Sullivan runs wild in Corsairs’ final home game, 40-14

Sophomore Corsair George Vasiliadis kicks a field goal against Endicott during Saturday’s 40-14 win.

DARTMOUTH, Mass. — Senior Day was an artistic success for the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth’s football team on Saturday afternoon.

Senior running back Bob Sullivan carried 29 times for 159 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Corsairs past visiting Endicott, 40-14, in a New England Football Conference Boyd Division game at Cressy Field.

Sullivan scored three times in the second half to help UMass Dartmouth put the game away. His first score, from a yard out, capped a 76-yard, 10-play drive that began after Chris Brennan’s missed field goal gave the Corsairs the ball at the Endicott 24. He added a pair of scores in the fourth quarter, scoring from three yards out with 4:33 remaining after the Gulls had cut UMass Dartmouth’s lead to 27-14, and capping the scoring with a five-yard run with 55 seconds to play.

The Gulls broke on top, scoring on their first possession when quarterback Alex Smith hit Ryan Maclean with a 34-yard touchdown pass just 49 seconds into the game. The Corsairs tied it later in the quarter, moving 65 yards in eight plays on the ground before junior quarterback Alex Garro connected with junior wide receiver John Henry on a 15-yard pass to tie the score with 3:11 left in the first quarter.

UMass Dartmouth took advantage of a special team mistake to take the lead. A bad snap to punter Adam Labbe resulted in Labbe barely getting off a two-yard punt that went out of bounds on the Endicott eight-yard lines. Three plays gained a single yard, and sophomore kicker George Vasiliadis kicked a 24-yard field goal to give the Corsairs a 10-7 lead. On the ensuing possession, Smith’s pass was intercepted by senior defensive tackle Chris Azevedo, who returned it eight yards to the EC 16 yard line. Sullivan picked up the first 13 yards on the drive and Garro the final three, with the junior quarterback scoring on a sneak from the one-yard line to give the Corsairs a 17-7 lead at halftime.

“Our defense definitely stepped up and did what we needed them to do after the first drive,” said UMass Dartmouth Head Coach Mark Robichaud. “They went right down and scored on the first drive, but we did a great job after that. We made some huge plays. Since we’ve gotten into our division games, our defense has played well.”

Sullivan led a Corsair offense that gained 363 yards, 241 on the ground. Garro completed nine of 22 passes for 152 yards, and junior running back Aaron Russo gained 56 yards in nine carries. Smith was 11 of 25 for 148 yards for Endicott, and Drew Cusato led the Gulls on the ground with 53 yards on 10 carries.

“Bobby Sullivan had a great game,” said Robichaud. “Our offense had to change without [junior running back] J.T. Harold. Coach [Tim] McCarthy and our offensive staff did a great job adapting. We ran some things today that we hadn’t run all year, and a lot of our people stepped up.”

UMass Dartmouth improved to 5-4 and 4-3 in the NEFC Boyd Division with the victory, while Endicott fell to 2-6 and 2-4 with the defeat. The Corsairs will return to action when they visit Curry next Saturday, while Endicott will host MIT.

MMA

Full Force gives 100% satisfaction

By Timm Freitas

Last Friday, October 26, Full Force brought their Mixed Martial Arts production and the Halloween spirit to Plymouth’s Memorial Hall. Untamed 17 gave local fans a nicely balanced card with seven amateur bouts along with seven pro-bouts, one being a super-fight for the vacant fly-weight title. Although this wasn’t the first event Full Force ever put on in Memorial Hall, it was the first event where fights were held in a cage rather than a ring.

It was obvious from the get go that Full Force was much more comfortable with putting on a production at Memorial Hall than Whites of Westport (where last month’s event was held). That is not to say last month’s was bad, but this month’s was much better.

The night started with a horror theme when the lights blacked out and the music of Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” and Halloween’s theme song blared through the PA. Throughout the arena, there were quick spotlight shots of villains like Michel Myers and Freddy Kruger, with the final spotlight shining on “the most dangerous villain of all”- Full Force heavyweight champ Josh Diekman.

The energy in the room that was sparked by this beginning didn’t die down anytime soon because once the fights began, none failed to deliver. Although all of the amateur fights were good, the most notable one was a lightweight fight between Mark Rodriguez and Joe West. This fight started with quick shots and for the next three rounds saw Rodriguez ground and pound his opponent in order to win an action packed fight by decision.

