Piccirillo and Cheserek Capture First Place Titles in 33rd Annual Foot Locker Cross Country Championships Northeast Regional

Cheserek Breaks Course Record

RACE HIGHLIGHTS: Angel Piccirillo of Homer City, Pa., and Edward Cheserek of Newark, N.J., won the Foot Locker Cross Country Championships (FLCCC) Northeast Regional today.  In the girls’ race, Laura Leff of Syracuse, N.Y., was in the lead at the first mile mark. At approximately two miles, Angel Piccirillo and Abbey Leonardi of Kennebunkport, Maine, caught up to Leff to pass her soon thereafter.  Leonardi and Piccirillo ran together until the last 50 meters, when Piccirillo surged ahead to capture the title in 18:01 (third fastest time on this course).  Leonardi placed second (18:05) for the third consecutive year and Leff finished fifth in 18:26. Piccirillo qualified for the FLCCC National Finals twice and Leonardi qualified three times.

Edward Cheserek, a junior at St. Benedict’s Prep. in N.J., breaks the course record in 15:20.  (Previous course record was held by Chad Noelle of Greene, N.Y. at 15:42 in 2010.) For the first mile of the race, a pack of runners remained together until Cheserek made his move, claiming the title 25 seconds ahead of Daniel Lennon, a senior at Peru Central High School, who finished second in 15:45.  Tim Ball, a senior at Piscataway High School in N.J., placed third in 15:47.