Jones, Shearer Lead Black Knights to Second Place Finish

Friday, September 25

Attleboro, MA

2:30 PM

Army West Point

Three Team Battle in Beantown

Jones, Shearer Lead Black Knights to Second Place Finish

September 25, 2020 | Women's Cross Country

ATTLEBORO, Mass. - The Army West Point women's cross country team placed second at the Three Team Battle in Beantown at Coogan Course at Highland Park on Friday.

The Black Knights finished with a team score of 37, placing behind Syracuse who won the meet with a score of 33 points. Boston College placed third with 52 team points.

For the second meet in a row, the Cadets were led freshmen Georgia Jones (17:46) and Helen Shearer (17:50), who placed third and fourth respectively. Senior captain Mika Andrews also recorded a top 10 finish, placing seventh at 18:12.

"It was a really good day for the team," Shearer said. "We were able to stick together and Georgia pulled away towards the end. The teamwork throughout was really helpful and it made us push each other."

"Having your teammate pushing you makes a big difference in a race," Jones said. "It gives you someone to work with and fight with and it helps a lot. Both of us are soccer players and didn't run much cross country in high school, so working as a team is what we are used to."

Syracuse senior Amanda Vestri claimed her second consecutive victory, crossing the line first at 17:23.

Army now turns its attention to rival Navy, as the team will head to Annapolis for the annual Army-Navy Star Meet on Oct. 17. The Black Knights defeated the Midshipmen 27-28 in a thrilling race at Bowdoin Park in 2019.

COACH'S CORNER: Head Coach Mike Smith
"We ran exceptionally well. We ran as well as we did two weeks ago, and in some ways, we ran better than we did then, but so did Syracuse. It was really close all the way through and it was never more than a one or two point contest. They just held us off.

Overall, it was a great day collectively. What our top three did was outstanding. Georgia and Helen chased down elite seniors from Syracuse and BC today and they never backed down. They ran together all race. They were really never more than a few meters apart until the end of the race. It is just so impressive how these two young runners know how to race at this level. Mika Andrews had a really nice run today and really stepped up.

This is the best we've been as a unit in a really long time. Six or seven women had really competitive runs today and it is great to see the depth we have. Boston College is a team that finished 20th at the NCAA Championships a season ago. They are a team that we haven't fared well against in the past, and we showed up and beat them today. This is a year where there won't be rankings to see where we are, but the way we have competed against two strong programs so far this year says a lot. These women are fearless."

TOP FINISHERS:
3. Georgia Jones - 17:46
4. Helen Shearer - 17:50
7. Mika Andrews - 18:12
11. Dominique Shultz - 18:34
12. Sophia Sandy - 18:34

FULL RESULTS: http://www.millenniumrunning.com/results-coast-coast-battle-beantown-women-2020/36074