On the professional card, there were two fights that deserved “fight of the night status,” the first being Josh Watson’s TKO of Randy Smith; the second being the title fight between Leandro Escobar and Paul Gorman. Josh Watson’s TKO came in the first few moments of the second round. After being completely dominated by Watson in the first round, Smith came out trying to end the fight with one punch, but Watson just proved too tough. With some huge shots, Watson pressed Smith up against the cage and unloaded on him for the victory. After the fight I got a chance to meet up with Josh and congratulate him on his exciting win.

The super-fight, much like at the last event, fully lived up to its name. It was a battle of discipline between Escobar and Gorman, which saw the prior win a controversial split-decision. Gorman opened the round with a kick straight to the face of Escobar and the fight went to the floor. Throughout the round and the whole fight, if Escobar took Gorman down, it wasn’t for long because Gorman always got the fight back to the feet. When on his back, Gorman was active and firing shots non-stop. It was obvious in the second round that Escobar was running out of gas, but he made it through all three rounds and a lot of punishment from Gorman to win the decision.

The split-decision victory for Escobar was an extremely controversial call. Throughout the fight Gorman seemed to be landing crisper and cleaner shots, as well as what seemed an abundance of more, whether they were punches, knees or elbows. The only time Escobar seemed to do anything of merit was when he took Gorman down to the mat. Even still, Gorman had great defense and a very active and offensive guard.

The call for this fight just proved once again that the ten point round system has its flaws. Although many feel the call was blown, this fight was incredibly exciting and I actually had a chance to meet with Gorman after the fight for a little interview:

Torch: What team do you affiliate yourself with?

Paul Gorman: I train with the Academy of Mixed Martial Arts (AMMA) from Portland, Maine.

T: How do you feel before a fight?

PG: Man, I get pretty (expletive) horrified, but the excitement of fighting is awesome.

T: Was it more of a thrill to fight for the title?

PG: Oh yeah, the thrill for fighting for the title was awesome. I really thought I did enough to win the decision, but I don’t know.

T: Where do you want to go from here? Do you want to climb the ranks again and earn a title shot?

PG: Well, I teach, and I really want to run my own school. But fighting professionally is really challenging and that’s why I will continue to do it and I’ll see where it goes.

T: Lastly, do you prefer fighting in a cage or a ring?

PG: Today was my first fight in a cage, and I can say I liked it a lot more. I’m sorry I couldn’t give you a better interview, I am still thinking about the fight and decision.

T: Thanks, a lot Paul and I hope to see you again.

Once again, the night of fights left me, as a fan, 100% satisfied. Every fight was exciting, and it was awesome to meet up with the fighters I did. Full Force proved that they know how to run a successful promotion, and I look forward to going to Untamed 18 at Memorial Hall in December.

Who is Tom Pickette?

By Adam K. Ellis

I recently had the chance to catch up with the Michael Strahan of UMass Dartmouth, junior Corsair defensive end and sack leader, Tom Pickette. With only one game left in the season verse UMD’s bitter rival, Curry College, the man they call “Pick” caught us up on an exciting season on the gridiron:

Torch: Tom, you guys are 5-4 on the season. You got off to a slow start and also lost some close games. Is this where you expected to be as a team, or did you have higher goals?

Tom Pickette: I have to admit we did have higher goals, but you know, sometimes things happen that are out of your control. The goal at the beginning of the season was to go undefeated and win the league title. Unfortunately, J.T. Harold — one of the best players in the nation and our star running back — went down for the season, so we’ve had some difficulties in trying to change our style of play. But 5-4 isn’t bad and if we could finish 6-4, well, I’d consider that a good season.

T: Speaking of J.T. Harold, what’s it like playing on a team with a running back as talented as him?

TP: I’ll tell ya, he’s fun to watch because you never know when he’s going to go 80 yards for a touchdown. On a personal level, you might think that a guy like that has a big ego and would be cocky. But J.T. is a good teammate and a good guy to have on your team.

T: Alright, on to you now! Individually you lead the team in sacks for the year, with 4.5. You’re third on the squad in tackles for a loss. Seems like you have been in the opposing team’s backfield quite a bit. Is this something you pride yourself on, and if so what’s the key to your success?

TP: I definitely pride myself on disrupting the backfield. The key to my success is just playing with a lot of heart. I go out on that field with the mindset of “I’m not afraid of anyone.” I listen up to the wisdom coaches pass down, and I get the best out of my natural ability.

T: You guys are heading to Curry this Saturday for your annual rivalry. How much does it mean to you to close out this season with a win?

