ANNAPOLIS, Md. – The Navy men's and women's cross country teams return to action Friday evening as the Midshipmen host the Navy Invitational at the USNA Cross Country Course in Annapolis. The women's 6K begins at 6:00 p.m. with the men's 4.9-mile run at 6:30 p.m. In addition, there will be an open 5K at 5:00 p.m. with an alumni mile at 7:20 p.m.
 
Live results will be available from M&D Timing.
 
Last weekend, the Midshipmen participated in Penn State's Spiked Shoe Invitational. The women's cross country team finished third overall, while the men's team posted a fifth-place finish. On the women's side, senior Elizabeth Sullivan (Portsmouth, R.I.) and junior Emily Boutin (Chicopee, Mass.) paced the Mids' runners with a pair of top-15 performances in the 6K meet, while Alexander Kirkland (Bel Air, Md.) finished as the Mids' top finisher for the men, clocking a time of 26:21.9 in the 5.2-mile race.
 
Meet Participants
Navy, George Mason, George Washington, Hagerstown CC, Howard, Loyola, Maryland, McDaniel, Richmond, Rowan, and UMBC
 
Sullivan, Kezal Earn Patriot League Weekly Honors
The Patriot League announced its weekly cross country accolades, and Navy runners Elizabeth Sullivan (Portsmouth, R.I.) and Mia Claire Kezal (Saco, Maine) were selected as the Runner and Rookie of the Week, respectively. The duo helped Navy to a third-place finish in Penn State's Spiked Shoe Invitational. The Midshipmen finished with 80 points as a team, finishing behind Syracuse (21 points) and meet host Penn State (54).
 
Sullivan was Navy's top finisher at the Penn State Spiked Shoe Invite. She finished 11th overall in the individual competition with a time of 21:33.5 – just 1.5 seconds back of the top 10. The senior posted the fastest time in a 6K race of any Midshipmen this season by 19 seconds.
 
Kezal was Navy's top freshman finisher at the meet, posting a time of 21:54.3 in the 6K race. Her time was the top freshman time for Navy and the sixth-best among freshmen in the meet – tops among Patriot League competitors. The rookie finished 24th overall, earning Navy 20 points to help the Midshipmen finish third overall in the team standings. Kezal's time is the top freshman performance of the season for Navy by nearly a minute (58.2 seconds).
 
Last Time Out (WOMEN):
All five of Navy women's cross country scoring runners finished in the top 30 to lead the Midshipmen to a third-place finish at the Harry Groves Spiked Shoe Invitational at the Penn State Golf Course in University Park, Pa. Senior Elizabeth Sullivan (Portsmouth, R.I.) and junior Emily Boutin (Chicopee, Mass.) paced the Mids' runners with a pair of top-15 performances in the 6K meet.
 
Competing in her first race of the season, Sullivan clocked a team-best time of 21:33.5 to finish 11th overall, while Boutin was less than a second off the pace in 12th with a time of 21:34.0. Ellie Abraham (Brookings, S.D.) was just back of the pack in 17th with a time of 21:38.2 to tally 14 points.
 
Freshman Mia Claire Kezal (Saco, Maine) crossed the finish line with a time of 21:54.3 in her first collegiate meet to finish 24th overall and score 20 points for the Midshipmen. Freshman Sophie Compton (San Diego, Calif.), who won the Salisbury Fall Classic last week, lowered her 6K time to 22:18.9 to round out the scoring for Navy. Emily Ettrich (Whispering Pines, N.C.) and Carolyn Thurlby (Overland Park, Kan.) rounded out the Mids' top-7 finishers with times of 22:20.6 and 22:23.5, respectively.
 
Last Time Out (MEN):
The Navy men's cross country team recorded a fifth-place finish at the Harry Groves Spiked Shoe Invitational at the Penn State Golf Course in University Park, Pa. Alexander Kirkland (Bel Air, Md.) finished as the Mids' top finisher, clocking a time of 26:21.9 in the 5.2-mile race.
 
Ryan O'Dea (Louisville, Ky.) finished 10-seconds back of Kirkland with a time of 26:31.3, while Jack Rooney (Raleigh, N.C.) was third for the Mids with a time of 26:37.1. Nicolas Valdivieso and Ben Countiss (Houston, Texas) rounded out Navy's top five with times of 26:43.6 and 26:46.3, respectively. Justin Mumford (New Baden, Ill.) clocked a time of 26:51.4 in his second collegiate race, while Mitchell Rome (Dallas, Pa.) notched a time of 26:51.4 in his first action of the 2022 season.