University of the Sciences in Philadelphia
   Men's and Women's Cross Country  

Stories & Highlights
2007 season 

Men's Cross Country Records Best Finish Ever at NCAA East Regional (11/4/07)

The University of the Sciences in Philadelphia men's cross country team concluded their best season in the history of the program with a 22nd place finish at the NCAA East Regional hosted by Lock Haven University in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania.

The Devils 22nd place showing is the best finish in the three times that USP has participated as a team in the NCAA Regional race. USP finished with 664 points, eight behind Fairmont University (656) and 21 behind Goldey Beacom College (643). The Devils were the fourth best CACC team at the regional with CACC Champion Felician finishing 15th (342 points). Edinboro University won the East Region title with a total of 47 points.

The men's race was 10,000 meters and five of USP's seven runners were competing in their first ever 10K cross country race, led by sophomore Matt Willard (Cardinal O'Hara HS/Broomall, Pa.) . Willard finished 110th overall out of 172 finishers, crossing the line in 35:28. Willard was followed by a trio of freshmen, also competing in their first ever regional competition. Marty Farrell (Monsignor Bonnor HS/Drexel Hill, Pa.) was 121st overall with a time of 36:16. Farrell was followed by Stephen Maylie (Springfield HS/ Springfield, Pa.) who finished in 37:06 to place 137th. Peter Grant (St. Joseph's Prep/ Springfield, Pa.) followed in 148th place with a time of 38:39.

Sophomore Nick Barkley (Mansfield HS/Mansfield, Tex.) , junior Mark Cifelli (Watchung Hills Regional HS/Gillette, NJ) and senior Rich DiGiacomo (St. John Neumann HS/ Philadelphia, Pa.) rounded out the Devils seven runners. Barkley crossed the line in 39:14 while Cifelli bettered his previous best regional time by six seconds, finishing in 41:23. DiGiacomo, competing in his last collegiate race, took over three minutes off his previous best NCAA regional time, crossing the finish line in 42:07.

During the 2007 season which now comes to an end, the Devils finished no lower than fourth in each of their six regular season races and recorded their best finish ever in both post-season affairs, with the 22nd place finish in the NCAA race and their third place showing at the CACC Championships.

Willard Earns All-Conference Honors as Devils Place Third at CACC Championship (10/20/07) Record Best Conference Finish Since 2000

Sophomore Matt Willard finished in fourth place as the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia men's cross country team finished in third place at the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Championships at Belmont Plateau on Saturday.

The Devils third place finish was their best showing at the CACC Championship since the inaugural meet at Belmont Plateau in 2000. In that meet the Devils finished third out of six teams. In today's meet, the Devils placed third out of nine teams.

USP finished with 101 points, 48 behind second place Philadelphia University and well behind the 2007 champion Felician College who placed all seven runners amongst the top 12 overall finishers to score 22 points.

Willard (Cardinal O'Hara HS/Broomall, Pa.) used a strong closing kick to pass three runners in the final 1,000 meters to take fourth overall with a time of 27:39.64, .63 seconds behind third place finisher and CACC Rookie of the Year Jeremy Rodgers of Felician College. Felician's Paul Chegwidden won the race with a meet record time of 26:34.88. with his fourth place finish, Willard earns All-CACC honors for the second consecutive year.

Freshman Marty Farrell (Monsignor Bonnor HS/Drexel Hill, Pa.) and Peter Grant (St. Joseph's Prep/ Springfield, Pa.) were the next two Devils to finish, crossing the line in 21st and 23rd place respectively. Farrell finished in 29:15.38 while Grant cross the line in 29:30.70. Fellow freshman Stephen Maylie (Springfield HS/ Springfield, Pa.) was the next USP runner to finish, completing the 8,000-meter course in 30:05.25 to finish in 27th place. Sophomore Nick Barkley (Mansfield HS/Mansfield, Tex.) rounded out the Devils top five with a personal best time of 31:34.50, placing 38th overall.

