BOSTON, MASS. 10/9/10 – Senior Eric MacKnight (Newtown, Conn.) and junior Paige Mills (Keene, N.H.) were the front-runners for the Keene State men's and women's cross country teams respectively at the New England Championships held at Boston's Franklin Park on Saturday.

MacKnight finished 23rd overall and fourth among Division III runners with a time of 25:17 on the five mile course.  Mills placed 16th overall and fourth among Division III runners with a time of 18:06 on the women's 5K course. 

Entering the race ranked 15th nationally and third in New England, the Keene State men finished 13th overall  and was third among Division III teams with 417 points. Dartmouth edged Boston University 138-140 for the men's team championship. Galarius Rop of AIC won the race with a time of 24:08.

The Keene State women finished 20th overall and seventh in Division III with 496 points.  Boston College finished with 26 points running away with the women's title. Corey Conner of Maine won the individual championship with a time of 16:54.

Senior Tim Pipp (Keene, N.H.) was the Owls' second man.  He finished 37th with a time of 25:31. He was followed to the finish line by junior Kevin Hoyt (Newtown, Conn.), who was 113th (26:17), sophomore Andrew Sears (Derry, N.H.), who placed 121st (26:20), and junior Corey Loonan (Sandwich, Mass.), who was 123rd (26:21).

On the women's side, junior Andrea Walsh (Bolton, Conn.) had a solid race for the Owls, placing 62nd with a time of 18:54. Other top finishers for KSC included senior Amy Knoblock (Plymouth, Mass.), who placed 81st (19:05), sophomore Maggie Fitter (Branford, Conn.) who was 147th (19:43), and junior Haley Lydstone (Bedford, N.H.) who finished 191st (20:18).