TP: It would be huge. Beating Curry, who’s undefeated this year and ranked nationally, would be an enormous win for the program and be an awesome way to finish out the season. It would also mean a lot towards next season because we are going to have a real good team next year, and that would be a nice platform to start off of.

T: When your season ends, what’s the plans to prepare yourself in the off season for a strong senior year?

TP: I’ll be in the weight room four to five times a week. I’ll be running a lot of sprints for explosive movement (as a defensive end). I’ll be playing some intramural basketball for fun conditioning. And I got to give credit to our strength and conditioning coach, Don West. Last summer following his workouts, I put on 15 pounds of muscle on a program he sets up for us. I’m looking forward to coming back even stronger next year.

PROFESSOR TORCH

NFL undefeated: Biggest regular season showdown ever

By Adam K. Ellis

This week’s CBS Game of the Week includes the battle of the last remaining undefeated NFL teams, the New England Patriots and the Indianapolis Colts. The Pats are 8-0 heading into Indianapolis to face the 7-0 Colts. The game is being dubbed the biggest regular season game ever to be played, and fans are hoping it lives up to the hype.

These two teams have become bitter rivals over the past 5 years. The Patriots are looking to make amends for a last-minute defeat in last year’s AFC Championship Game. The winner of this game will most likely take home field advantage throughout the playoffs. Let’s take a look at how both team’s matchup against each other:

Patriots possession

Pats running game vs. Colt’s front seven — The Patriots offensive line has dominated each team they have played this season, including the highly touted San Diego Chargers front seven. The Colts d-lineman only put Brady on his back once in the two meetings last season. With that said, it will be more important for the Colts d-lineman to maintain their gaps and keep Lawrence Maroney at bay.

If the Pats o-line continues to play as they have all season, Maroney could have a big day if the Pats choose to use him, as well as opening up the playaction for the highly talented Pats receivers. The Colts’ linebackers are highly athletic players who are made for Tony Dungy’s Cover Two Defense. They don’t rush the quarterback particularly well, but they do maintain their assignments and cover plenty of ground. But they may be stretched thin by this explosive Pats offense, being forced to play a lot of zone or double-under coverage to disguise the mismatches created. Thus opening up the run game for the Pats. Advantage: Pats

Brady and his receivers vs. Colts secondary — With the amount of time Brady is being given, added to the great talent Brady has streaking downfield in Moss, Welker and Stallworth, there aren’t many options for the Colts.

Last season, Bob Sanders was allowed to cheat up to the line to stuff the run game because the Patriots receiving core was inadequate. This game, Sanders and fellow safety Antoine Bethea will have their hands full protecting against the big play. The Pats offense has played once already this season on turf, exploding on Dallas for a Brady career-high of 388 yards passing.

Don’t be fooled by the Indianapolis label of number one passing defense in the league. They haven’t played any one nearly as skilled as the Patriots offense. Look for all three receivers to have a monster day against a young Indianapolis secondary composed of second and third year players. Advantage: Pats

Colts possession

Colt’s running game vs. the Pats front seven — Last season, the Colts’ ability to run the ball and effectively wear down the clock tired out the defense and left the Pats susceptible to the play-action fake in the second half. With the offseason addition of Adilius Thomas and the returns of Richard Seymour and Rodney Harrison into the lineup, the Colts won’t have it as easy this time around. The key to the Colts running game is if Manning is allowed to time to pick apart the Pats secondary, thus pushing the safeties back far enough to give Joseph Addai and Kenton Keith room to run. Advantage: Split

Manning and his receivers vs. Pats secondary — Ellis Hobbs and Asante Samuel are solid NFL cornerbacks. They both play the ball well real well, are viably fast, and can be as quick as lightning. Nonetheless, no secondary in the league has the ability to shut down Marvin Harrison, Reggie Wayne, and Dallas Clarke. Wayne and Harrison are going to get their catches no matter what. The key to slowing them down is to get pressure up the middle on Manning and force him into uncomfortable situations. Harrison and Eugene Wilson have their work cut out for them, as they must 1) can’t allow Manning to connect for the big play; 2) Don’t allow Dallas Clarke to roam free of contact; 3) Help stop Addai up front. Advantage: Colts.

Intangibles

Home Field Advantage — The RCA Dome is one of the most difficult road venues to play in the league, as it features an extremely loud crowd and a turf that is custom made for a Peyton Manning offense. The key for the Pats to win is to get up early and big, immobilizing Colts fans from being able to disrupt the continuity of the Pats offense. Advantage: Do you have to ask?