Senior Rich DiGiacomo (St. John Neumann HS/Philadelphia, Pa.) also ran a personal best, finishing 52nd overall with a time of 33:36.16. Junior Mark Cifelli (Watchung Hills Regional HS/Gillette, NJ) rounded out the Devils finishers with a 53rd place finish, at 36:01.50

The Devils return to action for their final race of the season, the NCAA East Regionals on November 3, 2007 at Lock Haven University.

Aifuwa, Lentz Earn All-Conference Honors As Devils Finish Fourth at CACC Championships (10/20/07)

Seniors Joy Aifuwa and Hayley Lentz finished amongst the top 15 runners to earn All-conference honors as the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia women's cross country team recorded at fourth place finish at Saturday Central Atlantic Collegiate conference Championships at Belmont Plateau in Philadelphia.

The Devils finished the race with 107 points, 12 points ahead of fifth place finisher Philadelphia University and 32 points behind third place finisher Wilmington University. Georgian Court University won their second consecutive title with 57 points. Felician College was second with 72 points.

Aifuwa's (Edison HS/Edison, N.J.) time of 19:27.03 was good enough for second place behind Heather Miara of Georgian Court who finished with a meet record time of 19:23.29, eclipsing the old mark of 19:30.01 set in 2001 by USP's Chrissy Woodruff '03. With her second place finish, Joy becomes the first CACC Runner to earn Women's Cross Country All-Conference Honors four straight years.

Lentz (Wilson HS/Easton, Pa.) also became a multiple All-CACC selection with her 12th place finish, earning All-CACC honors for the second time in three years. Hayley's time of 21:07.82 is a personal best.

Sophomores Beth Crawford (Camden Catholic/Haddon Heights, N.J.) and Sarah Verbyla (Wyoming Valley West HS/Larksville, Pa.) were the next two USP runners to finish, crossing the line in 31st and 32nd place respectively. Crawford completed the 5,000-meter course in 22:35.97 while Verbyla finished in 22:37.02 Senior Jean Dugan (Methacton HS/ Norristown, Pa.) rounded out the Devils top five finishers with a time of 22:46.74, good enough for 37th place.

Two freshman, Colleen Christian (Central Bucks South/ Warrington, Pa.) and Allison Dargay (Cardinal O'Hara HS/Glen Mills, Pa.) completed the finishers for USP. Christian finished 44th overall with a time of 23:50.29 while Dargay was 49th with a personal-best time of 24:18.08.

The Devils return to action for their final race of the season, the NCAA East Regionals on November 3, 2007 at Lock Haven University.

Men’s Cross Country Takes Third at Cabrini Invitational (10/13/07)

The University of the Sciences in Philadelphia men’s cross country team closed out their 2007 regular season with a third place finish at Saturday’s Cabrini Invitational at Belmont Plateau in Philadelphia.

The Devils scored 154 points, two points ahead of fourth place Cabrini College and 14 behind second place Felician College. Rutgers-Camden won the meet with 53 points. There were 18 complete teams. Haverford College would have won the meet but disqualified themselves when their top five runners veered from the course shortening the distance.

USP was led by junior Nick Willey (Shenendehowa HS/Clifton Park, N.Y.). Willey finished in sixth place with a time of 27:47.91, his fastest time at Belmont Plateau this season. Willey was the first Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) runner to finish. Three places behind Willey was sophomore Matt Willard (Cardinal O'Hara HS/Broomall, Pa.). Willard completed the 8,000-meter course in 27:54.17.

USP’s next three runners also broke the 30-minute threshold; marking the first time the Devils have had their five top runners finish in less than 30 minutes. Freshmen Peter Grant (St. Joseph's Prep/ Springfield, Pa.) and Marty Farrell (Monsignor Bonnor HS/Drexel Hill, Pa.) finished 37th and 38th overall with times of 28:58.81 and 29:02.44. Farrell’s 29:02 effort was a personal best. Fellow freshman Stephen Maylie (Springfield HS/ Springfield, Pa.) also recorded a personal best; breaking 30 minutes for the first time in his career, with a time of 29:26.11, good enough for 50th place.

