Larimer leads Pitt XC at NCAA Regional

For the first time all season, freshman Joshua Christopher didn’t finish a race with the… For the first time all season, freshman Joshua Christopher didn’t finish a race with the best time for the men’s cross-country team.

Christopher finished the race with the second-best time by a male Panther behind senior Curtis Larimer, as Pitt competed in its last race of the season at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional.

“He steadily got better each week,” Pitt coach Alonzo Webb said of Larimer’s season.

The women’s team finished 13th out of the 18 teams competing, improving upon last season’s 17th place finish at the Mid-Atlantic Regional.

The men’s team finished 26th out of 28, dropping from a sixth-place finish last year at the meet.

“It was nice to end the season on a more positive note than a negative,” Webb said.

Once again, numerous freshman runners finished with top times for the Panthers. For the women, Anna Yoney finished with Pitt’s second-best time and June Farley finished fifth for the Panthers. Christopher finished with the men’s second-best time, and Teddy Miller finished fifth.

“The freshmen ran solid [all season],” Webb said.

Leading the way on the women’s side was senior Amy Ruffalo with her time of 21:31, placing her 37th overall individually.

It was Ruffalo’s fourth finish on the season with the top time of all female Pitt racers and a personal best by 10 seconds.

“She’s been our leader all year long,” Webb said.

Yoney ended an impressive first collegiate season, finishing behind Ruffalo for the Panthers.

Her time of 21:48 earned her a finish in 46th place for the race.

“She’s been solid all year long,” Webb said, adding that Yoney’s time was a personal best. Rounding out the women’s top three was senior Ali Briggs. She finished 64th with a time of 22:09.

Larimer and Christopher reversed their sports from the Big East Championships two weeks ago, when the freshman bested the senior.

Larimer, the senior, finished 48th with a time of 31:27 to earn the top spot on the men’s side.

Christopher completed the race in 31:52, placing him 71st to finish out his outstanding rookie campaign.

The third male Panther in the race was sophomore Sam Weiser. He finished in 89th with a time of 32:15.

Both the men’s and women’s titles were successfully defended by Georgetown and Princeton, respectively.

The Hoyas dominated the men’s side, placing six racers in the top 15 on their way to another first-place finish at the Mid-Atlantic Regional.

The Tigers had all seven of their racers finish in the top 25, including three in the top 15. It was the third consecutive win at the Mid-Atlantic Regional for the women Tigers.

Also racing on the women’s side for the Panthers was junior Monica Bhattacharjee, who finished 125th with her time of 23:25.

Finishing right behind her in 126th place with a time of 23:26 was Farley.

The other two runners in the event for Pitt were Nikki Bielick and Melissa Vignetti.

The senior Bielick finished with a time of 24:18, placing her 158th. Vignetti, a junior, placed 163rd with her time of 24:21.

Rounding out the men’s top five were Lane King and Teddy Miller.

The sophomore King finished 120th with his time of 33:03, and Miller, the freshman, ended his first season at Pitt in 132nd place with a time of 33:20.

Also competing for the Panthers on the men’s side were sophomore Kyle Kaminski and freshman Jack Morrow. Kaminski finished 141st with a time of 33:34, and Morrow finish with a time of 34:12, placing him 155th.