Top 10 of 2015: #2 XC Teams Sweep Landmark Championships

Women's Cross Country 12/30/2015 11:00:00 AM

Top 10 of 2015: #2 Cross country teams make it consecutive sweep at Landmark meet

ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa. — As 2015 enters its final days, the staff at etownbluejays.com looks back at some of the defining moments in Elizabethtown College Athletics over the last year. The list of 10 includes some of the best moments and performances in 2015, but not to be forgotten are the many victories, individual and team feats, achieved by all of Elizabethtown College's athletic programs during the last (almost) 365 days. With only the top moment left to go, No. 2 on the list of top moments from 2015 is the Elizabethtown College cross country teams sweeping the Landmark Championship meet for the second consecutive year.

In 2014, the first year in Landmark competition for the Blue Jays XC teams, Elizabethtown made its impact felt within the conference. Despite the men being third and women voted second in their respective coaches' preseason polls, E-town dominated the championship meet at Goucher. The men won by 29 points with all five scorers in the top ten while the women won by 39 and had their top five in the top seven. The Jays also had the individual champions, Dan Gresh on the men's side and Amelia Tearnan on the women's.

History repeated itself in 2015 and the dominance at the conference level continued. Elizabethtown made it a second consecutive sweep of the Landmark after both teams were the preseason favorites going in.

The E-town men were one point away from running the perfect meeting, finishing with a conference-record low 16 points, 58 points better than second-place Susquehanna. The Blue Jays went one-two-three-four in order. Zach Trama was the individual conference champion, making it two in a row for Elizabethtown. Matt Shenk was .02 behind his senior teammate, while Ryan Conway and Sam Cooper were third and fourth. Adam Harriger was sixth as the Jays' top five were within 37 seconds of one another.

Trama was named Performer of the Year and All-Landmark First Team. Joining him on the first team were Shenk, Conway, Cooper, Harriger, and Keegan McDonough, who was seventh in the race. Andrew Lesko finished a place better than 2014 and was All-Landmark Second Team for the second straight season.

The women's team went one-two-three for the second year in a row. Lydia Dearie, who was third a season ago, followed in her former teammate Tearnan's shoes by winning the Landmark Championship meet. She was followed by Casey Quinto and Brenna McNamee. Brianna Earnshaw was sixth and Maria Anderson took seventh as the Blue Jays ended the race with 19 points, one better more than 2014's championship team. Colleen Kernan would earn the league's Rookie of the Year honor after placing ninth. Liz Wedekind earned her first career all-conference honor by taking 13th (Second Team).

E-town was 42 points ahead of Susquehanna, who finished behind the Jays for the second straight conference championship meet. Dearie was named Performer of the Year after winning the individual crown. She was joined on the First Team by Quinto, McNamee, Earnshaw, and Anderson.

Coach Brian Falk was named Coach of the Year on both the men's and women's side, the second straight time he's earned that honor.

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Players Mentioned

Amelia Tearnan: 5' 3"; Senior

Dan Gresh: 5' 11"; Senior

Ryan Conway: 6' 0"; Senior

Sam Cooper: 6' 0"; Senior

Adam Harriger: 6' 1"; Senior

Andrew Lesko: 6' 2"; Junior

Keegan McDonough: 5' 11"; Junior

Zach Trama: 6' 2"; Senior

Matt Shenk: 5' 7"; Senior

Maria Anderson: 5' 3"; Sophomore

Lydia Dearie: 5' 4"; Senior

Brianna Earnshaw: 5' 10"; Junior

Players Mentioned

Amelia Tearnan
: 5' 3"; Senior

Dan Gresh
: 5' 11"; Senior

Ryan Conway
: 6' 0"; Senior

Sam Cooper
: 6' 0"; Senior

Adam Harriger
: 6' 1"; Senior

Andrew Lesko
: 6' 2"; Junior

Keegan McDonough
: 5' 11"; Junior

Zach Trama
: 6' 2"; Senior

Matt Shenk
: 5' 7"; Senior

Maria Anderson
: 5' 3"; Sophomore

Lydia Dearie
: 5' 4"; Senior

Brianna Earnshaw
: 5' 10"; Junior