The Devils’ sixth and seventh finishers also set personal bests. Sophomore Nick Barkley (Mansfield HS/Mansfield, Tex.) finished 90th overall with a time of 31:53.20 while senior Rich DiGiacomo (St. John Neumann HS/Philadelphia, Pa.) finished with a time of 33:45.58. Junior Mark Cifelli (Watchung Hills Regional HS/Gillette, NJ) rounded out the USP finishers with a time of 37:02.87.

The Devils will host and compete at the CACC Cross Country Championships to be held on Saturday, October 20, 2007 at Belmont Plateau. The men’s race will start at approximately 11:15 a.m.

Women Harriers Place Fifth at Cabrini Invitational (10/13/07)

A fifth place finish marked the end of the regular season for the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia women’s cross country team at Saturday’s Cabrini Invitational at Belmont Plateau in Philadelphia.

The Devils finished with 148 points to place fifth. Ahead of them were three Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Schools, Wilmington College (113 points), Georgian Court University (83) and Felician College (82). Ursinus College won the meet with 69 points.

Senior Joy Aifuwa (Edison HS/Edison, N.J.) led the Devils with a sixth place finish and a time of 19:38.81, the third straight race where she has finished in less than 20 minutes. Aifuwa was followed by senior Hayley Lentz (Wilson HS/Easton, Pa.) in 22nd place. Lentz recorded a personal best with a time of 21:23.17.

Sophomore Sarah Verbyla (Wyoming Valley West HS/Larksville, Pa.) was the third USP finisher, crossing the line in 39th place with a time of 22:29.02. Five places behind Verbyla in 44th place was freshman Colleen Christian (Central Bucks South/ Warrington, Pa.). Christian ran her best time of the season and her college career, crossing the line in 22:39.35.

Another sophomore, Beth Crawford (Camden Catholic/Haddon Heights, N.J.) was the fifth Devil to finish, crossing the line in 52nd place with a time of 22:55.17. Freshman Allison Dargay (Cardinal O'Hara HS/Glen Mills, Pa.) rounded out the Devils finishers with a time of 24:46.89. Dargay’s time was also the best of the season and her career.

The Devils will host and compete at the CACC Cross Country Championships to be held on Saturday, October 20, 2007 at Belmont Plateau. The women’s race will start at approximately 10:30 a.m.

Devils Record Best Finish Ever at Belmont Classic (9/29/07)

The University of the Sciences in Philadelphia had four runners finish in under 30 minutes and place amongst the top 35 runners as they recorded their best finish ever at Saturday's Belmont Classic, finishing in third place.

The Devils third place finish eclipses their previous best placing, a sixth place effort in 2001 and repeated in 2003. USP finished with 105 points, 18 behind second place Catholic University(87) and 41 behind first place winner and fellow conference rival Philadelphia University(64).

The Devils were again led by the "Two W's", junior Nick Willey (Shenendehowa HS/Clifton Park, N.Y.) and sophomore Matt Willard (Cardinal O'Hara HS/Broomall, Pa.). Willey placed fourth overall with a time of 27:54.86 while Willard was sixth with a time of 28:08.10.

A trio of freshman rounded out the Devils top five finishers. Peter Grant (St. Joseph's Prep/ Springfield, Pa.) ran his best race of the season, finishing in 15th place with a time of 28:53.80. Marty Farrell (Monsignor Bonnor HS/Drexel Hill, Pa.) followed in 32nd place with a time of 29:36.58. Stephen Maylie (Springfield HS/ Springfield, Pa.) rounded out USP's top five finishers, recording a personal record for 8,000-meters with a time of 30:23.22, good enough for 48th place.

