Underclassmen highlighted the Big East Championships in Wisconsin on Saturday for both Seton Hall men's and women's cross country as both teams garnered 9th-place finishes.
"We ran our butts off," head coach John Moon said.
"Considering the youth on this team and the powerhouses we were facing in the Big East, I am pleased."
In the 8K men's race, freshman Victor Ricci paced the Pirates. One of four underclassmen that were in the team top five for the Hall.
Ricci ran to a personal best time of 26:34, giving him 45th overall.
Leading the team for the fourth time out of seven appearances this season, Ricci also broke his own record of 27:09.13, which he garnered at the Delaware Invitational.
Freshman Cameron Quisenberry was the second-best for the team, garnering a personal best time of 27:10 (56th overall).
Along with Ricci, Quisenberry remains the only Pirate to have scored in every meet this season after he bested his previous record by more than 30 seconds.
Sophomore Ryan Flannery ran to third-best for the team and 59th overall with a time of 27:17.
The time was also a personal best for Flannery, who has now scored in each of the two Big East Championships that he has appeared in for the blue and white.
Senior Carl Johnston and freshman Alex Mallue rounded out the scoring for the Pirates.
Johnston finished in the team's top five for the third time in his career after running to a time of 28:13 (68th place).
Mallue took 69th overall with a time just 10 seconds past Johnston's to cap the Hall's scoring day at 253 points.
#26 Villanova bolted to the team championship with 36 points as individual champion Patrick Tiernan (23:51) led the way.
"This group of guys will only get even better, I can guarantee it," Moon said.
As for the women's team, the trio that has guided the Hall all season continued to do so in the 6K race.
Senior Nyala Eddings, junior Mary Migton and freshman Desyre Blackburn were the top three finishers for the team for the seventh time this season.
Eddings finished with a time of 22:57, which was 45th overall.
The senior has now scored in three consecutive Big East Championships, finishing in the top three in the team standings each time.
Migton captured 60th (24:15) and has now scored three straight times in the conference championship action as well.
12 seconds later, Blackburn bolted through the finish line and garnered 64th place in 24:27.
Sophomore Amanda Catherall was the fourth-best finisher for the Pirates with 73rd overall and a time of 26:25 while classmate Amanda Quaglia finished right behind her with a time of 26:37.
The Pirates edged one Big East opponent in St. John's for the second time this season, outrunning the Red Storm 277-299.
Providence senior Emily Sisson downed defending Big East champ Emily Lippari of Villanova as the Friars captured the team title with a total of 28 points.
"Considering the fact that four out of the five top finishers on each side were underclassmen, I love the direction of our program," Coach Moon said. "I am highly confident that we will knock some teams off at the Mid-Atlantic."
Moon was referring to the Hall's return to action on Friday, Nov. 15, for the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Championship in Bethlehem, Pa., before coming back to the Bronx on Nov. 23 for the ECAC Championships.
John Fanta can be reached at john.fanta@student.shu.edu.
