BRONX, N.Y. – Longwood junior Gracie Piekarski capped her breakthrough junior season with a 51st-place finish at the ECAC/IC4A University Division Cross Country Championship at Van Cortlandt Park.
 
Piekarski's performance was the second highest finish at the IC4A by a Lancer men's or women's runner in the Division I era, trailing only all-time 5K record holder Alisha Royal's seventh-place effort in 2011. The Lancer ace clocked a 19:30.2 on the 5K course to finish inside the top third of the 163-runner field.
 
"I think racing continuously for the first four weeks, all things considered, Gracie ran a great race today," said head coach Catherine Hanson, who wrapped up her ninth season leading the Lancer cross country program Saturday. "She has many more good races ahead of her, and I'm proud of the season she had."
 
Piekarski, who was Longwood's top finisher at every race in 2015, was Longwood's lone representative from the women's team, while senior Russell Reed represented the men's program with a 128th finish. Reed posted a 28:46.0 in his final race to punctuate a five-year career in which he set the school's 5K record, clocked two top-10 8K times and another top-10 10K finish.
 
The ECAC/IC4A Championship marks the final cross country event of the year for the Lancers, who will now prepare for their offseason track and field competitions in the spring.
 
ECAC/IC4A Division I Cross Country Championship
November 21, 2015
Bronx, N.Y. (Van Cortlandt Park)
 
Men's Individual Results (8K – 183 entries)
128. Russell Reed (28:46.0)
 
Women's Individual Results (5K – 163 entries)
51. Gracie Piekarski (19:30.2)
 
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