Nick Barkley(So., Mansfield HS/Mansfield, Tex.), Mark Cifelli (Jr., Watchung Hills Regional HS/Gillette, NJ) and Rich DiGiacomo(Sr., St. John Neumann HS/Philadelphia, Pa.) rounded out the Devils finishers. Barkley finished in 95th place with a time of 33:16.29. Cifelli followed with a time of 33:20.35, his best of the season. DiGiacomo finished in 34:05.50, over a minute better than his previous best 8,000-meter time of 35:07 set last year.

Next up for the Devils will be the Cabrini Invitational on Saturday, October 13, 2007 at Belmont Plateau in Philadelphia.

Aifuwa Wins Belmont Classic as Devils Place Fourth(9/29/07)

Joy Aifuwa cruised to an 11 second win over Rory Kauffman of Wilmington College to capture the Belmont Classic championship at Belmont Plateau on Saturday afternoon, leading the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia women's cross country team to a fourth place finish.

Aifuwa (Edison HS/Edison, N.J.) came out of the woods with a little over 3/4 of a mile to go in second place, a few strides behind Kauffman. The senior runner then passed the Wilmington freshman in the next 100 meters, then turned on the afterburners to win the race by over 40 meters, turning in a 5,000-meter season best performance of 19:40.23 to win the Classic for the second time in three years. As a team the Devils scored 114 points to place fourth. Delaware Valley college narrowly edged out USP for third place, scoring 113 points. Fellow CACC rivals Wilmington College and Philadelphia University finished in a tie for first place, with each team scoring 97 points.

USP's next three finishers also turned in their best times of the 2007 season. Senior Hayley Lentz (Wilson HS/Easton, Pa.) finished in 15th place with a time of 21:24.64. Lentz's time was also a personal-record (PR) for 5,000-meter. Senior Jean Dugan (Methacton HS/ Norristown, Pa.) also set a personal record with a time of 22:18.53 to finish 29th overall. Sophomore Beth Crawford (Camden Catholic/Haddon Heights, N.J.) had a season best time of 22:33.69 to place 35th overall. Sophomore Sarah Verbyla (Wyoming Valley West HS/Larksville, Pa.) rounded out the Devils top five finishers with a time of 23:02.63 to place 43rd overall.

Freshman Colleen Christian (Central Bucks South/ Warrington, Pa.) followed in 47th place with a time of 23:21.42. Fellow freshmen Allison Dargay (Cardinal O'Hara HS/Glen Mills, Pa.) and Jaclyn Viola (Northport HS/Fort Salonga, N.Y.) rounded out the Devils finishers. Dargay placed 63rd with a personal record time of 25:02.70. Viola also set a personal record, finishing 73rd with a time of 26:09.87.

Next up for the Devils will be the Cabrini Invitational on Saturday, October 13, 2007 at Belmont Plateau in Philadelphia.

Aifuwa takes Second; Devils Finish Seventh at Metro (9/23/07)

Joy Aifuwa finished in second place as the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia women’s cross country team placed seventh at Saturday’s Philadelphia Metro Championship meet at Belmont Plateau.

The Devils finished with 168 points, 37 behind sixth place Philadelphia University (129). Fellow CACC schools Georgian Court University (73 points) and Felician College (95 points) finished first and second respectively.

Aifuwa (Edison HS/Edison, N.J.), one of three seniors on the USP squad, completed the 5,000-meter course in 19:42.34, just 4.61 seconds behind winner Heather Miara of Georgian Court University. One of the Devils other two seniors, Hayley Lentz (Wilson HS/Easton, Pa.), was the second USP runner to finish, crossing the line in 32nd place with a time of 22:00.20. Sophomore Sarah Verbyla (Wyoming Valley West HS/Larksville, Pa.) was the third Devil to finish, crossing the line in 22:15.03, good enough for 37th place amongst the 150 finishers.