Special Teams — Our dear old friend Adam Vinatieri is still kicking well (14-15 FGs made), yet seems to have lost his ability to nail the long one (longest field goal: 39 yards). Second year pro Stephen Gostkowski has proven he can hit from long range, but still has yet to find some consistency in the kickoff game, as he has kicked it out-of-bounds three times already this season. In the return game, the Pats have the obvious edge with Ellis Hobbs and Wes Welker back deep to retrieve punts. Hobbs is averaging roughly 29 yards per return, good for 10th in the league. Advantage: Pats

Coaching — This is a matchup of two of the league’s best coaches in Tony Dungy and Bill Belichick. Both teams have played each other plenty of times in the past six years and there aren’t many surprises left they can throw at each other. Both respective coaches will have their teams prepared to play their hardest game of the season. The key to both gameplans will be to find creative ways to get to opposing team’s quarterback. Whoever does the best job of this, should find the upperhand. Advantage: Split

How’s it all go down?

The Foxboro Super Bowl Train stops for no one this season, not even the great Peyton Manning. This Patriot team is possibly one of the most talented teams ever, and on Sunday they have more to prove than ever. Brady has another 300-yard game and Maroney has over 100 total yards. Pats over the Colts 38-24.

Re-signing Schilling is the obvious choice for next season

By Jeremy Correia

To Theo, Larry, John, Tom and the powers that be on Yawkee Way: Bring Curt Schilling back for one more season!

First let’s look at the numbers. Curt Schilling has 216 regular season wins, 3,116 strikeouts in 3,261 innings and a 3.46 career ERA. In 2006 and 2007 he made a combined 55 starts, his ERA was 3.92, and he struck out 284 hitters in 355 innings. He walked only 51 batters. I haven’t even gotten to the good stuff yet.

In the 12 post-season series that Schill’s been in, he is 11-2 in 19 games-started with a 2.23 ERA. In 133 innings, he’s struck out 120 while walking a scant 25. He’s been nothing short of dominant, including 4 complete games included in that stretch. He’s already been referred to as the best post-season pitcher of all time, and deservedly so.

Not too bad for a 40-year-old potential Hall of Famer, who is essentially going to be your team’s third or fourth starter in 2008 — and some people want to let him walk? For all those people out there who think Schilling is a blow-hard, or Schilling needs to worry about pitching and not about blogging, or Schilling needs to keep his political views to himself, I’ll say this: The guy is just a damn good pitcher who knows how to win.

He also knows how to teach a winner — see Josh Beckett and Jonathan Papelbon. I would guarantee that both of these guys wouldn’t be the players they are today without the tutelage of Schilling. The intangibles are anything but overstated; he’s taken these young players under his wing and showed them how to be Major Leaguers. Beckett looks like a young Schilling, only better, and Papelbon is on his way to becoming one of the more dominant closers of the game. I would love to see Schilling with Jon Lester and Clay Bucholz for a full year, the things they could learn would be invaluable and yield huge dividends for the young guns. Let’s look at Curt as the assistant to John Farrell, and oh by the way, give you 15 wins.

The Red Sox held out on giving Curt the one-year $13M dollar extension that he wanted before the end of spring training, where he said he would not negotiate in the middle of the season. Hindsight being 20-20, I bet you wished the Sox signed him now because that looks like a bargain, coming off the heels of this postseason. In a 2008 free agent list that touts the likes of Kyle Lohse, Carlos Silva, Kip Wells, and Matt Clement; teams will be chomping at the bit to throw two years and $30 million at him. There is already some confirmed interest from teams like the Dodgers and the Mets. He could go to the Junior Varsity Circuit (the NL) and drop his ERA close to a full run. If I’m Curt Schilling, that’s what I do.

Luckily however, I’m not Curt. He loves Boston and everything about it. He does numerous things in the community from the Jimmy Fund to the Shade Foundation to Curt’s Pitch for ALS. He is genuinely a caring and giving person. I believe that for the time he has been here, no one has done so much with so little in the community. His family loves Boston and he’s made no secrets about the way he feels.

“It did dawn on me, and I’d hate to think I’ve made my last start as a Boston Red Sox. I don’t dwell on it. No matter how badly I want to come back here and how badly I want to be a part of this, it takes two to tango, and if it’s not in the cards on their end, then it’s not going to happen. It really is kind of easy in that sense. I want to be here. I hope they want me here.” This, after Schilling’s win in Game 6 of the ALCS.

