status. Sophomores Kim Wernerspach (34th), Kim Lowry (67th) and Kelsy Rushing (69th) rounded out the scorers for ESU, which was seventh of 23 schools.

Freshman Chris Schneider (14th – 32:57) and juniors Frank Fezza (18th – 33:08) and Mike Pereira (22nd – 33:20) and senior Greg Laraia (25th – 33:24) had All-Region performances for the Warriors' men's team and junior Jim Romano (31st – 33:40) gave the squad a spread of just 43 seconds from its first through fifth runners.

The Warriors scored 110 points – two more than Shippensburg, which claimed the region's third and final spot to the NCAA Championship field. Edinboro (71) edged Lock Haven (76) for the regional championship. Alex Monroe of Lock Haven edged Edinboro's Scott Anderson by nine seconds for the individual title, followed by Ship's Stephen Schelander, California's Aaron Dinzeo and Lock Haven's Tim Getz.

Shippensburg's women's team and senior Neely Spence both won their fourth straight regional titles, with Lock Haven finishing second and Bloomsburg third. Ship's Katrina Spratford, Mansfield's Brenae Edwards and Bloomsburg's Victoria Davis were second through fourth in front of Fitzgerald.

The NCAA Championships will be contested in two weeks in Spokane, Washington. Fitzgerald is the seventh ESU runner to earn a top five place in the region.


Men's Results (score top 5)
14. Chris Schneider – 32:57
18. Frank Fezza – 33:08
22. Mike Pereira – 33:20
25. Greg Laraia – 33:24
31. Jim Romano – 33:40
48. Jared Wilson – 34:28
51. Amr Aldeen – 34:37

Men's Team Scores (top 5 of 25)
1. Edinboro – 71
2. Lock Haven – 76
3. Shippensburg – 108
4. ESU – 110
5. Slippery Rock – 131


Women's Results (score top 5)
5. Corinne Fitzgerald – 22:07
8. Rose Mascoli – 22:28
34. Kim Wernerspach – 23:45
67. Kim Lowry – 24:37
69. Kelsy Rushing – 24:42
102. Chelsea Wootten – 25:39
118. Bridget McCarron – 26:32

Women's Team Scores (top 7 of 23)
1. Shippensburg – 50
2. Lock Haven – 108
3. Bloomsburg – 134
4. Edinboro – 156
5. Slippery Rock – 159
6. Mansfield – 160
7. ESU – 183