USP’s third senior, Jean Dugan (Methacton HS/ Norristown, Pa.), crossed the line in 40th place with a time of 22:21.68. Freshman Colleen Christian (Central Bucks South/ Warrington, Pa.) rounded out the Devils top five, finishing in 62nd place with a time of 23:17.76.

Rounding out the Devils finishers were sophomore Beth Crawford (Camden Catholic/Haddon Heights, N.J.) (24:14.88), and freshmen Allison Dargay (Cardinal O'Hara HS/Glen Mills, Pa.) (25:24.58) and Jaclyn Viola (Northport HS/Fort Salonga, N.Y.) (27:02.13).

The Devils return to Belmont Plateau next Saturday as they compete in the Belmont Classic. The women’s race begins at 12 noon.

USP Men Place Fourth at Philadelphia Metro Meet (9/23/07)

Nick Willey and Matt Willard finished sixth and eighth respectively, leading the University of the sciences in Philadelphia men’s cross country team to a fourth place finish at Saturday’s Philadelphia Metro Championship at Belmont Plateau.

The Devils finished with 139 points, seven behind third place finisher Cabrini College. Fellow CACC schools Felician College (36 points) and Philadelphia University (86 points) finished first and second respectively. USP’s fourth place finish was the best placing by a Devils squad at the Philadelphia Metro meet over the past ten seasons, with their best finish over the last decade being a 5th place showing in 2003.

Willey (Shenendehowa HS/Clifton Park, N.Y.), a junior, completed the 8,000-meter race in 28:06.11 to finish in sixth place, 61 seconds behind overall winner Paul Chegwidden of Felician College. Willard (Cardinal O'Hara HS/Broomall, Pa.), a sophomore, finished 19 seconds behind Willey in eighth place with a time of 28:25.28. Red-shirt freshman Pete Grant (St. Joseph's Prep/ Springfield, Pa.) followed in 39th place with a time of 30:07.66.

A pair of freshmen rounded out the Devils top five finishers as Marty Farrell (Monsignor Bonnor HS/Drexel Hill, Pa.) finished in 45th place with a time of 30:21.78 and Steve Maylie (Springfield HS/ Springfield, Pa.) was 49th with a time of 30:36.61.

Rounding out the Devils finishers were Nick Barkley(So., Mansfield HS/Mansfield, Tex.) (32:49.75); Mark Cifelli (Jr., Watchung Hills Regional HS/Gillette, NJ) (34:56.52); Rich DiGiacomo(St. John Neumann HS/Philadelphia, Pa.) (35:20.30) and Nick Barger (Our Lady of Lourdes HS/Stormville, N.Y.) (36:28.74). There were a total of 161 runners who finished the race.

Next up for USP will be the Belmont Classic on Saturday, September 29, 2007 at Belmont Plateau. The men’s race is scheduled to start at approximately 12:45 p.m.

USP Men Finish First at University of Delaware Invitational (9/15/07)

The University of the Sciences in Philadelphia placed five runners in the top 20 as they cruised to a first place finish amongst the Division II/III teams competing in Saturday's University of Delaware Invitational in Newark, Delaware.

The win is the Devils first regular season invitational first place finish in school history. USP finished with 37 points, outdistancing the five other Division II/III schools competing. CACC rival Wilmington College was second with 69 points while Gwynedd Mercy College was third with 85.

For the third consecutive week, sophomore Matt Willard (Cardinal O'Hara HS/Broomall, Pa.) led the Devils, crossing the finish line in 27:37. Matt was the second non-Division I runner to finish, 18 seconds behind Richard Stockton's Abad Ahktar. Willard's time of 27:37 is the second fastest 8,000-meter (8K) time run on any course by a USP runner, .15 off the school record of 27:36.85 set by teammate Nick Willey last year.

Willey (Shenendehowa HS/Clifton Park, N.Y.), now a junior, was just two seconds behind Willard, finishing in third place with a time of 27:39. His time is the third fastest 8K time in school history. Together, the two runners(Willey and Willard) have the nine fastest 8K times in USP history and 14 of the top 15.

