Sept. 6, 2006

FAIRFIELD, CT - (September 6, 2006) Sacred Heart University men and women's cross country head coach Christian Morrison announced his captains for the upcoming 2006 season. The women will be led by seniors Katie Duffy (Monroe, CT), Anne Duffy (Monroe, CT), Kathryn O'Connor (Bellmore, NY) and Julia Mahoney (Topsfield, MA) while senior Robert McDermott (Lindenhurst, NY) and sophomore David Jones (Charlton, NY) will captain the Pioneer men's squad.

The Duffy sisters played key roles in the Pioneer's run to their first-ever Northeast Conference Championship in 2005. For the second consecutive season, Katie Duffy was an All-NEC and All-East runner in 2005 by finishing fourth at the conference championship meet and 22nd at the ECAC Championships. She also finished 30th at the New England Championships to guide her team to a best-ever ninth place finished at the event. For her efforts, she took home All-New England honors. Duffy turned in the second fastest time in Pioneer cross country history at last year's Fairfield Invitational. Her clocking of 18:37.7 puts her second to only Katie Wrinkle on the all-time list.

Anne Duffy had a strong finish to 2005, grabbing All-East honors for the second-straight year at the ECAC Championship. Duffy turned in a time of 19:30.7 on the 5,000 meter Van Cortlandt Park course, good for a 24th place finish. Duffy recorded a 17th place (20:51) finish at the NEC title race to help the Pioneers to the title and finished in eighth place (19:50.2) at the Fairfield Invitational to give SHU the team title there as well.

Kathryn O'Connor turned in her best time of 2005 at the New England Championships when she clocked in at 20:39 at Franklin Park in Boston, Massachusetts. Her top finish of the year came at the Collegiate Track Conference Championship held at DeSales University in Center Valley, Pennsylvania. O'Connor finished 20th running the 5,000 meter course in 21:14.68.

Julia Mahoney ran her strongest race at last season's Fairfield Invitational where her 21st place finish helped SHU to their seventh team title at the event. Mahoney ran a season-best time of 21:03.1 on the course. Mahoney also turned in solid times at the New England Championships, 21:16, and the NCAA Regional, 21:06.3.

Robert McDermott recorded his top finish of 2005 at the Fairfield University Mini Cross Country meet where he covered the 6,000-meter course in 22:20. He ran his top five-mile time at the IC4A Championship at Van Cortlandt Park when he clocked in at 28:35.3.

David Jones had a solid freshman campaign, consistently running in the Pioneer top-seven. Jones notched a pair of 26th place finished at the two Fairfield meets and also recorded his fastest five-mile time on the Van Cortlandt course with a 38:35.3 at the IC4A's.

The Sacred Heart Pioneers open the 2006 season this Saturday at the Connecticut College Invitational at Harkness Memorial Park in Waterford, Connecticut.

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