KEENE, N.H. (November 1, 2025) – Led by senior Shea Roche (Weymouth, Mass.) and her third-place, All-Little East Conference First Team finish, the UMass Boston men's and women's cross country teams concluded the 2025 season at the Little East Conference Championship hosted by Keene State College. Both teams capped their fall campaigns by setting a strong foundation to build upon heading into the indoor track and field season.
Roche led a group of six Beacons in the women's 6-kilometer race, clocking a personal-record time of 22:24.30 to finish third out of 84 total competitors. Senior Jacqueline Earner (Abington, Mass.) followed closely behind, placing 20th overall in 24:31.40, just outside of All-LEC Second Team honors. First-year Molly Hilditch (Auburn, Mass.) was next across the line for UMass Boston, setting a new personal record with a 35th-place finish in 25:38.70. Rounding out the women's lineup were Abigail Churchill (Attleboro, Mass.) and Abigail Schell (Boston, Mass.), who both contributed to the Beacons' strong team effort.
On the men's side, seven Beacons toed the line in the 8-kilometer race. Junior Sky Roberts-Clark (Boston, Mass.) led UMass Boston at the LEC Championship stage for the first time in his career, placing 44th out of 99 competitors in 28:02.40. First-year Noah Gendenbein (Lisbon, N.Y.) followed closely, setting a 36-second personal record to finish 48th in 28:12.60. Robert Cannon (Quincy, Mass.) crossed next in 29:55.50, while first-year Matthew Beggen closed out the Beacons' scoring in 34:00.20.
"The women really showed up today. Every one of them ran their personal best, which is a testament to their hard work and belief in themselves and each other," said Associate Head Coach for Cross Country and Distance Lauren Bunke. "We were ranked seventh heading into the preseason and finished sixth, which shows how much progress this group has made. All season, our focus has been on believing and running hard for each other — the ladies embodied that perfectly today."
She then shifted her focus to the men's squad, adding, "It was a great day overall for the men's team. We are a young group, and the men have continued to show real improvement throughout the season despite a few setbacks along the way. I'm proud of how they competed today, and we're looking forward to building on this foundation as we head into the winter season."
Select runners will continue their season at the NCAA Division III East Regional Championship on November 23rd in Hopkinton, N.H., where they will have the opportunity to advance to the 2025 NCAA Division III National Championship with a top-seven individual finish.
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