The Devils next two runners also recorded top ten finishes. Freshmen Marty Farrell (Monsignor Bonnor HS/Drexel Hill, Pa.) and Pete Grant (St. Joseph's Prep/Springfield, Pa.) finished three second apart as they both set personal-best times. Farrell finished sixth with a time of 29:06 while Grant was seventh with a time of 29:09. USP's third freshman, Steve Maylie (Springfield HS/ Springfield, Pa.) celebrated his 19th birthday with a 19th place finish and a time of 30:42.

Sophomore Nick Barkley(Mansfield HS/Mansfield, Tex.) was the next Devil to finish, crossing the line in 30th place and a time of 32:49, nearly two minutes faster than his previous best time this season. Junior Mark Cifelli (Watchung Hills Regional HS/Gillette, NJ) made his 2007 debut with a 33rd place finish and a time of 34:32, becoming the seventh USP runner to finish. Junior Nick Barger (Our Lady of Lourdes HS/Stormville, N.Y.) and senior Rich DiGiacomo(St. John Neumann HS/Philadelphia, Pa.) rounded out the Devils competitors, finishing 34th and 35th place respectively. Barger finished just seven seconds behind Cifelli with a time of 34:39, his best performance of the young season. DiGiacomo also turned in his best performance of the season with a 36:05 mark.

The Devils return to the friendly confines of Belmont Plateau for their next race, the Philadelphia Metro Championship on Saturday, September 22, 2007.

Devils Take Third at University of Delaware Invitational (9/15/07)

Senior Joy Aifuwa ran the fourth fastest 6,000-meter time in school history to lead the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia women's cross country team to a third place finish amongst the Division II/III schools competing in Saturday's University of Delaware Invitational in Newark, Delaware.

Aifuwa (Edison HS/Edison, N.J.), the third non-division I runner to finish, crossed the line in 24:46 to lead the Devils to their third place standing. USP scored 72 points, 20 behind second place Wilmington University(52) and 23 behind first place Richard Stockton College (49).

Two seniors follwed Aifuwa as USP's #2 and #3 finishers. Hayley Lentz (Wilson HS/Easton, Pa.) was the second Devils to finish, completing the 6,000-meter course at White Clay Creek State Park in 27:11, good enough for 13th place. Jean Dugan (Methacton HS/ Norristown, Pa.) followed in 17th place with a time of 28:12. One place behind Dugan was sophomore Beth Crawford (Camden Catholic/Haddon Heights, N.J.), finishing in 28:19, a career-best for a 6K race. Sarah Verbyla (Wyoming Valley West HS/Larksville, Pa.), also a sophomore, rounded out the devils top five with a time of 28:43 to finish in 21st place.

Freshman Colleen Christian (Central Bucks South/ Warrington, Pa.) followed in 22nd place, shaving three minutes off her career-best 6K time, set last week, finishing the race in 28:53. Freshmen Allison Dargay (Cardinal O'Hara HS/Glen Mills, Pa.) and Jaclyn Viola (Northport HS/Fort Salonga, N.Y.) also recorded personal bests in the race. Dargay crossed the line in 29:40, taking 1:19 off her previous low time and finishing in 25th place. Viola finished in 33rd place with a time of 33:28, 3:46 faster than her best time set in USP's opening meet at Delaware Valley.

The Devils return to the friendly confines of Belmont Plateau for their next race, the Philadelphia Metro Championship on Saturday, September 22, 2007.

Men's Harriers Finish Fourth at Maroon and Gold Invitational (9/8/07)

Competing against two of the elite Division II teams in the East region, amongst others, the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia men's cross country team recorded their best finish ever at today's Maroon and Gold Invitational hosted by Kutztown University, taking fourth place.

