The St. Thomas Aquinas College cross country team ended the season on a positive note as each runner improved their time on the Franklin Park 6K and 10K courses. The men's team finished in 21st place with senior Einar Brissing leading the way. Brissing crossed the line in 34:43 which was good for 63rd place while classmate Vinny Modafferi finished in 79th place in 35:16. For the Lady Spartans, Sarah Callagy was the top finisher of the 6K course in 24:56 with a time of 24:56.
The men's competitive field was made up of 179 runners representing almost thirty NCAA Division II institutions. The top two teams and the top five individuals advanced to the NCAA Championship which will take place in Indiana. STAC had a strong showing finishing as the fourth East Coast Conference member in the race. Supporting Brissing and Modaferri, freshman James Patton had a stellar performance in his first 10K race. He finished in 38:14. Matt Muniz and Dan Nilsen rounded out the STAC squad
The women's race held the same merit with 162 runners from each of those colleges represented. Due to injuries, the Lady Spartans only had two runners compete, but gained valuable experience which will help them in the future. Callagy and Brevogel, both sophomores, will return next year to take on the course once again.
Overall, the Spartans saw great success this season. Almost every runner set personal records this fall. Modafferi set the STAC school record for the 8K on October 17th at the UAlbany Invitational. He covered the course in 25:58. Sophomore Sarah Callagy broke the women's school record in the 5K race logging a time of 19:46. Both of these runners, along with a strong supporting cast, will return to the cross country team next season and will help to set the pace for the future successes of the program.