There is no doubt that he wants to finish his career in Boston and no doubt that it is in the best interests of he and the Red Sox to get the deal done following the World Series victory parties. It’s clear that Schilling will be an impact on the Red Sox of 2008, not just on the hill where he can obviously still hold his own, but in the clubhouse, where he can be a mentor and a teacher. Even if you’re a person who doesn’t believe in his value off the field, you can’t argue with his value as a player, especially in this year’s market.

He’ll be the best free agent pitcher available, he’ll come relatively cheap, he only wants a one-year deal, and unlike other free agents, he’s brought you two championships and could possibly help deliver even more. He’s Curt Schilling, bring him back.

College football roundup

Ryan shines late, leaves Virginia Tech stunned

By Trevor Medeiros

For 56 minutes last Thursday, Boston College certainly didn’t look like the number two-ranked team in the nation against Virginia Tech. The Eagles came into the game with the top-ranked run defense in the country, but let Hokie running back Brandon Ore run for 97 yards. Even Heisman-candidate (quarterback) Matt Ryan was being outplayed by his VT counterpart Sean Glennon on national television. Glennon was granted the start after starting quarterback Tyrod Taylor was sidelined by an ankle injury.

However, college football games are 60 minutes long, and Ryan and company used every last second on the clock to pull off an improbable and stay undefeated. Down 10-0 with four minutes to play in the game, Ryan showed why he’s the Heisman frontrunner, as he led his Eagles to a stunning 14-10 win in a hostile (and wet) Lane Stadium.

Ryan was awful for most of the game against the stingy Hokie defense, but put the team on his back when it mattered most. He threw a picture-perfect touchdown pass to Rich Gunnell to cut the BC deficit to 10-7. Then, after the Eagles recovered an onside kick, Ryan did his best Doug Flutie impression with BC in field-goal range on third and 20.

Ryan went to his right, scrambled left, and then threw across his body to a wide-open Andre Callender in the end zone for the game-winning score with 11 seconds left.

Whether the rest of the country likes it or not, the Eagles deserve to be the second-ranked team in the nation. Barring any major injuries (or Tom O’Brien sightings), Boston College should be undefeated going into the ACC title game in Jacksonville in December.

Ryan and his teammates have a chance to do something Flutie and his bunch didn’t do during their magical run of 1984, and that’s win a national championship. In a season as wacky as this, it’s not all that crazy to think that Boston College could actually win it all when it’s all said and done.

Ohio State still tops

Going into a situation where many (including myself) felt they would lose, Ohio State went into happy valley last Saturday night and put a hurtin’ on Penn State, 37-17. The Buckeyes made it look easy in their first real test of the season.

Every week, quarterback Todd Boeckman is proving he’s more than just a game-manager. With his rocket-arm, Boeckman is utilizing all of the weapons he has at his disposal, including Brian Robiskie, Brian Hartline and Chris and Maurice Wells. Plus, James Laurinaitis is a beast at linebacker, and the rest of the State defense is just as stingy.

The Buckeyes have three games left on their schedule, including a home game against overrated Wisconsin, and the regular-season finale against nemesis Michigan, who they’ve owned as of late.

I guess it’s fitting that in a season with such a lack of consistency, Ohio State will probably advance to the national championship for a second-straight year.

Beasts of the East

Well, we’re already almost done with college football’s regular season, and Connecticut is the lone undefeated team in the Big East conference. That’s right, ladies and gentlemen, UCONN isn’t just a basketball school, anymore. The Huskies had another impressive win in Hartford, this time over the South Florida Bulls, 22-15. This time, they didn’t need a (not so) phantom fair catch to do so.

The biggest reason UCONN’s leading the Big East is their defense. The Huskies kept Brian Brohm in check a few weeks ago, and they made USF quarterback Matt Grothe look like a junior high quarterback.

A trip to Morgantown at the end of the year still looms large for UCONN, but if they can beat West Virginia, they’ll be doing something that would even make Jim Calhoun blush.

Volleyball falls to Eastern Connecticut

The UMass front line goes up for a block during the game on Saturday.

WILLIMANTIC, CT — The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth’s volleyball team fell to host Eastern Connecticut State in four games in a Little East Conference match at the Geissler Gymnasium Saturday afternoon. The Warriors won, 35-37, 30-24, 30-20 and 30-24.