USP finished with 102 points, trailing third place West Chester University (68); regionally ranked Kutztown University (48); and nationally ranked Lock Haven University (26 points).

Sophomore Matt Willard (Cardinal O'Hara HS/Broomall, Pa.) led the way for the Devils finishing in 15th place overall. Willard completed the 8,000-meter course in 28:48.66. Right behind Willard in 18th place overall was junior Nick Willey (Shenendehowa HS/Clifton Park, N.Y.), finishing with a time of 29:05.95.

A trio of freshman rounded of the Devils top five finishers. Marty Farrell (Monsignor Bonnor HS/Drexel Hill, Pa.) finished 23rd overall with a time of 29:33.93 and was followed by Pete Grant (St. Joseph's Prep/Springfield, Pa.) at 30:12.79 in 26th place. Steve Maylie (Springfield HS/ Springfield, Pa.) finished 31st overall with a time of 30:41.50.

Next to cross the finish line was Nick Barkley(So., Mansfield HS/Mansfield, Tex.), finishing in 38th place with a time of 34:25.07. Nick Barger(Jr., Our Lady of Lourdes HS/Stormville, N.Y.) and Rich DiGiacomo(Sr., St. John Neumann HS/Philadelphia, Pa.) rounded out the Devils finishers, crossing the line in 42nd and 43rd place respectively. Barger finished in 37:37.09 while DiGiacomo crossed the line in 38:22.65.

Next up for the Devils will be the University of Delaware Invitational at White Clay Creek State Park in Newark, Delaware on Saturday, September 15, 2007.

USP Women Finish Fifth at Maroon and Gold Invitational (9/8/07)

The University of the Sciences women's cross country team faced some hearty competition at today's Maroon and Gold Invitational hosted by Kutztown University, finishing in fifth place.

The Devils had 112 points and were narrowly edged out by Albright College's 111 points. host and nationally ranked Kutztown University (#13) won the women's title with 22 points. Lock Haven University was second with 59 points while West Chester University took third with 75 points.

A trio of seniors led the way for the Devils paced by Joy Aifuwa (Edison HS/Edison, N.J.). Aifuwa finished in fourth place overall, her best finish ever at this event, with a time of 24:04.81, fifty seconds behind overall winner and 2006 all-region selection Stephanie Williams of Kutztown. Hayley Lentz (Wilson HS/Easton, Pa.) followed in 23rd place, completing the 6,000-meter course in 28:28.90. Jean Dugan (Methacton HS/ Norristown, Pa.) was the third Devil to finish, crossing the line in 31st place with a time of 29:37.54.

Sophomores Beth Crawford (Camden Catholic/Haddon Heights, N.J.) and Sarah Verbyla (Wyoming Valley West HS/Larksville, Pa.) rounded out the Devils top five, finishing 33rd and 34th respectively. Crawford crossed the finish line in 30:16.56 while Verbyla followed nine second later in 30:25.28.

Rounding out the Devils finishers were freshman Colleen Christian (Central Bucks South/ Warrington, Pa.), Allison Dargay (Cardinal O'Hara HS/Glen Mills, Pa.) and Jaclyn Viola (Northport HS/Fort Salonga, N.Y.). Christian was 39th overall with a time of 31:53.39 while Dargay was 40th, finishing in 32:10.41. Viola finished 46th with a time of 37:16.38.

Next up for the Devils will be the University of Delaware Invitational at White Clay Creek State Park in Newark, Delaware on Saturday, September 15, 2007.

USP Men Take Second at Delaware Valley (9/1/07)

The University of the Sciences men's cross country team opened the 2007 season with a bang, capturing second place at today's Delaware Valley College Invitational in Doylestown, Pennsylvania.

The Devils scored 116 points, 18 behind team champion West Chester University's 98. Elizabethtown college was third with 120 points and Richard Stockton College was fourth with 147 points. USP's second place finish is the third such finish by a Devils team under head coach Bob Heller. However it is the first such finish in a meet with over ten schools as 21 different schools stood at the starting line of today's race.

