PROVIDENCE, R.I. - The Little East Conference (LEC) will crown its 2024 cross country championship Saturday when the conference's nine programs come together for the first time this season at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth's Robert Dowd Cross Country Course. The women's championship will begin at 11 a.m., followed by the men's championship at noon and awards presentation at approximately 1:15 p.m.
 
There were a pair of meets this season that saw eight of the LEC's nine programs compete - the UMass Dartmouth Invitational September 21 and the Keene State Invitational October 5. Both races saw in excess of 20 teams on the course; the UMass Dartmouth Invitational included a number of top DI and DII programs from New England.
 
On the women's side, Keene State was the top performer in both meets, finishing second at its home invitational and 10th at UMass Dartmouth. The Corsairs were second among LEC team in both meets, while the top-five conference performers were rounded out Eastern Connecticut, Plymouth State and Southern Maine.
 
Rhode Island College' Haley Oliver was the top individual finisher from the LEC in both meets, placing fourth at Keene State (18:02.6) and 25th (18:20.45) at UMass Dartmouth. Keene State's Maggie St. John led the Owls and was second among LEC runners in both races, placing 15th (18:35.8) at her home invitational and 49th (19:10.63) on the Robert Dowd Course. Keene State also had third and fourth LEC finishers on those meets in Anna O'Reilly and Sarah Ames; Kallie Warner was fifth among LEC competitors on her home course and was sixth at UMass Dartmouth.  
 
Emily Philbrook (19:33.67) led the Corsairs on their home course earlier this year, followed by Emma Steedman (19:47.26) and Bee Greenberg (19:50.21). Greenberg (19:17.9) was the team's top finisher at Keene State, followed by Philbrook (19:25.3) and Anya Aadland (19:45.2).
 
On the men's side, Keene State (11th) was the top finishing LEC team at the UMass Dartmouth Invitational, followed by the host Corsairs (14th), and Plymouth State (20th). Eastern Connecticut (2nd) was the top LEC program at the Keene State Invitational, followed by Plymouth State (3rd), UMass Dartmouth (5th) and the host Owls (8th). Southern Maine was fourth among LEC teams at both meets.
 
Keene State's Jake Velazquez took home the individual race win on the Robert Down Course in September, crossing the finish line in 21:41.64. He was over a minute ahead of the next-best LEC runner, Plymouth State's Dylan Flewelling (25:50.26). Velazquez did not finish the race two weeks later on his home course, where Flewelling was the top LEC individual, placing 10th in 25:21.6. UMass Dartmouth's Jacob Paris was second among LEC runners at Keene State, taking 12th in 25:36.1, and was fifth among conference runners on his home course (26:29.14).
 
The Owls had three of the top-five conference finishers at the UMass Dartmouth Invitational in Velazquez, Tyler Bolaske (26:18.53) and Griffin Urnezis (26:20.44), while Ben Tetu was eighth (26;38.07). The Corsairs also had three runners in the top-eight in Paris, Benjamin Davignon (26:36.38) and Cameron Thompson (26:37.93).
 
Bolakse (25:59.5) and Tetu (26:51.4) were also among the top-10 conference finisher at their home invitational, while Flewelling, Connor Wilcox (26:13.8) and Max Goodman (26:20.5) were in the top-10 for PSU. Eastern Connecticut was the lone LEC team to have each of its five scoring runners place in the top-40 overall at the Keene State Invitational, led by Michael Parzych (26:30.7) and Zach D'Andrea (26:53.8).

2024 LEC Men's Runner of the Week Recipients
September 2: Jake Velazquez (Keene State)
September 9: Jordan Duplessie (Southern Maine)
September 16: Jake Velazquez (Keene State)
September 23: Jake Velazquez (Keene State)
September 30: Robert Cannon (UMass Boston)
October 7: Dylan Flewelling (Plymouth State)
October 14: Dylan Flewelling (Plymouth State)
October 21: Jake Velazquez (Keene State)
 
2024 LEC Women's Runner of the Week Recipients
September 2: Rose Karow (Plymouth State)
September 9: Haley Oliver (Rhode Island College)
September 16: Maggie St. John (Keene State)
September 23: Haley Oliver (Rhode Island College)
September 30: Grace Colon (UMass Boston)
October 7: Haley Oliver (Rhode Island College)
October 14: Rode Karow (Plymouth State)
October 21: Haley Oliver (Rhode Island College)
 
2024 LEC Men's Rookie of the Week Recipients
September 2: Ben Tetu (Keene State)
September 9: Sam Abrocio (Eastern Connecticut)
September 16: Ben Tetu (Keene State)
September 23: Ben Tetu (Keene State)
September 30: No nominees
October 7: Ben Tetu (Keene State)
October 14: Noah Francis (Plymouth State)
October 21: Ben Tetu (Keene State)

2024 LEC Women's Rookie of the Week Recipients
September 2: Kallie Warner (Keene State)
September 9: Julia Szewec (Southern Maine)
September 16: Kallie Warner (Keene State)
September 23: Kallie Warner (Keene State)
September 30: No nominees
October 7: Kallie Warner (Keene State)
October 14: Abby Marston (Plymouth State)
October 21: Ava Fortin (Keene State)