by Joe Hoffmann
CORTLAND, N.Y. - The Cortland women’s cross country team finished in second place Saturday at the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) Championship race in Cortland. Alyson Dalton (Sherrill/Vernon-Verona-Sherrill) was the Red Dragons' top finisher in fifth place with a time of 23:37 in the 6,000-meter race.
Running through strong winds and rain, Geneseo won the team title with 34 points, followed by Cortland (66), Plattsburgh (79), Brockport (107) and Oneonta (135). Nine teams competed in the race. In a field of 99 runners, Sandra Goettleman of Geneseo won the individual title with a time of 22:55, 23 seconds ahead of second place finisher Jenny Schaffhouser of Plattsburgh. The two runners separated from the rest of the pack at about the 2.5-mile mark, with Goettleman pulling away for the victory.
Also scoring for Cortland were Christina DiLallo (Randolph) in seventh place (23:43), Lisa Holt (Phoenix/John C. Burdlebough) in 15th place (24:30), Sarah Lazarus (South New Berlin/Unadilla Valley) in 19th place (24:38) and Erin Keaveney (West Hempstead/Kellenberg) in 27th place (25:02).
Dalton and DiLallo each earned All-SUNYAC First Team honors and Holt was named to the all-league second team. Dalton also earned a spot in the SUNYAC Women's Cross Country "Hall of Fame," which goes to any runner who finishes in at least fifth place once, in the top 10 twice or in the top 15 three times.
Also finishing in the top 35 were Heather Clancy (Syracuse/Westhill) in 30th place (25:07), Alexis Fairbanks (Apalachin/Owego Free Academy) in 31st place (25:07) and Kristin Vespa (Ossining) in 35th place (25:15).
Complete Results (PDF)