Today's race also marks the first time four USP runners finished an 8,000-meter cross country race in under 30 minutes and have all five scorers finish in 31 minutes or less. Sophomore Matt Willard (Cardinal O'Hara HS/Broomall, Pa.) led the way for the Devils, finishing sixth overall with a time of 28:04.84. Willard's time sets a school record for the Delaware Valley College course and is the seventh fastest 8,000-meter time in school history.

Three places behind Willard was junior Nick Willey (Shenendehowa HS/Clifton Park, N.Y.). Willey ran the 8,000-meter course in 28:23.40. The next three finishers for the Devils were making their collegiate debut. Freshman Marty Farrell (Monsignor Bonnor HS/Drexel Hill, Pa.) placed 21st overall with a time of 29:28.71. Pete Grant (St. Joseph's Prep/Springfield, Pa.), a redshirt freshman, followed in 26th place with a time of 29:44.64. Freshman Steve Maylie (Springfield HS/ Springfield, Pa.) rounded out the Devils top five with a time of 30:52.53, good enough for 54th place overall.

Nick Barger(Jr., Our Lady of Lourdes HS/Stormville, N.Y.) (34:40); Nick Barkley(So., Mansfield HS/Mansfield, Tex.) (35:46) and Rich DiGiacomo(Sr., St. John Neumann HS/Philadelphia, Pa.) (37:00) rounded out the Devils runners in today's race.

The Devils will compete next Saturday, September 8, 2007 at the Maroon and Gold Invitational, hosted by Kutztown University. The men's race starts at 10:00 a.m.

Women Harriers Open Season at Delaware Valley (9/1/07)

The University of the Sciences in Philadelphia women's cross country team kicked off their 2007 campaign at the Delaware Valley College Invitational today, placing eighth amongst the 15 complete teams competing.

USP scored a total of 191 points, placing eighth, 13 points behind seventh place Lebanon Valley College (178) and 19 behind sixth place Albright College (172). Ursinus college took the women's title with a score of 73 points. West Chester University was second with 96 points.

Leading the way for the Devils was senior Joy Aifuwa (Edison HS/Edison, N.J.). Aifuwa finished second overall with a time of 24:32.62, just 4.18 seconds behind overall winner Tiffany Kulp of Elizabethtown. Aifuwa's time sets a school record for the Delaware Valley College course and is the third fastest 6,000-meter time in school history. Joy now owns seven of USP's top ten 6,000 meter times, including the top three.

Senior Hayley Lentz (Wilson HS/Easton, Pa.) was the second Devil to finish, crossing the line in 32nd place overall with a time of 27:34.75. Lentz's time was a personal best in three races on the DVC course. Also recording a personal best for the course was senior Jean Dugan (Methacton HS/Norristown, Pa.). Dugan finished 47th overall with a time of 28:18.20.

Rounding out the Devils top five finishers were sophomores Sarah Verbyla (Wyoming Valley West HS/Larksville, Pa.) and Beth Crawford (Camden Catholic/Haddon Heights, N.J.). Verbyla finished 60th overall with a time of 28:36.21 while Crawford was 82nd with a time of 30:25.08. Both Verbyla's and Crawford's times were personal bests for the DVC course as each of the Devils top five finishers recorded their best time ever on this course.

Three freshman making their collegiate debuts rounded out the USP finishers. Allison Dargay (Cardinal O'Hara HS/Glen Mills, Pa.) completed the 6,000 meters in 31:59.77 while Colleen Christian (Central Bucks South/Warrington, Pa.) cross the line in 32:47.66. Jaclyn Viola (Northport HS/Fort Salonga, N.Y.) finished the race with a time of 37:14.16.

The Devils will compete next Saturday, September 8, 2007 at the Maroon and Gold Invitational, hosted by Kutztown University. The women's race starts at 10:50 a.m.