Senior outside hitter Nazareth Cardoso led UMass Dartmouth with 19 kills, junior outside hitter Hilary Teichert added 13, junior setter Mellanie Staiger had 42 assists, and junior libero Aly Zagame had 22 digs.

“They had five game points in the first game, and we held them off and won, 37-35,” said UMass Dartmouth Head Coach Steve DeRossi. “They jumped ahead in the fourth game, and we got it down, but we made three critical service aces at the most inopportune time. We played hard, and we’ll come home now and get ready to go on the road Tuesday.”

The Corsairs dropped to 6-19 and 0-7 in the Little East Conference with the defeat, while ECSU improved to 8-26 and 2-4. The Corsairs will return to action when visit Western Connecticut State in a first round match in the Little East Conference volleyball tournament Tuesday evening. ECSU will visit Rhode Island College.

UMass Dartmouth hockey ranked #1 in ECAC

DARTMOUTH, Mass. — UMass Dartmouth’s hockey team has achieved another first. For the first time in recent memory, the Corsairs are picked to finish first in the Eastern College Athletic Conference standings.

UMass Dartmouth, which has won both the regular season title and the post-season tournament in each of the past two seasons, received eight of the 13 first-place votes and 163 points in the poll. Curry, which finished second in each of the past two regular season races and lost to the Corsairs in the finals two seasons ago and to Wentworth in the semi-finals last year, got four first-place votes and 156 points.

Wentworth received the other first-place vote and 148 points, while Plymouth State was fourth with 115 points. Nichols, Fitchburg, Johnson & Wales and Suffolk were picked to fill the other four post-season playoff spots and finish fifth through eighth. Salve Regina, Western New England, Worcester State, Becker and Framingham State were picked to fill out the rest of the standings.

“Pre-season polls are usually an acknowledgement of how the team has played in the recent past, and we are 42-3 the last three years with back to back championships,” said UMass Dartmouth Head Coach John Rolli. “Often times, polls reflect past achievement, The fact of the matter is that we’ve lost five players from our top two lines and arguably our best defenseman from a year ago. We have to replace a significant number of players. There are a lot of good teams in our conference, and the ECAC Northeast teams are receiving more and more national recognition. We will have more than our work cut out for us.”

The Corsairs, who return All-Conference junior goaltender Jeff Grant and senior forward Jeff Grant, will begin their season at Becker November 10th. The home opener is set for October 17th against Plymouth State, the last team to beat UMass Dartmouth at Hetland Arena.

Men third, sixth at LEC/Alliance Championships

The men’s cross country team lines up for the start of the race on Saturday.

NORTH DARTMOUTH, Mass. — The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth’s men’s cross country team finished third at the Little East Conference Championships and sixth at the New England Alliance Championships at the UMass Dartmouth Athletic Complex Saturday.

The men had 104 points in the LEC meet. Southern Maine was first with 25 points and Keene State next with 31. Trailing the Corsairs were Rhode Island College with 118 points, Eastern Connecticut State with 141 and UMass Boston with 147.

UMass Dartmouth had 199 points in the Alliance meet, which was won by Southern Maine with 31 points. The Corsair women only had three runners and did not earn a team score. Keene State took the LEC championship with 23 points and the Alliance

For the women, senior Leanne Nygaard was 18th in 20:36, freshman Dierdre Ginley was 40th in 21:24, and sophomore Jess Carpenter was 52nd in 21:50 for the five kilometer race. For the men, senior Eric Holmes was 32nd in 26:59 for the eight kilometer race. Senior Bryan Galvin was 42ndin 27:23, sophomore Derek Stevens was 43rd in 27:24, freshman Eric Nygaard was 61st in 28:26, sophomore Tim Whelan was 70th in 28:43, freshman Mike Logan was71st in 28:46 and freshman Steve Burke was 73rd in 28:55.

“Unfortunately, our top runners on both the men’s and women’s teams were sick today,” said UMass Dartmouth Head Coach Jon Hird.

“Leanne Nygaard still got All-Alliance, but Deirdre Ginley ran the best race she’s run this year by far,” Hird continued. “On the men’s side, Bryan Galvin, Derek Stevens and Tim Whelan all ran personal bests, as did our sixth runner, Mike Logan. Our runners who were healthy all ran very well.”

The Corsairs will return to action at the Eastern College Athletic Conference championships at Williams next Saturday.

A group of UMass runners stick together during the Little East Conference Championships and the New England Alliance Championships.

Matt Lemanski gave his all for the cross country team during Saturday’s events.